Period games for children
Ernie Tomlinson
If anyone can post or email me any info on games or activities for
children (the whole range: 2-15 Years) that we might try at events, it
would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance :)
Ernest of Hartwood
(Vancouver Island, BC, Canada)
Morgoth
Ring around the rosie is quite period. Since it tells the story of the
Black Death (Plague) in a childish form..
Ring around the rosie (sign of the plague)
Pocket full of possie (a supposed cure)
ashes, ashes, we all fall down. (the end for many who died, death and
burning.).
On Sat, 7 Sep 1996, Ernie Tomlinson wrote:
> Date: Sat, 07 Sep 1996 21:06:06 -0800
> From: Ernie Tomlinson <ima...@island.net>
> Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
> Subject: Period games for children
Morgoth
If you think I'm scary, you should see me kids (grin).
David Friedman
> If anyone can post or email me any info on games or activities for
> children (the whole range: 2-15 Years) that we might try at events, it
> would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks in advance :)
> Ernest of Hartwood
> (Vancouver Island, BC, Canada)
Sallaamallah the corpulent has a book on games which I think is available
from the stock clerk. It includes period running around games, along with
much else.
David/Cariadoc
Heather Rose Jones
Ernie Tomlinson (ima...@island.net) wrote:
: If anyone can post or email me any info on games or activities for
: children (the whole range: 2-15 Years) that we might try at events, it
: would be greatly appreciated.
I can't give you the information directly, but I can point you to an
excellant place to look. One of Breughel's paintings is of a whole
village full of children engaged in the games of his day. (He did a
similar painting illustrating proverbs.) I am quite certain that there are
any number of books or articles analyzing and describing the games shown
in this painting.
Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn
David Friedman
In article <Pine.SUN.3.93.96090...@dwarf.nome.net>,
Morgoth <mor...@nome.net> wrote:
> Ring around the rosie is quite period. Since it tells the story of the
> Black Death (Plague) in a childish form..
>
> Ring around the rosie (sign of the plague)
> Pocket full of possie (a supposed cure)
> ashes, ashes, we all fall down. (the end for many who died, death and
> burning.).
There was a thread on this, I think in this group, a few months ago. The
conclusion seemed to be that there is no evidence for this explanation of
ring around the rosie--nor any evidence that the game is sufficiently old
to make the explanation plausible.
David/Cariadoc
Edwin Hewitt
ima...@island.net (Ernie Tomlinson) wrote:
>
> If anyone can post or email me any info on games or activities for
> children (the whole range: 2-15 Years) that we might try at events, it
> would be greatly appreciated.
> Ernest of Hartwood
> (Vancouver Island, BC, Canada)
I own an old book printed in New York during a paper shortage.
It is called "A History of Everyday Things in England," by Marjorie
and CHB Quennell. It was published by Charles Scribner's Sons,
sometime about or after 1918.
It is the first of what was suppossed to be a two book series,
but I don't know if the second book was ever published.
It covers from 1066 to 1499, and includes childrens' games,
costuming, furnature, forts, monasteries, jousts and warefare,
and all sorts of things. Well illustrated, it was designed for
English public school children, who grew up without the proper
sense of their history.
I will quote from a 14th century section, p. 143:
"In the fourteenth century we hear of cards being played,
and also of a curious game, called 'Ragman's Roll.' In this a roll
or parchment was used, on which various verses were written
describing the characters of the players, each verse having a string
and deal attached. These seals were hundg down from the rolled-up
parchment and each person drew one of the seals, and had to take on
the character attached to that particular verse.
Games of questions and answers and of forfeits were also
played, and dancing was very general. Many dances took place out
of doors, and we often hear of picnics and, after the meal, dancing.
"...Our next illustration, No. 63, is of a game called
"Hot Cockles." It is played thus: One player kneels blindfolded,
holding her hands behind, while the others strike her hands, she
trying to guess the name of the stiker...."
It seems this book is rather rare, but I highly recommend it.
Greg Lindahl
>I own an old book printed in New York during a paper shortage.
>It is called "A History of Everyday Things in England," by Marjorie
>and CHB Quennell. It was published by Charles Scribner's Sons,
>sometime about or after 1918.
Does it have any footnotes or a bibliography?
Gregory Blount
SandraDodd
Here are a couple my kids have used and then one adults used to play in
the days that the Lonely Mountain Defender Tournament had a games
competition.
These are both chasing games. One is "Red Lion." I can dig up the source
if you really want me to. It's from some historical games book somewhere
in my house.
One is it, the lion, and has a den. The runners come away from the base
near the den and chant "Red lion, red lion, come out of your den; whoever
you catch will be one of your men," after which the lion chases to catch.
Whether a tag or a catch is required depends on the age and disposition of
kids, and on the terrain, and on the disposition of the parents to let the
kids play rough or not. The "it" team grows, and the last runner caught
is the new lion.
Wooly Wooly Wolf is similar. The difference is the signal for running
isn't the end of a jointly-chanted verse, but it's this bluff by the
leader of the sheep (runners):
"I spy the wooly wooly... DOG" (anything besides wolf is a false taunt
and the wolf can't run). "I spy the wooly wooly BEAR" or whatever, until
finally he says "I spy the wooly wooly WOLF and the wolf comes out and
catches some to be wolves with him.
