Meet the Middle Ages
BackTug-of-war games
Here are three descriptions of simple tug-of-war games which people in the country-side enjoyed.
ROLLING-PIN-PULLING
This game is mentioned in the Icelandic sagas and is still a game at feasts and events in the Nordic countries.
Two persons sit down with the soles of their feet against each other. Both clasp a round stick (the "rolling-pin") with both hands. The one who pulls the other up from the ground or gets the stick wins. The game is decided by one match or the best of three matches.
OXEN-PULLING
Oxen-pulling is perhaps the most spectacular of the old tug-of-war games.
Two persons are on all four with their feet against each other. They are the oxen. Their friends lie on the backs of the oxen, with their heads against each other, grabbing a stick with their hands. Then the oxen begin to crawl in opposite directions, trying to pull the other along. The winner is the one who pulls the other along, or makes him drop the stick.
"DRA GRÄNJA"
The aim of the game is to prove the strength of one ´s neck. The game is also called "Pulling the oxen ´s neck". In Denmark the game is called "Traekke Grin".
The two competitors pull each other with a strap or rope around the neck. If you pull the other three ells (nearly two metres), you have won.