Hurling is an Irish "sport" which was once described as a "cross between hockey and murder". Its history is very long, possibly stretching back over three millennia. Or longer. If it is to believe Irish myths.
More about the historical and archaeological references to hurling in my post "Cross between hockey and murder".
Hurling is of course not the only European ball game that once was or is still played using a curved stick. We have shinty in Scotland, cammag in Isle of Man, bando (bandi) in Wales, field hockey in England, choule in France, knattleikr in Iceland, Bandi in Scandinavia and in Russia.
The historians generally agree that these games are related. But in this article I would like to explain why I believe that these games are all descendants of the Irish hurling. You can read more about this in my post "The invasions of hurlers".
I love this picture. One of the competitors participating in a Poc Fada, Irish for "long puck" competition. The aim is to reach the top of Carn an Mhadaidh hill with as few strikes as possible. Similar competitions are recorded in Holland, France and England in medieval time (listed in the article below). I would like to find out what is the oldest mention of this type of competition in Ireland. By the way this could be the origin of golf :) You can read more abut this in my post "Long puck".
"Conchobar went to the playing field (arin faidchi) and saw something that astonished him; thrice fifty boys at one end of the field and a single boy at the other end, and the single boy winning victory in taking the goal and in hurling (‘immána’, driving) from the thrice fifty youths. When they played the hole-game.. and when it was their turn to cast the ball and his to defend, he would catch the thrice fifty ball outside the hole and none would go past him into the hole. When it was their turn to keep goal and his to hurl, he would put the thrice fifty balls unerringly into the hole..."
A mysterious Irish Iron Age "hole game" described in the Medieval epic "Táin Bó Cúalnge" and which is puzzling Irish historians could still be played in Slavic lands today...
You can read more about this in my post "Pagan games".
There is a game which is played by children from England to India under various names: Tip cat (England), Tchizh/Siskin (Russia), Gulli Danda (India), Lippa (Italy), Klipa (Poland), Klis (Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia)...
All these games are played with the same equipment: two sticks, a small one 10 to 15 cm long pointed on both ends, and a stick 60 to 100 cm long, and with almost identical rules.
What is very interesting is that that the Serbian name for this traditional shepherd game is "klis". This word has no meaning in Slavic languages, means "games, sports, tricks, crafts" in Gaelic.
How old is this word? According to official history, Celtic languages were last time spoken in the Balkans in the 4th and 3rd century BC when Celts invaded Balkans on their way to Galatia. Did they bring this game with them and somehow both the game and the name survived in the mountain of the Balkans until this day? Preserved by the descendant of the Scordisci?
Is this why there are so many similarities between Serbian and Irish folklore? You can read more about this in my post "Klis".
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