The other one we played was something I learned in girl scouts slightly
modified. No claim to it being period, but it was fun.
People sit in a circle on cushions or something else to indicate their
place. We used cushions because we were outside, and in those days
people always made and had cushions. (Hadn't thought about that for a
long time!) Each person has a number, and the person who's it stands in
the middle of the circle and calls two numbers (any two but his own), and
those two switch chairs while "it" tries to steal a chair. Whoever's left
is it. There's no winning this game--it's just played until people are
tired of it. The way I learned it was you could call "Fruit Basket
Upset" and everybody got up and got a different chair, no going back to
the one they had. Our only adjustment was for it to say "The King is
Coming!" and everybody else, as they scrambled for a new chair said, "The
King is Coming."
There've been others we've tried that didn't stick. One about the Roman
soldiers which the book's author considered really old. It's hard to take
a game out of a book.
There's a kids' game called "colored eggs" which has nothing in or about
it to mar the period feel of an event. I've run it at an event once, at a
formal children's activities place. It worked out fine.
The painting "Children's Games" which someone already mentioned would give
you lots of ideas.
Sandra
Timothy A. McDaniel
In article <ddfr-08099...@ddfr.vip.best.com>,
David Friedman <dd...@best.com> wrote:
>In article <Pine.SUN.3.93.96090...@dwarf.nome.net>,
>Morgoth <mor...@nome.net> wrote:
>
>> Ring around the rosie is quite period. Since it tells the story of the
>> Black Death (Plague) in a childish form..
>
>conclusion seemed to be that there is no evidence for this explanation of
>ring around the rosie--nor any evidence that the game is sufficiently old
>to make the explanation plausible.
At home, I have some documents from the Ring Around The Rosie web page
(!). I think the original discussion was either in rec.org.sca or
alt.folklore.urban. In any event, it's a false etymology. The first
recorded instances of versions of the rhyme were in the 1800s; there
were variants that had little to do with any purported symptoms; the
versions are similar in construction to other rhymes constructed
around the same time.
--
Daniel de Lincoln
Tim McDaniel
Reply-To: tm...@crl.com
(Work is mcda...@cpm.com.)
Never use mcda...@mcdaniel.dallas.tx.us.
Aoife
There is always the game Jingles: One person is jingles. He/she wears
jingle bells in a necklace or arm/leg band(belly dance coins, cow
bells,.anything that makes a noise upon movement.). All other players
wear blindfolds. Jingles must slip in and amongst the blindfolded players
without being caught. The person who touches Jingles is then "it". This
is a sort of reverse blind-man's bluff (also a period game). This game is
wildly popular because there is fierce competition for those bells (and
the sheer joy of ringing them!). Adults must referee by preventing
children from walking into trees, etc. while blindfolded.
An old african game called Hawk Amongst the Hens has two long lines of
children (the Hens), about 20 feet or so apart. Hawk is "it". The hens
must scamper back and forth between the two lines continually. Hawk will
try to tag them. Tagged hens sit out. Last Hen tagged (or last hen left)
is then the Hawk.
Mouse Trap is a game requiring 2 adults or older children to start. You
need a "Cat", and lots and lots of "Mice". The two adults (the trap) will
hold both hands, with arms raised so the "mice" can pass underneath in a
continual stream. The Cat will stand so that he/she cannot see the mice
or trap. As the mice pass in and out of the trap, the cat will suddenly
shout "SNAP". Down go the Trap's arms. Any mice caught in the trap are
then recruited to be part of the trap (they join the link, making more
places for mice to enter and exit. The last Mouse caught then becomes the
Cat ( or the last mouse left). I'm not sure this one is historical, but
it's great fun.
They should be very tired after any of these games! you might also try
some period playthings: Balls, skipping ropes and rhymes, marbles, jacks,
dolls, windmills (pinwheels), hobby houses, etc....
Aoife
Aengus&Eibhlin
Greetings all from Lady Eibhlin ni Chaoimh
Being a scribe,I decided to host a children's activity based on
medieval painting. Starting with where did the illuminators get the
paint.... Knowing that K-Mart was not an option, the children had some
very interesting ideas of their own ;-) .....and ending up with a
free for all painting session for everyone. Even the adults who were
curious at first, then amazed to find out that it works.
The paint was made the same way as period paints were, with a slight
twist. We mixed the medieval binding medium glair (whipped egg whites
and a little water. Made at home 2 days ahead of time and carried to
the event in a jar.) with pigments ( <<eek>> not my good period ground
pigments, but *kool-aid* ) This gives you a paint similar to a water
color, not to mention it smells good ;-)
The children chose what *flavor* pigment they wanted and mixed it
themselves.
