-POPULAR GAMES- ECLIPSE AND REVIVAL From Traditions to the Regions of the Europe of Tomorrow Under the direction of Guy Jaouen and Jean-Jacques Barreau 1 Content Forewords THE NECESSITY OF PRESERVING AND PROMOTING TRADITIONAL SPORTS Guy JAOUEN, Brittany, France p.5 Introduction TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS, GAMES ACTIVITIES AND SPORTING EVENTS Jean Jacques BARREAU, Brittany, France p.8 Games of yesterday and today THE POPULAR TRADITION OF OUTDOOR GAMES IN BRITTANY Fañch PERU, Brittany, France p.14 SOME OLD COUNTRY GAMES AND PASTIMES OF IRELAND Andrew STEVENS, Ireland p.25 THE SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE OF TRADITIONAL SPORTS AND GAMES Pre - or postmodernism ? - A cross cultural perspective. P.31 Jørn Møller, Denmark TRADITIONAL GAMES IN FLANDERS: state of the art De Vroede Erik, Renson Roland, Belgium p.38 THE DEVELOPEMENT OF A TRADITIONAL SPORT AT AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL: One example, the Gouren in the countries of Western Europe Guy JAOUEN, Brittany, France p.49 THE SURVIVAL AND REVIVAL OF TRADITIONAL SPORTS AND GAMES IN CORNWALL Roger HOLMES, Cornwall, UK p.53 SUCCESS AND FAILURE OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION, Frisian sportive games : a dynamic approach Klaas JANSMA, Holand p.58 WRESTLING, the Ancient Modern Sport William BAXTER, Scotland, UK p.65 For a general approach A REVOLUTION OF BODY CULTURE? Traditional Games on the way from modernization to “Post-Modernity” Henning EICHBERG, Denmark p.92 Motion on the popular games and tradition p.117 2 Presentation of the seminar: POPULAR GAMES - ECLIPSE AND REVIVAL; From Traditions to the Regions of the Europe of Tomorrow, 14-22 April 1990, CARHAIX / BERRIEN (Brittany – France). Under the patronage of the Council of Europe, the IIAC & the FILC TEXT FOR THE SEMINAR The Carhaix-Berrien meeting is not merely a commemorative act, designed to celebrate in a retrospective way the virtues of some traditions. The deeper reasons for such a large gathering here are to do with the concerns which modern-day living cause people. Amongst these concerns, and one which stands out due to its urgency, is the decline of social and community links, which is no mystery. The burning question is : how to revitalise and , these links, and what contribution can traditional games and gatherings offer ? For example, is it necessary to update traditional games just as that we call Olympic games today were updated a century ago ? It is mostly recognised that traditional games, always carried out in a festive atmosphere, offer a symbolic occasion to illustrate the solid and durable nature of social links despite the differences and cleavages between individuals. Whereas it is precisely this dimension of community life which has suffered all the blows in the setting up and organisation of contemporary life. This is also the reason why this question continues to be asked. In this context, to what extent are we able to base our hopes of reactivating these links on this traditional heritage ? Studies of traditional games which have been carried out can help, their conservation value, in a domain where methods and customs, mostly passed on orally, explain the rarity of direct witness accounts, can be interpreted in two ways : quantitatively and qualitatively. On a quantitative basis, one observes a considerable recession in these traditional games and their progressive replacement by activities of a stateless or transnational nature, amongst which modern sport is well represented ; but however there has been a rebirth of similar traditions in certain areas, not only in Brittany, but in the majority of European countries, whether it be Scandinavia, the British Isles, Flanders, the Basque country, Spain, Canaria, the Valley d'Aosta (Italy), etc. couldn't this renaissance be the mark of a reorientation, through the active participation of individuals, in official programmes which had not always allowed for these changes ? On a qualitative basis, on the other hand, these studies illustrate the social role played by these sports emanating from the heart of community traditions, as is to case for Gouren in Brittany. It is therefore necessary to assess in detail the advantages and disadvantages involved in including them in the usual round of sport competitions and demonstrations. One asks oneself if the alternative is not to be found in the "socialisation" aspect linked with the sporting world. 