Tenancy
Carew notes that commonly
- 30 acres make a farthing,
- 9 farthings make a Cornish acre.
- 4 Cornish acres are a knight’s fee.
Most tenants are required to
- pay “due capons” which are probably head taxes, not actually capons.
- make harvest journeys
- grind at the mill
- sue at the court
- discharge the duties of reeve and tithing-man.
- dwell upon the tenement and not till any part without the lord’s permission.
Other are made on lord-and-vassal basis, including paying the heriot (the best beast on death).
Cornish names
Carew says they sound Welsh. Surnames often start with Tre, Pol or Pen, which mean a town, a top or a head.
Hurling notes
There are two types
Hurling at goals
Each team has 15, 20 or 30 men, more or less. It is played stripped to the lightest apparel. The men pair off, sometimes by hugging. The pitch has two goals, perhaps 8-10 feet wide. separated by 100 to 120 feet. Each has a goal keeper. An “indifferent person” tosses the ball, and whoever can carry it through the opponent’s goal wins. The carrier is opposed by his pair from before, who pushes him in the chest with his closed fist, to check his progress. This is called Butting.
If he gets past the first one, he then faces off with another and anthor, until a part of his body touches the ground, or he yells “hold”. Then he must pass the ball (called “dealing”) to one of his fellow, who can use his agility to avoid many of the defenders. It’s a low scoring game, but there’s prestige in being the one who has the ball longest, who makes the most gain, or causes the most falls.
There are many laws. The key ones are that the hurlers must hurle manto man, no teaming up when pushing for the ball. The man carrying must butt only in the chest. The man opposing above the belt. He may not pass forward. If the ball is caught in mid-deal, the side gains possession of it.
“The least breach of these laws, the hurlers take for a just cause of going together by the ears, but with their fists only, neither do they seek revenge for wrongs or hurts, but at the like play again.” The game is generally held at weddings, where the guests take on all comers.
Hurling to country
Two gentlemen bring teams, of whatever size to an appointed place. The goals are generally the houses of the gentlemen. There is no pairing off. A ball is tossed, and the player that grabs it runs and is pursued. He is chased until he is “laid flat on God’s dear earth” which means he may no longer handle the ball during the match, so he throws it to one of his fellows, with the same risk of interception as before. People may pass forward, and spectators may call out to point out the location of the ball to players. The tackled player may rejoin play.
Play may proceed through any barrier, so sometimes you see mats of men fighting for the ball in the river. Horses may be used, but since each side knows this, they tend to put men at choke-points a horse would need to slow down at, to tackle the rider (and sometimes the horse). The possessing team may form a defensive scrum around their carrier, or may form a scrum around a false carrier while the real one goes off a longer way, The one who crosses goal is often given the ball as a trophy, and drinks a lot of beer.
Wrestling
The people at a match form a ring, which they call “making a space”. The men to wrestle strip down to their looser garments. They shake hands. The winner is the one who makes his opponents back, or his shoulder and contrary-side ankle land on the ground. Each wrestler must wear a belt, and only hold his opponent’s belt. Matches are best of three, and the winner takes on the next challenger, not being challenged by one he has beaten in that set of matches.
Carew says there are many tricks which allow a weak man to beat a strong one. He names the trip, fore-hip, inturne, faulx, forward and backward, the mare, and says there are others.
A little ditty about Richard of the Romans:
“Money said that for her sake,
Rome did Cornwall wife to take.”
And that ends Carew.
I should probably now read “Scilly and its Legends” or something similar to write the fallen covenant there, but I can’t bring myself to. I’m a bit burned out by the frogmarching of the post a day thing.
You’ll still get a post a day, but I’m going to start drafting and laying out, I think.
Games From Folktales 