Most SCA scribes use a paint called guache. It contains a small amount
of white pigment that gives it an opaqueness rather than the
transparency of watercolor. The modern recipe for non-toxic homemade
guache
1 Tablespoon white vinegar mixed with 1 Tablespoon baking soda (yes,it
bubbles) Wait til it stops and add 4 Tablespoons of corn starch, 1
Tablespoon light corn syrup,and food coloring. Add water as needed for
consistency. I poured it into plastic medicine cups and made about 15
different colors. The remarkable thing about this recipe is that it
can be dried out and reconstituted like the store bought kind. I made
it ahead of time and took it dried to the event.
The children...and adults... got to see why modern tubes of paint are
more convenient and accurate in color. (I mixed a color and had them
try to reproduce it.)
They all got to see the differences between watercolors and guaches.
And they got to paint pretty pictures to take home with them.
Not only did they have a good time, but they learned something in the
process.
I hope this helps a little
Eibhlin
Tiomoid M. of Angle
How about "Drowning in the Bath"? Or "Suffocate While Sleeping With
Parents"? Those were always quite popular, and reduced the noise level
at the same time.
Tadhg
The Grumpiest Pelican
Married to a Sensible Woman Who Had Her Tubes Tied
Liz Beecher
It is reputed that Morgoth <mor...@nome.net> wrote:
>Ring around the rosie is quite period. Since it tells the story of the
>Black Death (Plague) in a childish form..
>
>Pocket full of possie (a supposed cure)
>ashes, ashes, we all fall down. (the end for many who died, death and
>burning.).
>
>
'Ring, a ring a roses' is a well known Elizabethan tell or 'rhyme' with
actions as so would only be on the edge of your period. I don't know
about you colonials but us over here in the UK have the last line as:-
'Atissue, Atissue, we all fall down'
Atissue is the english phoenetic for sneezing - like 'achue' and sneezing
was one of the latter symptoms of the plague.
By the way, 'ring a roses' was the circular red mark of the plague and
the possies were a bunch of flowers to disguise the awful smell. Many
higher Elizabethans thought that a pomander such as an orange with cloves
in it or a silver filigre one with cloth soaked in perfume would cause
the plague to go away with the whiffs of smell - a bit like the use of
inscence to send your prayers to heaven on it's smoke.
Crumbs, aren't I full of useless information!
I also know the origins of the tells of 'jack be nimble' and 'one, two
buckle my shoe' if anyone is interested.
Its funny how tells get adjusted as they change continents. I'm not
saying that Morgoth's version is wrong - its the one were he is. I have
spent the last two years tracing the evolution of just one song from
country to country and you would be surprised how fast political songs
become folk songs and then nursery songs!
Good luck in the games search.
Liz Beecher
--
Editor - The Culverin - The Journal of The Siege Group
Bringing the English Civil War to Life
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/The_Siege_Group
Gerta
Liz Beecher wrote:
>
> It is reputed that Morgoth <mor...@nome.net> wrote:
>
> >
> >Ring around the rosie (sign of the plague)
> >Pocket full of possie (a supposed cure)
> >ashes, ashes, we all fall down. (the end for many who died, death and
> >burning.).
> about you colonials but us over here in the UK have the last line as:-
>
> 'Atissue, Atissue, we all fall down'
>
>
> buckle my shoe' if anyone is interested.
>
> Its funny how tells get adjusted as they change continents. I'm not
> saying that Morgoth's version is wrong - its the one were he is.
i am another one from the us and everyone i every heard is ashes,
but Atissue would ake sense, thans for the enlightenment.
I would be intresed in the origins of jack be nimble and one,
two, buckle my shoe.
Gerta/Jordana
HOLLY RENE M - F92
> > >Ring around the rosie (sign of the plague)
> > >Pocket full of possie (a supposed cure)
> > >ashes, ashes, we all fall down. (the end for many who died)
the explanation I heard was the first signs of the plague being the
reddish rash, and the pocketfull of posies being the herbs that were
carried to ward off infection. (not a cure, per se, but a protection from
contracting it in the first place)
Edwin Hewitt
lin...@deshaw.com (Greg Lindahl) wrote:
>
> Does it have any footnotes or a bibliography?
>
> Gregory Blount
Yes.
Armour-
Pageant of the Life of Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick,
Dillan and St. John Hope.
British and Foreign Arms and Armor. Charles W. Ashdown,
(TC & EC Jack)
Castles-
British Castles. Charles Ashdown (Adam & Charley Black)
Clark's Medieval Military Archetecture
Thompson's Military Architecture in England
Dictionair raissone' de l'architecture francaise du XI au XVI
siecle (Violet-le-Duc)
Churches-
Gothic Architecture in England. Fransis Bond (Batsford)
The English Parish Church. J. Charles Cox (Batsford)
Furniture-
Dictionnaire raisonne' du mobilier francais. Viollet-le-Duc
History of English Furniture Macquaid (Collins)
Ancient and modern Furnature and Woodwork. Pollen (Board of Educ.)
Social Life-
Traill's Social England (Cassell)
Social England in the Fifteenth Century. A. Abram. (George
Routledge & Sons Ltd)
Scenes and Characters of the Middle Ages. The Rev.Edward L. Cutts.
Houses- Libraries- Monasteries- Ships etc. also listed
Edvin.