Swadged
I was poking around yesterday in search of sports of the period-- not in-depth research, just light internet searches,-- and came across a website with several games and sports (as well as some that post-date our era). Anyway, there was one in particular that I wanted to share:
Dwyle Flonking
The page reads:
Dwyle Flonking ... is a traditional tavern game usually played outside of English pubs. One team fields the driveller, the other forms the girter. The flonking team has two chances to use the dwyle to score a wanton, a marther or a ripple. If no score is made, the driveller is swadged. After each member of the team has flonked, the teams switch places. Highest score after two innings wins. Really, would I make something like this up? :D
Okay, bear in mind the purpose of a tavern game is to drink beer. Players form two teams. One team selects a player to be the flonker, or swatter. He holds a driveller, a broomstick, which has a dwyle, a rag soaked in stale beer, fastened to the end of it. The other team forms a girter, or a ring of people around the swatter.
The flonker, or swatter, then attempts to flonk, or hit, the players of the other team with the dwyle. The players are allowed to duck or dodge, but must remain within reach of the dwyle at all times. Dancing and taunting are strongly encouraged. :D The flonker gets three points for a wanton, which is a hit to the head, two points for a marther, which is a hit to the body, and only one point for a ripple, which is a hit to an arm or leg.
If the flonker fails to hit anybody in two attempts, he must be 'swadged', and drink a quantity of beer. The traditional 'tankard' for this purpose is a clean chamber pot. After each member of the team has had a chance to swing the dwyle, the teams switch places. The team which scores the most points at the end of two innings wins.
Timothy Finn, in his book Pub Games of England attributes the creation of game to King Offa of Mercia, an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon king, but gives no citation for his statement.
(found here)
Now, I'm wondering if the gang ever had to dodge a game of this outside of the Trip, as they ran away from Nottingham Castle... ;)
The index page of the site is rather old-school, but the individual pages are easier on the eyes, and pretty interesting!
Dwyle Flonking
The page reads:
Dwyle Flonking ... is a traditional tavern game usually played outside of English pubs. One team fields the driveller, the other forms the girter. The flonking team has two chances to use the dwyle to score a wanton, a marther or a ripple. If no score is made, the driveller is swadged. After each member of the team has flonked, the teams switch places. Highest score after two innings wins. Really, would I make something like this up? :D
Okay, bear in mind the purpose of a tavern game is to drink beer. Players form two teams. One team selects a player to be the flonker, or swatter. He holds a driveller, a broomstick, which has a dwyle, a rag soaked in stale beer, fastened to the end of it. The other team forms a girter, or a ring of people around the swatter.
The flonker, or swatter, then attempts to flonk, or hit, the players of the other team with the dwyle. The players are allowed to duck or dodge, but must remain within reach of the dwyle at all times. Dancing and taunting are strongly encouraged. :D The flonker gets three points for a wanton, which is a hit to the head, two points for a marther, which is a hit to the body, and only one point for a ripple, which is a hit to an arm or leg.
If the flonker fails to hit anybody in two attempts, he must be 'swadged', and drink a quantity of beer. The traditional 'tankard' for this purpose is a clean chamber pot. After each member of the team has had a chance to swing the dwyle, the teams switch places. The team which scores the most points at the end of two innings wins.
Timothy Finn, in his book Pub Games of England attributes the creation of game to King Offa of Mercia, an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon king, but gives no citation for his statement.
(found here)
Now, I'm wondering if the gang ever had to dodge a game of this outside of the Trip, as they ran away from Nottingham Castle... ;)
The index page of the site is rather old-school, but the individual pages are easier on the eyes, and pretty interesting!