500-year-old game balls Very few people will read this post. In four or so hours the Super Bowl will start, causing all social media to come to a sudden halt - bar conversations devoted to the event itself. To celebrate football I am dishing up the...
Zoom Info
500-year-old game balls Very few people will read this post. In four or so hours the Super Bowl will start, causing all social media to come to a sudden halt - bar conversations devoted to the event itself. To celebrate football I am dishing up the...
Zoom Info

500-year-old game balls

Very few people will read this post. In four or so hours the Super Bowl will start, causing all social media to come to a sudden halt - bar conversations devoted to the event itself. To celebrate football I am dishing up the world’s oldest soccer ball (top) and tennis ball (bottom). The soccer ball dates from around 1540, when the game was known as mob ball, which is a mix of our current soccer and (American) football. It was found behind the paneling of the Queen’s Chamber at Stirling Castle, Scotland. At the time, the castle was inhabited by Mary Queen of Scots, who is known to have loved ball games, including golf and football. The tennis ball is even older and dates from around 1500. It was discovered behind a roof beam of Westminster Hall, the oldest building of England’s parliamentary estate. Did a minister hit it with too much gusto? Queens and politicians playing ball, not quite what you’d expect from the oldest game balls on the planet.

Pics: the tennis ball is in the Museum of London (more info here); more about the soccer ball here.

519 Notes/ Hide

  1. la-reina-del-norte reblogged this from elizabeth-shore
  2. elizabeth-shore reblogged this from the-busy-ghost
  3. jauntyinuendos reblogged this from english-history-trip
  4. anime-nerd05 reblogged this from a-portrait-made-with-words
  5. a-portrait-made-with-words reblogged this from english-history-trip
  6. margaretpercy reblogged this from the-busy-ghost
  7. hughnorthumberland reblogged this from the-busy-ghost
  8. persephones-journey reblogged this from the-busy-ghost
  9. loki-the-trikster-god reblogged this from english-history-trip
  10. ourgraciousqueen reblogged this from the-busy-ghost
  11. the-busy-ghost reblogged this from english-history-trip
  12. english-history-trip reblogged this from erikkwakkel and added:
    I know it’s a century too late, but I like to imagine Henry V getting sent the infamous tennis ball from the Dauphin and...
  13. erikkwakkel posted this