The Traditional Children's Games of England Scotland
& Ireland In Dictionary Form - Volume 1

With Tunes(sheet music), Singing-rhymes(lyrics), Methods Of Playing with diagrams and illustrations.

Share page

Visit Us On FB

	BONNETY—BOOMAN	43
	Bonnety This is a boys' game. The players place their bonnets or caps in a pile. They then join hands and stand in a circle round it. They then pull each other, and twist and wriggle round and round and over it, till one overturns it or knocks a bonnet off it. The player who does so is hoisted on the back of another, and pelted by all the others with their bonnets. —Keith, Nairn (Rev. W. Gregor). Booman
	—Norfolk. Dill doule for Booman, Booman is dead and gone, Left his wife all alone, and all his children. Where shall we bury him ? Carry him to London ; By his grandfather's grave grows a green onion. Dig his grave wide and deep, strow it with flowers; Toll the bell, toll the bell, twenty-four hours. —Norfolk, 1825-30 (J. Doe). (b)  One boy lies down and personates Booman. Other boys form a ring round him, joining hands and alternately raising and lowering them, to imitate bell-pulling, while the girls who playisit down and weep. The boys sing the first verse. The girls seek for daisies or any wild flowers, and join in the sing­ing of the second verse, while the boys raise the prostrate Booman and carry him about. When singing the third verse the boys act digging a grave, and the dead boy is lowered. The girls strew flowers over the body. When finished an­other boy becomes Booman. (c)  This game js clearly dramatic, to imitate a funeral. Mr. Doe writes, " I have seen somewhere [in NorlolkJ~H toj'flbwith a crest on it—a leek—and the name Beaumont," but it does not seem necessary to thus account for the game.
	•