Salt Lake Telegram | 1926-11-28 | Page 18 | Modern Games Survival of Religious Rites, is Claim

Gannes of Is s C Cm aim Professor G G. Elliot Smith of the University of London Gives Views of Subject LO LONDON DON Nov 1 1027 27 United Press Modern sport particularly games played with a ball are a survival of ot religious rituals according to Professor Professor Professor Pro Pro- fessor G. G Elliot Smith professor protessor of anatomy in the University of London Lon Lon- don The particular forms games ames have assumed he said saW are the result of ot historical circumstances The earliest games games that had any staying powers vowels and have survived into modern times were not simply sports but the most serious and nd sacred occupations o of primitive men LI Like Lile e the drama they formed part of religious ceremonies that aimed at life lite giving Professor ProCessor Smith said Kaid that ball games are as old as civilization and possibly as man himself lie fie attributed mans man's most distinctive attributes to his skill of ot hand and eye IMPULSE TO PLAY The natural impulse of ot the human human human hu hu- hu- hu man manchild child to play with a stick and abc ball is prompted by an instinct as irr le as that which impels the tl-ie lions lion's kitten to acquire by play in th 81 skill that is so vital to its ex existence existence existence ex- ex he explained The rhe earliest European referenCes references refer refer- to g mes that were the an ancestors ancestors an- an of hockey and cricket are found In an Irish epic probably written early in the seventeenth century But many centuries earlier games akin to i i these were played in the east In his description of London during the twelfth century sa says s 's that at t Shrovetide schoolboys devoted the morning to cockfights- cockfights under the control oi of or their masters while in the afternoon all the young men of ot the city engaged in football various schools and crafts opposing each In 1409 1 a proclamation was issued in London forbidding the levy of ot money for and anti or cockfight- cockfight ing Tug of was a type of ritual conflict t to promote the welfare pf th tint the gods and the and the of ot the community that was observed more than thirty centuries ago In lb the east At one time ball games used to be played in churches at Easter They are supposed to represent survivals survivals survivals sur sur- of the ritual dramatic performances performances performances per per- and sa sacred red games to promote abundant crops The general gereral ger- ger eral prosperity of ot the whole community community community com com- was believed to depend upon the results of these ritual con contests testa They were originally the sport of kings and success success success' in play was as re regarded regarded re- re ro e CI a tol token en of noble birth re In London however as early as the beginning of the Middle Ages they had already lost their theft mystical significance and had become no nomore nomore nomore more than games for the whole community In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was Vas wasa Vasa a common Easter Eastel game chool girls and boys played it for tansy cal cakes es and kisses It was played according to Aubrey with a staff staffe e commonly made of withy about three and a half feet long and a ball stuffed very hard with quills and covered with leather I I describes it as a variety I I game more commonly known as goff golf or bandl handi andl ball the paganica of the Romans who also stuffed the ball with feathers This is gener- gener aljy regarded as the earliest form of cricket et There is abundant evidence to prove that the baIl ball games that we now regard as manly sports are the survivals much modified In their rules and associations of ot ceremonies that originally were devised devised devised de de- de- de for the welfare of ot the king upon whom the prosperity of of his kingdom was wholly dependent The original ritual was primarily y ya a dramatic representation of the conflict between the kings king's followers follow follow- ers and his Enemies to establish his dominion It has been claimed by E. E K Chambers that the ball baIl Is nothing else than the head of the sacrificial animal and that the game is the endeavor of each player to get it into his possession or It if sides are taken tl to get it over a particular boundary These serious serious' religious objects were responsible for tor establishing the hold of ot games upon the interest of the people or rather gave them theman an excuse to practice and appreciate sl skill and enterprise which appeal to the instinctive love IO of play Inbred in inbred inbred In- In bred in all mankind With the extension of ChrIstianity Christianity Christianity Chris ChrIs- the time arrived when these relics of pagan practices were frowned Crowned up upon n and discouraged un until until until un- un til eventually a a a. wiser attitude I ob obtained obtained ob- ob tamed recognition and anti there emerged a true sport free from all religious restrictions one that encourages encourages encourages en en- the manly qualities and promotes friendly rivalry and good fellowship