Merrily we roll along!

A simple game but a lot of fun and one that can truly speak of being a universal favourite for children of different cultures.
Merrily we roll along!
Updated on
2 min read

CHENNAI: Man has always had a fascination with the wheel. That timeless symbol has revolutionised transport, machinery, and every aspect of our lives. Not surprisingly, it has become a strong cultural metaphorical symbol of the circle of life of time, of progress, and much much more. Not surprisingly, it has found its way into play in the form of the hoop; after all, play is merely a reflection of life and thinking.

Rolling a hoop by hand or with a stick is an incredible joy. The sense of achievement, when one can navigate the obstacles and still roll the hoop, is a truly wonderful feeling. While hoops have been made in many different ways, Indian children have, over the years, merely appropriated old cycle tyres to create a much-loved form of play.

In fact, this form of play has found representation in much of popular culture as well as folk tales. One folk tale from Rajasthan talks about a beautiful princess who was trapped in a palace tower. She used her golden hoop to roll through the streets and signal for help. The hoop caught the eye of a brave warrior who went to rescue the princess.

Yet another tale talks of a young boy who used his hoop to distract and outrun a wild boar that was threatening his village. Popularly called chakkar chalana in many parts of northern India, the hoop and the ability to roll it deftly and keep it rolling has caught the fancy of generations of children across the country.

But like most games that reflect human thinking and skill, hoop rolling is not restricted just to India. Its popularity as a game can be seen from the variety of folk tales that abound across the world that are linked to hoop rolling.

From ancient tales from Africa and China to Scottish legends of a Hoop Hound or a dog that protects children who roll the hoop without toppling, the game has been part of the play across the world. Charles Dickens, the popular author frequently mentions children playing with hoops in the streets of London, thus capturing the essence of childhood.

Interestingly, in Wellesley College, Boston, hoop rolling has been a documented May Day activity. Wellesley seniors race down Tupelo Lane, pushing their hoops with a wooden stick. Hoops are usually decorated for the occasion. The story goes that back in the day, it was proclaimed that whoever won the Hoop Roll would be the first to get married. Today, they just say that the winner will be the first to achieve happiness and success, whatever that means to her.

With so much history, one would think that a hoop would be a specially designed piece of equipment. However, in spite of the fantastic stories about golden hoops or those with special powers that can outrun a wild boar or entangle snakes, the hoop is merely that — a hoop. Sometimes it is rolled by hand but usually with a stick and the trick is to get it to roll along without toppling.

A simple game but a lot of fun and one that can truly speak of being a universal favourite for children of different cultures.

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