right|thumb|200px|1852 Soule match in [[Normandy]]

', later ' (), is a traditional team sport that originated in Normandy and Picardy. The ball, called a ', could be solid or hollow and made of either wood or leather. Leather balls would be filled with hay, bran, horse hair or moss. Sometimes the balls had woolen pompons.

Early records

It would appear that ball games, such as la soule, developed naturally as a pastime, if only tossing the ball around. Such a game would be played wherever crowds of people met, e.g., after church services on Sundays or on religious holidays. La soule was played chiefly on the Christian holidays of Easter, Christmas, or on occasion at weddings or the day of the patron saint of the parish. The play could be aggressive, sometimes violent. It involved getting a ball to the opponents' goal, using hands, feet or sticks. It was not uncommon for participants to be injured, and broken limbs were often reported. The sport seems to have been a very important stress release for the common villagers.

  • 1147 – A charter in France specifies the payment of an amount of money and handing over of "seven balloons of greatest dimension".
  • 1283 – The only reference to a game in Cornwall dates from this year. A man named Roger was accused of striking a fellow player in a game called soule with a stone, a blow which proved fatal. The details were recorded in the plea rolls no. 111.
  • 1393 – In Paris, a game took place in front of Saint-Eustache.
  • An attempt to revive choule to celebrate the Football World Cup 1998, held in France.
  • Tricot, a village in the Oise, still plays la soule on the Sunday after Shrove Tuesday.
  • Soule was played in 1994 in Vouillé, in Vienne.
  • Since 2003, the villages around Vendôme (between Le Mans and Blois) have been playing the game annually in early September. An open invitation was extended by the Vendômois French in order to increase numbers and popularity and players from the Bulldogs Rugby Club, Twickenham, UK, have taken part since 2008. Games of soule at Vendôme typically take place in a flooded woodland area, with two teams each of around 40 players, chosen at random using a pack of playing cards, i.e. red or black team. The "ball" is a heavy pyramid-shaped leather sack stuffed with straw which becomes extremely heavy when wet and difficult to handle. Goals are designated by painting a single tree red at either end of the pitch and a goal is scored by touching the opponents' tree with the ball by whichever means possible. There is no referee or timekeeper and, although there are few rules, good sportsmanship is encouraged. The game ends by mutual consent once a side is deemed too far ahead on goals to be caught; games usually lasting 2–3 hours.
  • On 11 February 2017, 16 players met for a revival of the soule and played during 4 periods of 15 minutes, in the village of Saint-Césaire-de-Gauzignan. Although the beginning seemed messy, the players quickly understood the rules and the game went well.

Variations

  • ' – "Choule [with a] stick". Five players, with substitutes able to enter constantly. The ball was made of string or packing and rag surrounded of leather, approximately 10 cm in diameter with a weak rebound. Personnel included a field referee and two goal referees.
  • ' – played with large teams, and very rough like rugby. The ball could be played with hands or feet.
  • ', or ' – An early version of cricket, played with bats and wickets. No records of it exist, except in early engravings.

See also

  • Knattleikr – a Viking ball game which may be the origin of la soule/choule.
  • Caid – an early Irish ball game similar to la soule/choule.
  • Episkyros – an Ancient Greek ball game
  • Trigon – a Roman ball game
  • Medieval football – in Europe
  • Royal Shrovetide Football – heraldic similarity – three cockerels
  • History of physical training and fitness

References

Further reading

  • Jeux de balle en Picardie. Les frontières de l'invisible, a French book on the subject by Marie Cegarra.
  • History of football, including information on choule
  • History of the game with photographs
  • Short history
  • Normandy country games fédération des jeux et sports Normands (choule...)