A Drinking Club with a Running Problem
I thought that I would try something new Saturday night. I found this group on Craig’s list and decided that I would be willing to try anything once so I went Hashing. The group that I went out with goes by the name of the Tampa Bay Hash House Harriers. Now before some of you think that I have turned to harder substances then Beer or Vodka, please let me explain.Hashing is a mixture of running, orienteering and drinking. There is ritual and exercise and sometimes nudity! The people are open and welcoming. I had one of the best times of my life doing this. It all starts with a “circle”, that is where people gather and imbibe beverages. You must bring a mug or vessel with you, it is imperative, so as to disguise the beverage that you are drinking. Also it is stated that one should not wear new shoes on the trail, if you do you will get a nasty treat at the end of the trail if you do. They bless the Hare, initiate the “virgins” (those that have never hashed before) and give general announcements about goings on and the trail ahead. The hare leaves just before the announcements and the initiation of the virgins so that he can lay the trail. The trail is laid with flower, chalk marks and or toilet paper. The hare gets a 15-minute start. This is where the fun begins!
Off to the trail…
There are many types of trails that are done and this one was what hashers call a Shiggy Trail (This means that the trail may be or have: jungle, thick vegetation, rocks, cliffs, streams, etc; especially mud. trail.). This was no exception to the rule, we trudged through a muddy stream that went up to my waist. It didn’t help that I also did a face plant in the middle of the stream. After we followed the trail down the stream we climbed out via an obliging bank. From there the trail took side streets and then went along Tampa Bay. As happens most afternoons here in the summer time, a rain and lightening show occured. It was a little bit scary but we made it to the halfway point that was a beer stop. I was pretty tipsy when we started out (I had not run that drunk since I was a student in Krakow) so I decided that I would stick to water. The next 1.5 miles went off without a hitch and we ended in the parking lot of a Catholic Church.
The religious advisor for the group conducted the ending circle. This is the 2nd part of the triad that makes a hash. There is the trail, the circle and the on-after. This circle is where they talk about the trail, celebrate special events and chastise members with what is called “down-downs”. A down-down is a ceremonial honoring of deserving hashers after the trail, part of the circle. The ceremony consists of calling the offending party to the middle of the circle and making them drink the contents of their vessel (which is usually full) and after finishing up the beverage tipping the glass over their head. The virgins are also called into the circle and are asked questions and then given a special down-down. Songs are also sung. I would advise never to use the word “head” since it will inspire a special song.
The last portion of the ritual is the on-after. The on-after is when the participants adjourn to a local pub to eat and continue to intake beverages. This may last of hours.
A little history lesson about hashing:
The roots of modern hashing started around 1937 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by an English accountant by the name of Albert Stephen Ignatius Gispert. Hashing was suspended during World War II, due to the occupation of Malaysia by the Japanese. After the war hashes started up again and continued to spread across the world.
The philosophy of hashers is as follows:
- To promote physical fitness among our members
- To get rid of weekend hangovers
- To acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it in beer
- To persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel
This was so much fun, I can’t wait until the next one!
For more information on the Hash please see the following links:
A Hash House Harrier Resource
Tampa Bay Hash House Harriers
Half-Mind Catalog: Information & Resources for Hash House Harriers
posted by Marquise at
2:08 PM
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