La soule

La soule, later choule (French: chôle), is a traditional team sport that originated in Normandy and Picardy.

Such a game would be played wherever crowds of people met, e.g., after church services on Sundays or on religious holidays.

La soule was played chiefly on the Christian holidays of Easter, Christmas, or on occasion at weddings or the day of the patron saint of the parish.

The game was started at the geographical border between the two parishes; it was also sometimes organised between teams of single versus married men.

In Vieux-Viel, the soule was launched at the door of the castle, and was then taken to the cemetery by the priests and the officers of the parish.

However, in spite of the importance of the play, nobles and members of the clergy gave up participation during the 18th century.

The ball could be made of leather, fabric, or wood, a pig bladder filled with hay, or even a wooden block.

One of the last recorded games was between the villages of Saint-Léger-aux-Bois and Tracy-le-Mont, in the Oise department of Picardy, which is situated 35 miles north of Paris.