The Haxey Hood 

"hoose agin hoose 
- toon agin toon.
If ya meet a man,
- knock im darn
but don't urt im"

On the morning of the 6th of January the Lord of the Hood and his 12 Boggins (including the chief Boggin and the Fool) gathered at the Kings Arms pub by the cross at the east end of Haxey village. After a steadying drink and a selection of rousing songs they then moved onto the next pub, where more people joined them for a repeat performance. By the time they got to the Duke of Wellington the place was  packed and everyone was in good voice, joining in and really lifting the roof with songs like John Barley Corn, Farmers Boy and Drink Old England Dry.

Around 2.30pm the Lord assembled the Boggin's outside the pub and then they all headed up the main street towards the church, where a good sized crowd had gathered to hear the Fools speech. As they approached the church, the Fool tried to escape by running off up the road, but he was chased after and soon caught by the Boggin's (!) who carried him back through the crowd and stood him on top to the mounting stone by the church. From this vantage point the Fool addressed the crowd, welcoming them to the ancient game of Haxey Hood and outlining the rules of the game. Meanwhile behind his back, the Boggin's were kindling a straw fire at the base of the cross and soon the smoke and heat began to distract the Fool, but he soldiered on until he could stand it no more and then he started the chant ....

"hoose agin hoose - toon agin toon.
If ya meet a man - knock im darn
but don't urt im."

The crowd gave a big cheer and the 'smoked Fool' jumped from the cross base to rejoin the Lord and the Boggin's who then headed up the main street to a field on the west side of the village. The crowd gathered around the Lord who had located a point in the field that lay on the boundary between Haxey and Westwoodside village.

 The game then started with the sack hoods (rolled up sacks) being thrown by several people who were given the "honour" to lead the "Hoose agin Hoose..." chant. These Hoods were thrown out into the field where they were scrambled for by the children and youths, who grabbed the sack and ran with it, doing their best to evade the Boggin's who tried to retrieve it. If the runner managed to get the sack to one of the local pubs they then got a pound for it. About a dozen sack hoods were thrown, some of which were tied with red bands to show that they were thrown for the women and young girls, but female modesty was rarely a match against the excited kids, who quickly grabbed these hoods as well.

 After all the sack hoods had been thrown, it was time for the Sway Hood, (a leather roll). The Lord called the crowd to order and read out the rules by which the Sway Hood was to be played for. Then with a final chant of "hoose agin hoose....." the Sway Hood was thrown into the air and whoever caught it was immediately surrounded by a massive rugby type scrum, with those on the edge of it attempting to push the mass of bodies in the direction of either Haxey or Westwoodside village, depending on where their loyalties lay. Occasionally the Sway collapsed and people were trapped under each other, Immediately this happened the 'Chief Boggin' called for the Sway to stand off so that the trapped people could be pulled clear, before the Sway resumed. 
 

 If the two sides are evenly matched then the Sway can continue for several hours, pushing against each other until the winter darkness falls. By this time more people join in the sway after they get home from work, with these fresh bodies usually tipping the balance in favour of one village and the sway then gathers momentum in that direction. Once in the village the Sway is steered towards a designated pub where the Hood is then passed through the scrum and into the pub, to be touched by the landlord, which seals the victory for that year. The celebrations can then begin for both the winning side and their worthy opponents. 

And so the tradition has continued, the Hood has been played for and the game is over - until next year!

These pictures relate to several visits to Haxey since the early 1990s.