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Haxey Hood Game. Haxey Lincolnshire.
6 January 1972 The Haxey Hood Game, Haxey, Humberside The Lord, Stan Boor, the Chief Boggin Arthur Clark , and the Fool Peter Bee make their way from the Kings Arms to the Duke William. It is unclear how this rough version of rugby football began. The most likely theory is that origins lie in some sacrificial game of Celtic times, but it can only be traced with some certainty to an incident involving the first Lady de Mowbray who married John de Mowbray in 1298. One day when she was out riding her hood blew off and thirteen farm workers or 'Boggins' in the vicinity gave chase to it. When it was finally rescued by the 'fool' he was too shy to hand it over, so another Boggin (the 'lord') gave it to her. Lady de Mowbray was so impressed with this gallantry that in her will she left a piece of land called the 'Hoodlands' to the village as long as the inhabitants promised to re-enact the event annually. Consequently, each year on the 6 January the people not only of Haxey, but also of Westwoodside and other surrounding villages, do so. There are thirteen Boggins, who wear some scarlet, while the Lord and the Chief Boggin wear hunting pink and the Fool the attire of a court jester; the Lord also carries a willow wand as staff of office. The participants start with lunch and songs at the King's Arms, followed by a further bout of singing at the other pub in the village, the Duke William. After lunch, they gather at the mounting stone by the village church where the Fool makes a dash away from the crowd and the Boggins give chase until he is caught.
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