Trap-ball
Encyclopedia
Trap-ball, Knur and Spell, or Nipsy is an old English
game. It can be traced back to the beginning of the fourteenth century and was commonly played in northern England
as late as 1825, but has since been practically confined to children. As late as the 1930s exhibition games of knur and spell by veterans drew large crowds to the Rusland Valley in North Lancashire
, according to the chronicles of the North West Evening Mail, But even then it was regarded as an archaic game. Knur refers to a hardwood ball, as could be made from a knot of wood. (From Middle High German knorre, knot) Spell is the stick of wood used to strike it. (Probably from Old Norse, spela, or Old High German spilla, stake)
It was played with a wooden trap, by means of which a ball (a knur) of hard wood about the size of a walnut was thrown into the air, where it was struck by the player with the trip-stick, which is a bat consisting of two parts: a 4 ft (~1.2m) long stick made of ash
or lancewood
; and the pommel, a piece of very hard wood about 6 in. (~150mm) long, 4 in. (~100mm) wide and 1 in. (~25mm) thick. This was swung in both hands, although shorter bats for one hand were sometimes used.
Originally the ball was thrown into the air by striking a lever upon which it rested in the trap, but in the later development of the game, usually called knur and spell, a spell or trap furnished with a spring was used, thus ensuring regularity in the height to which the knur was tossed. The object of the game was to strike the knur the greatest possible distance, either in one or a series of strokes.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
game. It can be traced back to the beginning of the fourteenth century and was commonly played in northern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as late as 1825, but has since been practically confined to children. As late as the 1930s exhibition games of knur and spell by veterans drew large crowds to the Rusland Valley in North Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, according to the chronicles of the North West Evening Mail, But even then it was regarded as an archaic game. Knur refers to a hardwood ball, as could be made from a knot of wood. (From Middle High German knorre, knot) Spell is the stick of wood used to strike it. (Probably from Old Norse, spela, or Old High German spilla, stake)
It was played with a wooden trap, by means of which a ball (a knur) of hard wood about the size of a walnut was thrown into the air, where it was struck by the player with the trip-stick, which is a bat consisting of two parts: a 4 ft (~1.2m) long stick made of ash
Ash tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
or lancewood
Lancewood
Lancewood may refer to the following:*Lancewood , a tough, elastic and heavy wood obtained from the West Indies and Guiana.Lancewood can also refer to several trees whose wood was traditionally used for lance making:...
; and the pommel, a piece of very hard wood about 6 in. (~150mm) long, 4 in. (~100mm) wide and 1 in. (~25mm) thick. This was swung in both hands, although shorter bats for one hand were sometimes used.
Originally the ball was thrown into the air by striking a lever upon which it rested in the trap, but in the later development of the game, usually called knur and spell, a spell or trap furnished with a spring was used, thus ensuring regularity in the height to which the knur was tossed. The object of the game was to strike the knur the greatest possible distance, either in one or a series of strokes.
See also
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