Children' s Games and Social Change in Savage Cove, Newf oundland (1900-1992) by Keith Ralph Coles A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies In partial fulfilment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Folklore Mernorial University of Newfoundland May 1998 St. John's Newf oundland National Library Bibliothèque nationaie du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, nie Wellington OüawaON K1AW OUawaON KIAON4 canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfonn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/fïh, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conseme la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ABSTRACT This thesis records the evolution of the repertoire of childrenrs games and pastimes for the community of Savage Cove on Newfoundlandrs Great Northern Peninsula from approxbately 1900 to 1992. Also, it explores the relationship between this evolution and the social and econornic changes which have occurred within the community over the same period of time. This is achieved through the classification and analysis of the games, which serves to quantify the worldview of the community as expressed through its evolving game preference. The study focuses on change rather than continuity, for although the games can be seen to represent traditional tendencies and needs they have changed prof oundly over the, and express the conservative yet innovative manner in which the community has responded to social and economic developments. The childrenrs negotiation between the new and the traditional demonstrates the enculturation of the upcoming generation within the community, as well as their reaction to change within the context of the community's worldview. In the end, the evolution of the repertoire can be seen to represent the communityfs response to modernization. Primarily, I would like to thank al1 of my info-ts, listed at the end of the thesis, as well as Elijah Mitchelmore, Nom Mitchelmore, Terry and Nancy (Genge) Coles, Rex Genge, Hubert and Miriam (Coles) Genge, Rod Genge, Bill Genge, Craig Sinnicks, Ennis Gaulton, Marcia (Hodge) Coles and al1 other relatives and friends who helped in providing the information used in this thesis and facilitating my time in the comunity. From the Department of Folklore, I would like to thank Dr, Martin Lovelace, Dr, Gerald Thomas and Dr. Paul Smith for their supervision and guidance which helped to expedite the completion of the writing, and Sharon Cochrane and Karen OrLeary for their constant assistance. Also, 1 wish to acknowledge the Research Grant provided by the Institute of Social and Economic Research which allowed me to further my work in the community during the spring of 1993. Finally, 1 would like to especially thank both, my parents, Baxter and Barbara (Sheppard) Coles, and Dam March for their constant encouragement and support during the entire process , TABLE OF CONTENTS Paae Abstract ........................ii Acknowledgernents ....................iii Table of Contents ...................iv-v Listof Figures .....................vi List of Maps ......................vii Chapter 1 .Introduction ................1 Chapier II .Literature Review .............13 Chapter III .History ..................32 Chapter IV .Games between 1900-1335 .......... 60 4.1 Summary: 19004935............... 111 Chapter V .Garnes between 1935.65 ............123 S.lSummary.1935.65. .............. 165 Chapter VI .Games between 1965-92 ..O........180 6.1Summary.1965.92. .............. -254 Chapter VI1 .Conclusion ,.......O . 273 References, -.................... -287 Appendix 1: Participants in the Study. 296 Appendix 2: Concordance of tape numbers with Participants 298 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 5.1 Hopscotch Diagram ........P g. 141 Figure 5.2 Xs and Os Diagram .O..........Pg . 164 Figure 6.1 Hopscotch Diagram .............Pg . 217 Figure 6.2 "Black Magic8' Skipping Game Diagram ...P g. 239 Figure 6.3 "Black Magic" Skipping Game Diagram . .Pg . 239 Figure 6.4 "Black Magic" Skipping Game Diagram ...Pg . 240 Figure 6.5 "Black Magic" Skipping Game Diagram ...Pg . 240 Figure 6.6 "Black Magic" Skipping Game Diagram ...Pg . 241 LIST OF MAPS Map 1: Map of Newfoundland and Labrador ....... .Pg. 30 Map 2: Strait of Belle Isle ............. .P g. 31 Map 3: Rough Map of Savage Cove 1900-1935 .......P g. 59 Map 4: Rough Map of Savage Cove 19004.935. ..... .Pg. 122 Map 5: Rough Map of Savage Cove 1900-1935. ......Pg . 