About those Harnkegger Games..
Post date: Sep 07, 2016 2:17:48 PM
By Peppy Bristlebrush
While the Shire is hosting the Farmer's Fair, the Dwarves have their own celebrations which they call the Harnkegger Games. Seven days filled with competitions of all kind. Now is this concerning Hobbits? Yes, in several ways! Read on..
Not only are the Games open to all races to compete against one another, thus including the race of Hobbits, some of the Games take place in the Shire or across the Shire. To compete in most of the games you had to register beforehand. Some of the Races are still open to all. Here's is an overview from Shire point of view:
On Wednesday September 7th there will be a fishing contest in Needlehole for registred fishers. Our own Master Ponso is in charge of that part of the Harnkegger games. Starting time depends on how long another game, the Broken Bone Race (Ow, that sounds painful!) will take. But expect it to start between 20:30 and 20:45 ((UK times are given throughout this article)) After the Fishing competition the day will be closed with music, food, fine drinks and Fireworks!There will be other Games on Thursday and Friday, but they take place in Ered Luin. Learn more about them in another article.
On Saturday September 10th the Shire Drunken Merchant Race will be held. And it is open for all. The race will start in Michel Delving at the Mathom House at 8 Bells ((20:00 UK time)) It will involve heavy drinking and fast running and takes competitors from Michel Delving all the way to Buckland and back to the Shire to Needlehole. After that they head for Bywater where they will have to jump against the Three Farthing Stone to finish. Non-competitors best avoid those roads if not wanting to be hit by a drunken hord of dwarves and others!
After the race a Music Event will be held at the Ivy Bush in Hobbiton. This competition can no longer be entered, but do know that musicians like to play before an audience! The music competition is expected to begin somewhere between 20:30 and 20:45, all depending on when the Drunken Merchant Race will end.
At this competition, 15 performers (Bands or Lone Bards) will each sing one song before a Jury of renown. The best performer(s) will win superb prizes. And again this day will be ending with music, food, fine drinks and Fireworks!
Then on Sunday 11th of September there will be more competitions: fence running in Staddle and a Poetry competition in Bree's Town Park across the Bree Town Hall – ((31.3S, 50.7W)) These competitions required registration beforehand, but those daring acrobats and those poets will need an audience too!
Then around 21:15 there is another case of a Shire connection as the Aleford Band rounds of the Harnkegger Games with a concert! If you have missed them opening the Harnkegger Games on Monday the 5th, then this is your opportunity to make up for that.
For more detail on the Harnkegger Games, it's philosophy and it's full program, I refer again to that other article I mentioned before.