3 There are many who committed themselves because they had heard of and been told about its fraternal and convivial nature. But, they gradually discovered a less attractive reality, became disillusioned as it became obvious and one is daily more and more aware of it, that sport, and everything which revolves around it, is worlds apart from altruistic values: - participants and spectators irrevocably separated, (which is not the case in traditional festivals: in Gouren there was the moment when the heralds "challenge" spectators to participate in a mock demonstration with champions, all in good spirit of course, as elsewhere one invites the onlooker to join in a dance, so no-one feels left out. This "laughter" culture, as some researchers refer to it, is gradually dying out in the world of sport. For example , one does not "try one's hand" against a hard-hitting boxer, nor a hammer thrower who throws incredible distances ; one would look ridiculous; - Above all, sport encourages these anti-values more and more ;(drug-taking, aggression and violence through hooliganism, the cult of the "Golden Calf" with the blessing of "temple merchants", nowadays referred to as sponsors") which feed the continuous process of alienation from oneself, from others, from artificial environments; - without mentioning, finally, the disappointment felt by individuals who have not found within the sporting "community" the socialisation model promised them by the founders as well as the sports instructors and which was supposed to reflect the organisation of modern society. Some people, forced to give up after repeated disappointments, then turned towards what was offered by traditional games, which, with their precarious nature, have remained the prerogative of minority groups. Thus, following the example of minority regional cultures, shouldn't a new attractive be considered ? That is to claim the acceptance of these traditional games no longer in a sports framework (Federation or League ), but in an explicitly cultural one, along the lines of what has been done for the minority languages mentioned above. In this case it could be the setting up of a: European Bureau for Popular Games, Festive Traditions, Minorities and Regions The creation of such a body would soon show that Europe houses a majority of minorities and an exceptional sporting heritage. Such an initiative would at least act as a safeguard for regional identities. As for their festive gatherings, they would no longer have to fear being brought into line with sports. They could on the contrary expect the decision makers to encourage their development by providing local authorities with their own facilities, as has sometimes been the case for example in Flanders, Ireland, Canaria, Valley d'Aosta and Denmark. 0ne could then hope that these new arrangements would, without discrimination, revive co- operation between partners who still don't regard themselves as such. The debates programmed in Carhaix and Berrien will throw light on these questions. In addition, the discussions will be a reflection of the will and determination of participants, the Cumbrians, Aostans, Basques, Bretons, Cornish, Danish, Flemish, Frisians, Welsh, Irish, Icelanders, etc. to demand this recognition. 4 THE NECESSITY OF PRESERVING AND PROMOTING TRADITIONAL SPORTS Prof. Guy Jaouen, Secretary of the International Federation of Celtic Wrestling, President of the Confederation FALSAB (TSG of Brittany) FROM TRADITIONAL TO MODERN SPORTS. When certain traditional sports were classified in the 19th century, it was for educational purposes and especially for the young elite. The economic and social context of Europe was very different to the Europe of today. With the coming of the industrial revolution, came the end of an era. When such games became fully fledged popular sports in the first part of the Twentieth century, the social and cultural situation was again very different. In France at this time for example, the minority peoples attempted to forget their traditions which were for them synonymous with the past and backwardness and thus an impediment on the development of their region. This was even stronger in those regions which had a strong identity and tradition, fuelled by the existence of own language. In this context, the reconstruction of the old Olympic Games is based more and more on a spirit of record breaking and would explain why so many sports at a high level do not contribute to any culture, tradition or stable social structure. I am not talking of any new sports, created for commercial reasons, like skate boarding for example... Today, this urbanised consumer society is suffering from a disease of her own making . SOCIETY IN CRISIS. In this urban society, a large number of young people are experiencing the pain of finding themselves and knowing their roots. Since the economic "boom" of the Sixties, there has been a marked breakdown of the nuclear family, with the loss of established values as a result. This situation is the logical prolongation of an attitude instilled by the "decision makers" of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It is now the root cause of such serious problems as drugs, gratuitous violence, individualism leading to selfishness and even racism. Our purpose is not to find those responsible, although we ourselves should take some responsibility, due to our passive acceptance of the situation. THE STATE OF MODERN SPORT. It is obvious today that sporting events are a victim of their own success, partly due to the direction which was taken at the beginning of the century. The example of sport at a high level reveals that it is a victim of "seriousness".