Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 7, 1896.djvu/365

 Rh other end of the rope is fastened round the waist of the 'fool,' and he is drawn up and fire put to the straw, the 'fool' being swung to and fro through the smoke until he is well-nigh choked; after which he goes round with his cap and collects whatever the spectators think proper to give. After which the performance is at an end until the following year .... The quantity of land left by Lady Mowbray was forty acres, which are known by the name of the Hoodlands .... the Boggons' dresses are made from its proceeds."

The manuscript notes kindly given me by Miss L. A. Atkinson of Brigg, who made them after witnessing the sport in 1852, also notice the smoking of the fool, with several other details of interest. "At Christmastide," she relates, "for a week or so, twelve men called 'boggans' went round all the villages near Haxey, and called at the farmhouses and cottages, much as plough-jags do. Eleven of them wore short red jackets, something like what post-boys ride in, and the twelfth was dressed in sacking and coloured rags, and had his face 'got up,' and wore a fool's-cap. The men sang songs and begged money, like other Christmas singers, although in this case it was supposed to be for the purpose of purchasing the 'hood,' which is made by the village saddler. It was sometimes made of strong sacking, but as it was subjected to such rough usage, I believe they had to have more than one in case of it being torn to pieces, so the one I saw was made of leather, and stuffed with tow. It was about two feet long and three or four inches in diameter, and was just like a roly-poly pudding in shape.

"It was, I think, as the clock struck one that the proceedings began. A crowd of some hundreds filled the street. On the 'green,' close to the ancient church, there was standing the base of an old stone cross, with one or two steps remaining. Some people said it was the old market-cross, Haxey having been an important market town until