LL-L "Rituals" 2002.01.09 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 09.JAN.2002 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Thomas <t.mcrae at uq.net.au>
Subject: LL-L "Rituals" 2002.01.08 (04) [E/S]

on 9/1/02 10:11, Sandy Fleming at sassisch at yahoo.com wrote:

> From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
> Subject: "Rituals"
>
> In reading through some old magazines for Scots rhymes to put up
> on my website, I've come across a surprising new literary form
> (well, it's very old, but new to me!) called "Cobblin Graces".
Sandy while I know of no ritualised Cobblin Graces of this type there are
related schoolboy rituals in Edinburgh (or were). It was the tradition on a
boy's birthday, for example, "tae gie 'im 'is Dumps". This involved his
friends lining up and thumping him once for each year of his age.." Yin, Twa,
etc...." At count's end each he'd get a harder thump with 'Yin fur the Day',
another such 'Yin fur the moarun', then a third 'An yin fur the day that yew
wur boarun'. Final part of the ritul was chanting 'An yin fur the auld man's
kick' as the victim received a kick up the bum. This could be a painful time
if you had a lot of pals.

The other ritual took place after one boy beat another in a fight when he
would 'Gie 'im The Gully'. To do this he would hold the vanquished one with
his left hand thumping him with the right as he chanted..."Ah'm the Gully"
(Thump) "Yew're the Knife" (Thump) "An' Ah cun batter Yew aw Mah Life"
(Shove him away).
Regards
Tom
Tom Mc Rae PSOC
Brisbane Australia
"The masonnis suld mak housis stark and rude,
To keep the pepill frome the stormes strang,
And he that fals, the craft it gois all wrang."

>>From 15th century Scots Poem 'The Buke of the Chess'

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Rituals

Tom wrote (above):

> It was the tradition on a boy's birthday, for example, "tae gie 'im 'is
> Dumps". This involved his friends lining up and thumping him once for
> each year of his age.." Yin, Twa, etc...." At count's end each he'd get
> a harder thump with 'Yin fur the Day', another such 'Yin fur the moarun',
> then a third 'An yin fur the day that yew wur boarun'. Final part of the > ritul was chanting 'An yin fur the auld man's kick' as the victim
> received a kick up the bum. This could be a painful time if you had
> a lot of pals.

This custom survives, though apparently barely, in North America, as I had to
find out to my horror on my birthday six weeks after first arriving in the
United States.  Fortunately, that was the first and only birthday on which I
got a ritual beating, and I can't say that I am sorry that this custom has
been discontinued in my circles, for the blows would meanwhile be too many to
endure.  On the upside, Americans treat you to parties, food and drink,
besides gifts, on your birthday, while in Germany the adult birthday "child"
has to throw their own party and pay for rounds of drinks (but does get
gifts), which to some people may be as painful as a thumping.

The New Zealand version is called "birthday claps," which apparently involves
beating as well.

The "bumping" birthday ritual in parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland seems
to be related to the "thumping" and "clapping" rituals: the birthday "child"
is held by their hands and feet and lifted up in the air and then lowered down
to the floor, once for each year, then ...

   "... one for luck, two for luck,
   and three for the old man's coconut."

Similar birthday rituals seem to exist in other parts of the world, for
instance in Argentina where the birthday "child" receives a pull on an earlobe
for each year they have lived.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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