The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 40

See "Gegg."

Snail Creep

In Mid-Cornwall, in the second week of June, at St. Roche, and in one or two adjacent parishes, a curious dance is performed at their annual "feasts." It enjoys the rather undignified name of "Snail Creep," but would be more properly called the "Serpent's Coil." The following is scarcely a perfect description of it:-"The young people being all a.s.sembled in a large meadow, the village band strikes up a simple but lively air and marches forward, followed by the whole a.s.semblage, leading hand-in-hand (or more closely linked in case of engaged couples), the whole keeping time to the tune with a lively step. The band, or head of the serpent, keeps marching in an ever-narrowing circle, whilst its train of dancing followers becomes coiled around it in circle after circle. It is now that the most interesting part of the dance commences, for the band, taking a sharp turn about, begins to retrace the circle, still followed as before, and a number of young men, with long leafy branches in their hands as standards, direct this counter movement with almost military precision."-W. C. Wade (_Western Antiquary_, April 1881).

A game similar to the above dance is often played by Sunday school children in West Cornwall, at their out-of-door summer treats, called by them "Roll tobacco." They join hands in one long line, the taller children at their head. The first child stands still, whilst the others in ever-narrowing circles dance around singing until they are coiled into a tight ma.s.s. The outer coil then wheels sharply in a contrary direction, followed by the remainder, retracing their steps.-Courtney's _Cornish Feasts and Folk-lore_, p. 39. A Scottish game, "Row Chow Tobacco," described by Jamieson, is played in the same way, the boy at the extremity being called the "Pin." A clamorous noise succeeds the "winding up," the players crying out "Row Chow Tobacco" while giving and receiving the fraternal hug. The words are p.r.o.nounced Rowity-chowity-bacco. The naming of this game in connection with tobacco is curious. It is undoubtedly the same as "Snail Creep." I am inclined to think that all these games are connected with an ancient form of Tree-worship, and that the a.n.a.logy of tobacco-rolling is quite modern.

See "Bulliheisle," "Eller Tree," "Tuilyie-waps," "Wind up the Bush f.a.ggot."

Snapping Tongs

See "Musical Chairs."

s.n.a.t.c.h Apple

A game similar to "Bob Cherry," but played with an apple.-Halliwell's _Dictionary_.

s.n.a.t.c.h Hood

An undescribed boy's game mentioned in a statute of Edward III.'s time.-Halliwell's _Dictionary_.

Soldier

I am an old soldier, I come from the war, Come from the war; I am an old soldier, I come from the war, And my age it is sixty-and-three.

I have but one son and he lies alone, lies alone, I have but one son and he lies alone; And he's still making moan for lying alone.

Son, go choose a wife of your own, Choose a good one or else choose none, Or bring none home to me.

Now they're got married, they're bound to obey, Bound to obey in every degree; And as you go round kiss all but me.

-Belfast, Ireland (W. H. Patterson).

The players form a ring and sing the first three verses. Then one of the players chooses a girl from the ring. The first three verses are again sung until the whole ring is arranged in couples; then the first couple kneels in the middle, and the rest dance round them singing the marriage formula; then the second couple, and so on, each couple kissing.

Solomon

The players knelt in a line; the one at the head, in a very solemn tone, chaunted, "Solomon had a great dog;" the others answered in the same way, "Just so" (this was always the refrain). Then the first speaker made two or three more ridiculous speeches, ending with, "And at last this great dog died, and fell down," giving at the same time a violent lurch against his next neighbour, who, not expecting it, fell against his, and so on, to the end of the line.-Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 50).

See "Obadiah," "Quaker's Wedding."

Sort'em-billyort'em

A Lancashire game, very similar to "Hot Peas and Bacon."-Halliwell's _Dictionary_.

Sow-in-the-Kirk

A large hole is made in the ground, surrounded by smaller ones, according to the number of the players, every one of whom has a shintie, or hooked stick. The middle hole is called the kirk. He who takes the lead in the game is called the sow-driver. His object is to drive a small piece of wood or bone, called the sow, into the large hole or kirk; while that of his opponents, every one of whom keeps his shintie in one of the smaller holes, is to frustrate his exertions by driving back the sow. If he succeeds, either in knocking it into one of the small holes, while one of his antagonists is in the act of striking it back, he is released from the drudgery of being driver. In the latter case, the person whose vacancy he has occupied takes the servile station which he formerly held.-Lothian (Jamieson). This is said to be the same game with "Church and Mice" in Fife. Jamieson's description is not very lucid. It appears that each player must hold his shintie with its end in his hole, and it is only when he takes it out to prevent the sow-driver getting his sow into or towards the kirk, that the sow-driver has the chance of putting the sow into the player's hole, and so causing that player to take the place of sow-driver.

See "Kirk the Gussie."

Span Counter

A common game among boys. "You shall finde me playing at Span Counter."-Dekker's _Northward Hoe_. Toone, _Etymological Dictionary_, mentions this as a juvenile game played with counters.

Boys shall not play At span counter or blow pipe.

-Donne (_Satire_ iv.).

Dr. Grosart, in noting this pa.s.sage, says, "I rather think the game is still played by boys when they directly, or by rebound, endeavour to play their b.u.t.ton or marble into a hole." Strutt briefly notes the game as being similar to "Boss Out."-_Sports_, p. 384. Halliwell (_Dictionary_) simply gives the quotation from Donne's Poems, p. 131, mentioning the game.

See "Boss Out."

Spang and Purley

A mode resorted to by boys of measuring distances, particularly at the game of marbles. It means a s.p.a.ce and something more.-Brockett's _North Country Words_.

Spangie

A game played by boys with marbles or halfpence. A marble or halfpenny is struck against the wall. If the second player can bring his so near that of his antagonist as to include both within a _span_, he claims both as his.-Jamieson.

This is the same game as "Banger," "Boss Out." Probably the Old English game of "Span Counter," or "Span Farthing," was originally the same.-See Johnson's _Dictionary_.

Spannims

A game at marbles played in the eastern parts of England.-Halliwell's _Dictionary_.

Sp.a.w.nie

The same game as "Spangie."-Keith (Rev. W. Gregor).

Spinny-Wye

The name of a game among children at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. I suspect this is nearly the same with "Hide and Seek." "I spye" is the usual exclamation at a childish game called "Hie, spy, hie."-Brand, ii. 442.