Jedburgh, Scottish Borders, UK. 22nd February, 2018. Girls with a day off go to watch the Handba past a barricaded shop to prevent damage to property and players. The annual game of Hand Ba’ in the Scottish border town of Jedburgh takes place every year the Thursday after Fastern’s E’en. It has been played for centuries and its orgins have been lost in the mists of time, the tradition sometimes is attributed to 1548 when a party of Scots recaptured Ferniehirst Castle, a mile south of Jedburgh and used an Englishman’s head in a celebratory game after the battle, however this is merely legend.
Girls with a day of go to watch the Handba past a barricaded shop to prevent damage to property and players. The annual game of Hand Ba’ in the Scottish border town of Jedburgh takes place every year the Thursday after Fastern’s E’en. It has been played for centuries and its orgins have been lost in the mists of time, the tradition sometimes is attributed to 1548 when a party of Scots recaptured Ferniehirst Castle, a mile south of Jedburgh and used an Englishman’s head in a celebratory game after the battle, however this is merely legend and the game is much older. There is only one recorded time when the game was not played though the Handba was cast the men of the town did not play as a remark of respect as Queen Victoria's funeral fell on that day. Those born south of the towns Mercat Cross play for the ‘Uppies’ scoring at the Castle Jail, those born North play for the Doonies, scoring near the River Jed. The knack of the game is to smuggle the ball through team members, through any means possible, there are no rules. Troy GB Images/Alamy Live News
Size: 5414px × 3605px
Location: Jedburgh, Scottish Borders, UK
Photo credit: © Jim Gibson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ancient, annual, ba, ball, borderers, borders, british, fashioned, game, gramophone, hand, handba, handball, heritage, history, jed, jedburgh, jethart, medieval, scotland, scottish, shop, town, tradition, traditional, traditions, uk
