Cornish hurling
[3] Given its weight and hardness, hurlers and spectators maintain intense vigilance to avoid serious injury from a long or poorly aimed throw.
One held at Penzance Museum is thought to be very old and bears the following inscription in the Cornish language: "Paul Tuz whek Gwaro Tek heb ate buz Henwis.
"Hurling to country", however, was often played over large areas of countryside and despite its name also involved goals; this was common in the west of the county.
Hurling is very similar to the game of cnapan; a form of medieval football played until the nineteenth century in the southwestern counties of Wales, especially Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
The Cornish, Welsh and Bretons of Brittany are historically descended from Romano-Britons who inhabited the Roman province of Britannia before the Anglo-Saxons incursions from the 5th century.
111) providing details of legal action taken when a man called Roger was accused of killing a fellow Soule player with a stone.
[12] Considering the clear similarities between Hyrlîan, Cnapan and La Soule, the common Brittonic languages, shared culture and ancestry it is likely these three sports evolved from the same game.
There is no hard evidence Harpastum continued to be played in Europe after the Western Roman Empire fell into decline although an alternative form was revived as Calcio Fiorentino during the renaissance in 16th century Tuscany.
[13] The Cornish-men they are stronge, hardye and nymble, so are their exercises violent, two especially, Wrastling and Hurling, sharpe and seuere actiuties; and in neither of theis doth any Countrye exceede or equall them.
The firste is violent, but the seconde is daungerous: The firste is acted in two sortes, by Holdster (as they called it) and by the Coller; the seconde likewise two ways, as Hurling to goales, and Hurling to the Countrye.According to the law, or when the ball to throw; And drive it to the gole, in squadrons forth they goe; And to avoid the troupes (their forces that forlay); Through dykes and rivers make, in the rubustious play;[14] That the hurler must deal no foreball, or throw it to any partner standing nearer the goal than himself.
An pelle Arrance ma ve resse, gen mere Hurleyey, Creve ha brosse Do Wella Gwavas an Deane gentle an kensa journa a messe Heddra an Centle en Plew Pawle, in Cernow Teage an Blooth Creste an Arleuth whege Meele Sith Cans ha hanter Deege (Translation in English) This Silver bale was given With many Hurlers Stronge & greet To William Gwavas gent.
the first day of September was the tyme in the parish of paule in Cornwall faire in the year of our Sweete Lord Christe a thousand seven hundred & the half of ten (vis) fiue.
[18] Proceedings begin at 4:15 pm in Market Square, when the ball is "called-up" by the hurler who won it for his team in the previous game.
They climb a stepladder and recite the traditional rhyme "Town and Country do your best, for in this parish I must rest", call for three cheers and throw the ball to the crowd.
Play often stops for spectators to touch the ball (said to bring luck and fertility), or slows to allow younger players to participate.
Hurling in the town consists of a variety of action: hurlers run through the streets, passing the ball between them, whilst tackles and scuffles for possession often become larger scrummages involving several men and sometimes lasting several minutes.
At some point, usually after 40–60 minutes of play in the town, a single hurler or group of team-mates with possession of the ball will make an attempt towards their team's goal or to part of the parish boundary.
Some hurls are won by a team effort, while sometimes a single hurler, if a good runner, may attain possession of the ball in the town and manage to run all the way to the goal or boundary without being caught by any of the opposition.
The hurlers can go anywhere in the parish: sometimes play keeps to roads, though often players go through fields and sometimes woods and farmyards, when necessary scrambling over hedges and ditches and wading through rivers.
Fitness and running ability are significant factors in hurling: strong runners are the most likely to be involved in the latter stage of the game and to win the ball.
[21] The parish is mainly farmland, but includes woodland, marshy ground and small areas of water, as well as several hamlets, villages and farmsteads, and both major and minor roads.
The first phase of the game takes place mostly in the town's main streets which are still open to traffic (although police advise motorists not to drive through).
There are, however, certain acts that are generally accepted as being wrong, such as hiding the ball (unless in jest), excessive violence and using any form of transport other than foot.
An act that is widely disapproved of but not considered illegal is to make a particularly early attempt to carry-off the ball to the goal or boundary.
Team allegiance is purely based on residence: if a hurler moves house from the town to the countryside (or vice versa) he changes sides accordingly.
Newspaper reports from the 1850s and 1860s describe St Columb's Shrovetide hurling as a long-established custom, and portray the essentials of the game in that era as fairly similar to that of the present day.
The person in possession of the ball when the clock strikes noon takes it to the Mayor at the Guildhall and receives the traditional reward of five shillings.
Local tradition maintains that they are men turned to stone for profaning the Lords Day by taking part in a hurling match.
