spidean

sm Game which resembles closely the common game of “pitch and toss,” the difference being that buttons are always used in place of coins. A small stick is set up as a “spid” and a line drawn at a distance of about 10 feet. At this line the players take their stand. The game is open to any number of players — in fact, the more players the better the game. Each player tosses his button at the spid, his object being to come as near it as possible. He whose button lies nearest the spid gathers the other buttons in his hands, shakes them and finally tosses them in the air. All which fall face downwards he gathers and keeps; the remainder are lifted by the player whose button lay second and thrown by him, those falling face upwards being in turn claimed by him. This continues till the buttons have all been rained, the first man often getting a second throw if the buttons last so long. The players all take their stand again on the line, the last tosser of the former time being the first to play this time and continue throwing till they have lost all their buttons or are otherwise forced to desist. Should the spid be hit fairly by any man except the first, all buttons, no matter how near, must be lifted and re-tossed. The advantages in being first man consist in the following. The first player may, if he choose, reclaim his toss by saying, “Cha laigh mi” (I shall not lie) but if his toss be good enough, he says “Laighidh mi,” (I will lie), thus compelling all who follow to “lie,” no matter how poor their attempt may be. If, however, the first player says “Cha laigh mi,” those following can all say the same, till such time as someone remarks “Laighidh mi,” after which they are all forced to “lie.” Another advantage the first man has is, that though he strike the spid fair he can yet “lie.” Still popular, this was one of the most cherished games of the young Gael of former times and many were the severe thrashings meted out to them for its sake. A boy departed to school with perhaps 30 buttons on a string and returned home with none, yea, without one on his clothes, which were held in place by pieces of wood or string — Uist Games in Celtic Review Vol. IV [Called an “Uist” game in above but it is in reality as much an English as an Uist one].

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