The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-10-01
The COCK FIGHT.
Many OF tho Pits Were Located In Welsh
Churchynrds.

-
Churchynrds.
It is not so very long ago since cock
fighting ceased to be one of the most
popular pastimes of the Welsh people.
Cockpits were once common in mostviI'
lagos, but although: they are now pretty
nearly al level with the surrounding
ground, the natives can still point out
their SITES. In several churchyards
their remains can be traced, and the old
men, speaking of the days of their IA
theirs, can recount tales of these cruel
sports in which their fathers took i'm
moderate delight. I have obtained
much information from the agcd-sev-
cral of whom are now no longer with us
of these sports, which come down
from olden times to the present GEN.
fury.
Sunday, being holiday, was usually
devoted, in part, to the exercise of vari-
Gus games in the churchyard. The
north side was considered less holy than
the other portions of the churchyard,
and it was in that part that the coclxpits
were situated, and it is here that they
are still situated. So passionately fond
of witnessing these cruel onslaughts
were the people, that they flocked for
miles around to witness O main. I
have been told in connection with Lam
erfyl parish, which is situated in the re-
cesses of the Montgomcryshire hills,
and where, to this day, Welsh is the ex-
elusive language of the people, that an
arrangement had been made by the
owners Of birds To- hold Q cock-fight
after the, church services. A:man carr
ried his bird with him to the village,
end placed it in safe keeping while he
attended divine services in the parish
church, but before services were over
i lad rushed into the church and shout
ed: @'Fool, come out; thy cock is even
low in the pit" The man Immediate
ly got up, and, it need hardly be said.
others too left their seats and went to
the place of battle, which was close at
hand. Such stampede was not I'M
common on these occasions. Mr.. Elias
Williams, of Bronydd, Llanllechid,
Carnarvonshire, a farmer, told me OF
an event similar to the preceding one at
Llanerfyl. This took place either at
the end of the eighteenth century or
the beginning of the present century.
4 football match had been arranged to
take place on a certain Sunday, on d
hill midway between Llanbedr and
Llanllechid. On the day fixed upon it
rained, and though the Llanllechid
young men kept their appointment,
their opponents failed to appear. The
following Sunday was fair, but as no
special arrangement had been made for
that day, few only of the Llanllechid
football players went to the hill, but
the Llanbedrites appeared in full force.
The game commenced, but the few
could not hold their own against the
many. In their distress they dis
patched one of their young men to the
parish church, which was a good way
off, to bring up assistance. The mes
senger rushed over walls and marshes,
and, heated and exhausted, ran into the
church and shouted out that the Liam
| bedr boys had come, and were kicking
the ball before them to the parish,
turned hi]lwards again. At his words
the male portion of the congregation
got up as one man, and-leaving the
parson and women to continue the
prayers-they also made for the hill.
They came upon the victors, who were
sportively kicking the ball toward their
home. But in no time the ball was
turned in the contrary direction, and
the day ended in a glorious victory for
the Llanllechid braves.-Reliqury and
illustrated Archaeologiss.