7' ‘V
BRIDGE

SIDISTRICT

HISTORY
SOCIETY

BRIDGE & DISTRICT HISTORY SOCIETY

 

BEATING THE BOUNDS

JUNE 24”‘ 2006

The rituals and their origins

The custom of ‘beating the bounds‘ has existed in Britain for well over 2000 years.
Precise origins are unclear although it can be found as part of ritual celebratior:
within many different cultures across Europe and beyond. In simple terms it
involves people in the locality perambulating their farm, manorial, church or C‘.‘~./ll
boundaries pausing as they pass certain trees, walls and hedges that denote the
extent of the boundary to exclaim, pray and ritually ‘beat’ particular landmarks
with sticks.

These sticks would originally have been of birch or willow, both being of
significance to pre—Christian tribes. Birch has connection with besoms, which have
ancient connections with pagan festivals however the willow possessing a close
association with water appears to have predominated in medieval times. The sticks
were known as rods or wands. The bark was removed exposing the white wood

‘beneath. The English folk—song "Stripping The Willow" is a relatively modern

record of these practices.

Such processions would typically occur every seven or ten years. Apart frorri any
religious significance in a time when literacy or map—reading were not widespread
skills these inspections served to ensure boundaries remained intact, were known
by local people and had not been sequestrated by neighbouring landowners.

Other activities associated with these processional, religious or secular rituals have
also survived. Most frequently, at certain points on the boundary, young boys
were held upside down and had their heads bumped on a marker stone. in past
times adolescent boys might also be ‘switched’ (i.e. hit with the willow wands),
thrown over hedges, into brambles or ponds or required to climb up chimneys or
over roofs. These actions may have originally had a darker antecedence but in
more recent times ensured the imprinting of the exact location of a boundary by
successive generations of that community.

Before the Roman invasion of Britain rituals connected with spring were performed
each year as part of the pagan festival of Beltane. Birch twigs or Besoms were
struck against the boundary marks as part of the ritual. (Modern-day Pagans still
perform a form of beating the bounds ceremony when occupying a house for the

first time).

The Romans who settled in Britain brought with customs and the worship of gods
such as Pan or Faunus to ensure fertility and purification of the land. This often
involved sacrifice of a goat the blood of which was smeared on the foreheads of
young boys who would also parade around the boundaries and whipped, walls or
trees with sticks as well as any bystanders foolish enough to be in their path._

Similar Viking traditions and festivals involved the worship of gods such as Frigga,
Freya and Eostre goddess of Spring and became incorporated within Anglo-Saxon
laws and customs.

Beating the Bounds played an important part in reinforcing Anglo Saxon charters
and the royal and baronial charters of the later medieval period. Being legal
documents that recorded rights over property and people, the assertion of these
rights was of crucial importance to the landowner who would define the extent of
their territory and ensure corrections or repairs were instigated where there had
been an encroachment.

In medieval times the ceremonial processing around the land also served to
reinforce the power and influence the holder of the charter had over tenants and
serfs and was an important means of asserting the primacy of the law in defining
the rights of tenants. Where all but a very few would be illiterate it was essential
that no disputes arose over the ownership of land or rights over tithes. Regular
perambulation at least every seven to ten years ensured each succeeding
generation understood to whom they owed their allegiance.

The early Christian ceremonies

In Britain at least, ‘beating’ of a parish boundary for both the Christian and legal
ceremonies have become woven together as church jurisdiction succeeded that of
the manorial estates.

Christianity, which probably arrived in Britain by the 4th or 5th century AD,
incorporated a number of pagan, roman and Anglo-Saxon festivals and customs.
Beating the bounds was not originally been part of religious celebration but
became gradually integrated. Remember in many cases early Christian churches
were built on sites considered sacred by ancient Britons.

The celebration of Spring (Rogantide) as part of the Roman Church's litany
reached England from Italy via Gaul around the 8th Century. The name

' 'Rogantide' derives from the Latin rogatio to intercede, ask or beseech. The

Rogation days being the time of the year when God's blessing was asked for the
seeds sown in the Spring. The perambulation is thought to derive from the ‘Gang
Days‘ of the Anglo Saxon / Viking traditions (from the Norse gangen ‘to walk'.)

The Christian event evolved into a procession with banners depicting the saints,
chanting from the Scriptures and erecting of stone crosses at intersections with
other parishes. Occasionally such processions would meet and disputes over
precise boundaries might erupt.

During the reign of Elizabeth I the incorporation of church and state led to the
event becoming a more subdued affair and part of the formalised liturgical
calendar known as Rogantide. Cromwell banned all such celebrations and the use

of colourful banners.
Incorporation into modern Christianity

The modern feast of Rogantide (originally a period of fasting) is celebrated during

2 .

the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of Ascension Day, being part of the
fifth week after Easter. In fact the name Easter derives from an incorporation of
the pre-Christian worship each Spring of E§ostre.

Following the re-establishment of the Christian festivals the priest led the
congregation during Rogantide in ceremonial procession from the church around
the lands falling within ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

During each pause at a boundary mark the priest would give a blessing thanking
the Lord for the bountiful earth and to for the seeds, which they had recently
sown, might grow and flourish. In some cases this gave names to specific marking
points such as Gospel Oak and Amen Corner. "We plough the fields and scatter" is
a Rogationtide hymn.

Beating the Bounds today

Pagan superstitions persist through the centuries to today surviving the adoption
of customs by both Christian and civil authorities. For example, around the
boundary markers it was believed evil spirits or ghosts resided that would wreak
havoc on anyone who removed or tampered with them. Thus in certain parts of
the country those present might be heard reciting: -" We declare this is the
boundary of the parish of cursed be he who moveth our boundary."

Other ceremonies such as dancing around a May Pole, 'C|ipping' (which is holding
hands around the church) and even the beating of the Hobby Horse in Padstow are
all obliquely connected to the ‘beating of the bounds‘. In Scotland the
perambulations are known as ‘Riding the Marshes‘.

Such events are not confined to rural communities. At the Tower of London where
every third year on Ascension Day boys whose families have connections with the
Tower take an active and enthusiastic part. They begin by assembling on Tower
Green, where they are given white wands. As they walk the boundaries the Tower
Chaplain proclaims at each boundary mark: "Cursed is he who removeth his
neighbour's landmark. The Chief Warder directs: "Whack it, boys, whack it" - and
the boys duly pound the boundaw with their wands. By following this ancient
custom the boys retain a clear memory of the boundaw marks and one generation
after another can rely on the evidence so provided.

Elsewhere other customs exist such as in Poole where children were encouraged to

' prick their fingers with thorns or were even beaten with wands and thrown into the

water to reaffirm the harbour limits. Eating bread and drinking ale and throwing or
coins to children would also accompany all such events.

Parish Maps

Today modern maps show the parish boundary and it is no longer crucial to
remind people through beating the bounds of their local boundaries however,
reliance on definitive maps may still result in ancient rights of way being forgotten.
Maps sometimes fail to accurately reflect the extent of the boundaries of commons
and village greens or precise route of footpaths and bridleways. Often these are
unfenced, and local people may not only be unsure about the boundaries, but
totally unaware that this land has any special status.