Alright, so I wanted to get away from football
variations for a little bit to keep your attention. Today we want to get
a little bit away from the rough and tumble sporting events and introduce a
little more leisurely past time. I always enjoy a competition I can
drink/eat in the middle of (though I have done such while playing ultimate
frisbee, it's not recommended).
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| http://www.allenvalleyquoits.co.uk/ |
Like many popular games, the history of quoits is muddled at best. Played with metal (rope, or rubber) rings, and thrown at a distant peg, quoits has been played for quite some time (attributed by some to ancient Greece). There are those who believe that the game originated from the discus throw, as a distance competition. Many believe that the game of quoits originally used rounded horseshoes, others say that the game of horseshoes later evolved into quoits. However it came about, the outdoor form of horseshoes and quoits are roughly similar (indoor quoits being a pub game which developed much later). Today, there are a number of popular variations.
"The Northern Game" is played in the north of England. The
hobs, or stakes, are placed eleven yards apart in three-foot clay squares (not sand), sticking three
to four inches above the ground. The quoits are around 5.5" in
diameter, weigh around 5.5 pounds, and have a curved upper face (so if
overturned, can more easily be flipped out of position). You score for each quoit
closer than your opponent's nearest. Matches are played to a set score (11, 15, or 21 generally), with scoring 1 for closest to the hob, or 2 for a
"ringer" (only the top quoit on the peg scores). Games can be
individual or in teams of two.
"The Long Game" or "The Old Game" is played mostly in Wales
and Scotland and like many Celtic sports, requires a bit more strength.
Here, the hobs are eighteen yards apart and the 9" quoits weigh around 11
pounds. Another important difference is that the hobs are driven flush
with the ground, to act as a simple target. You score for each quoit
closer than your opponent's nearest.
Other variations have developed in other regions colonized by the Brits during
the course of their history. On cruise ships they tend to use rope quoits and
wooden peg boards, to save the decking. Indoor games are likewise played
on gaming tables (as targets) and over shorter distances. A similar game is played at fairs, using rope hoops (or hula-hoops) tossed at pegs to win prizes. Rubber quoits are sometimes used in the US to cut down on injuries resulting from hucking about metal discs (oh how I miss lawn darts).
Quoits were popular with all types, from society gentlemen to miners, though there certainly were detractors. Henry IV, "hated the game as the devil did holy water." (Walken pg 38). Other monarchs outlawed it, like many other games at the time (see football) for being distractions from more useful activities. To be fair, drinking and wagering was (is?) pretty popular in connection with the game, but then again just about all leisure activities can be connected with drinking and wagering. Soldiers played it on the march. Workers played it in the village. I'm sure you can find a place for a game somewhere in your stories.
Quoits were popular with all types, from society gentlemen to miners, though there certainly were detractors. Henry IV, "hated the game as the devil did holy water." (Walken pg 38). Other monarchs outlawed it, like many other games at the time (see football) for being distractions from more useful activities. To be fair, drinking and wagering was (is?) pretty popular in connection with the game, but then again just about all leisure activities can be connected with drinking and wagering. Soldiers played it on the march. Workers played it in the village. I'm sure you can find a place for a game somewhere in your stories.
Info on Varieties - http://www.tradgames.org.uk/games/Quoits.htm
US Quoiting
Association - http://www.usqa.org/
Early Games - http://books.google.com/books?id=ljAPAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=quoits+history&source=bl&ots=Nff7pjlbrM&sig=3MTsT1pgz4-lyfIfZuTmoaVTg2I&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sCasU4OkO8OeyATchIHIDw&ved=0CGkQ6AEwCTgK#v=onepage&q=quoits%20history&f=false
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