Comments on: Bottle-Kicking in Hallaton

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:59:58 +0000

Hi some nice photos here. I wonder if anyone can help about 3 or 4 years ago I was in the centre of the scum with a barrel (the closes I have ever got) as it collapsed and my head was pushed into a lump of cow muck and I was covered to say the least, but just as I saw getting up I remember two photographers taking pictures of me and I wood love photo of this event.

By: graham

graham — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:21:40 +0000

The more that I think of it is possible that the Hare Pie name might have a more mundane meaning. Many field names and field name elements describe the soil in the field. A nearby example would be the field name “Plum Pudding Meadow” in the village of Humberstone, is given to a very sticky clay field close to a brook. The place low German name element ‘har’, ‘hare’ that is found in many place names as Haar (in early sources ‘Hare’) and which is stated to mean ‘height’, ‘ridge’, ‘height covered with wood’.

Another intriguing possibility for its origins could come from the Old English ‘hearg’ meaning temple and the Old Norse ‘horg’ meaning ‘heap of stones’ or ‘altar’, especially given the proximity of �Hare Pie Bank� to the recent discovered foundations of what appears to be a sub-rectangular building somewhat remanisant of a Roman-British shrine, possibly a shrine to St Morrell. (See http://www.le.ac.uk/users/grj1/morrell.html).

By: graham

graham — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:44:35 +0000

The hare pie is not made of hare, and possibly never has been. I believe that these days it is made of beef. The name possibly comes from the source of the alms, the income from “Hair Pie Leys”.

By: amanda

amanda — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:09:43 +0000

So they thanked the Hare by eating it???
surely they should be sacrificing the bull instead?
Ah well! I love old Pagan traditions and more of them should be resurrected ;o)
Sounds like a great deal of fun to be had chasing the bottle.
I’ve been to Lewes for the Bonfire event and it was incredible. Very very Pagan and intense ;o)

By: Sizemore

Sizemore — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:21:41 +0000

The next time someone asks me why it is that I try not to venture outside of London… I shall point them to this post.

By: Andy Mabbett

Andy Mabbett — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:01:47 +0000

So, to thank the are for saving them, they arranged for its descendants to be eaten…

By: delboydare

delboydare — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:23:16 +0000

Wow, sounds like a great time was had, and I’m encouraged that some of the old traditions of the British isles (I include Eire in this) are still around.

I love these type of things and it’s a real shame that as more people have moved to the big smokes from the local communities or ‘health & safety’ issues, that these things aren’t passed down to next generations and we lose the colour, uniqueness and community identity that they for the most part instil. I agree sometimes there are also dubious traditions around, but I believe we should be given the chance to (re)make them our own way also.

That’s not to say that there is a dearth in the cities of life and culture, because that is always being reinvented, but I don’t want to see the extinction of these island’s pockets of individual history that have been laid down by the common forebears. The background to these traditions, isn’t the stuff that makes the history books, but in a sense is more real because it was by ordinary people.

I have a lovely book from the 70’s with great photos of traditions and events that even 30 years ago were dying out. Sorry the name escapes me, but I have to point you in it’s direction.

Great photographs by the way Christian. I can feel the crispness of spring in the air and body heat of the crowd with the accompanying hustle and bussel. You’ve made it tangible and transferred the vibe. Next best thing to being there. My mind is filling in the fruity audio. LOL.

As well as the bril photography as usual, your prose has done a great of job of evoking the spirit of the event.

If possible I’ll come along next time and I have to get you down to Lewes for Guy Fawkes for another wild display and great booze from Harvey’s.

All my best regards,
Derek

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:18:34 +0000

nice photos. quite mad us brits.