What you need to know Popular recreations were

What you need to know

• Popular recreations were:

• occasional, because of limited free time and energy; they would often occur on ‘holy days’ and be a reflection of the changing seasons

• simple in nature, as few facilities and equipment were available; many activities therefore used natural facilities such as rivers and fields

• orally passed down through the generations, as the mass of the population were uneducated and therefore could not write down rules

• violent and cruel, as there were few rules in activities such as boxing, mob football and blood sports; this merely reflected a violent society where hangings were part of the social entertainment

• affected by prohibitions if they were considered unnecessary by the ruling class and by religious groups such as the Puritans

What you need to know