179 CtiAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION . ..A game that is esteemed by a people may at the same time be utilized to define the society's moral or intellectual character, provide proof of its precise meaning, and contribute to its popular acceptance by accentuating the relevant qualities.' The aim of this thesis is to record the repertoire of childrenrs games and pastimes for the commwlity of Savage Cove from approximately 1900 to 1992, and to comment on the relationship between this repertoire and the social and economic changes which have occurred over the same period of time within the community. In the end, it is my hope that this study wilf contribute to the ongoing scholarly debate on childrenvs games, while focusing on a region of Canada in general terms, and speci fical ly on a Newfoundland community . To achieve this aim, 1 will discuss the history of scholarship regarding childrenrs games and present the social and economic history of Savage Cove before presenting the game repertoire of the community. 1 will then classify the games and Roger Caillois, Man, Plav and Games trans. Meyer Barash (1958; New York: Shocken Books, 1979) 83, activities in the repertoire and analyze the results with consideration to this relationship. Savage Cove was chosen as the Newfoundland community in which to conduct this research because, given my connection tu it, 1 would be looking at a familiar place in an unfamiliar way. My father, Baxter Coles, is from Savage Cove, having been born there, as was my grandfather, Matthew Coles. Furthemore, after his marriage as a young man, my great- grandfather, Matthew Coles (Senior) moved to the community from the neighbouring community of Sancly Cove, where my great- great-grandfather, George Coles, settled after he emigrateà from England, Over the years, 1 have spent a considerable amount of time in the Straits, particularly in the community of Savage Cove, returning there most sunur-ers for weeks at a the until in my mid-teens. Because of this, 1 either know the residents of the community personally through kinship ties and shared experiences, or am known by them because they know of my father, Given this situation, 1 determined that 1 could do fieldwork in Savage Cove without having to worry about being perceived as a stranger or establishing rapport with prospective informants. Having grown up in St. John's, this situation made me both an insider and an outsider in the Infoxmation for this study was collected in three ways: by directed tape-recorded interviews, by directed interviews from which 1 took notes, and through casual conversation. Each method was employed for the initial fieldwork, as well as during follow-up interviews in order to define which games were extant at different points in the, and the extent of each informant's experience with al1 of the games collected. Also, by reviewing the literature on childrenls game scholarship, 1 was able to acquaint myself with directions taken by past scholars in this field and formulate the present thesis. Interviews were conducted on three sepaxate occasions within the community, between June 9 and July 10, 1992, between August 17 and 27, 1992, and between March 1 and 31, 1993. As well, interviews were conducted at various times during 1992 and 1993 with past residents of the community now residing in St. ~ohn's.' It is necessary to point out frorn the outset that this thesis is not a comparative study, rather, it addresses the relationship between change and childrenls games in the A list of informants is included at the end of the thesis. community. There is no doubt that the games presented here have antecedents, yet to assume, as some early scholars have done, that the contexts in which these games were played the meaning which they held for the participants over the years was constant is a false assumption given that, for the most part, these scholars simply compared texts. By only focusing on the games collected in Savage Cove, 1 mean to rectify this assumption. Following a review of the literature in Chapter Two, Chapter Three presents a brief social and economic history of Savage Cove illustrating the nature of life within the community and the heritage of its residents, while setting the social backdrop for the game repertoire of the community described in Chapters Four, Five and Six, These three chapters discuss the periods between 1900 and 1935, 1935 and 1965, and 1965 and 1992, respectively. By dividing the entire the frame into three approximately thirty-year periods, 1 present the games and pastimes for each period, with my intention being to view the game repertoire for the comunity at various points in time so that the changes to it can be traced over the years. I have chosen these dates because they encompass certain important social and economic changes within the community which suggests an era, and because rny informants born between these dates have similar shared experiences which suggest that they shoula be grouped together.