Swell of fort

The swell of fort is the traditional play of ball in Anjou.

The Ball of fort was classified " Patrimonial play ligérien" by the Ministry for the Culture.

History

Which is the origin of this play? Would it date from the time of the Plantagenêts? Does it have Belgian origins or florentines insofar as this play, practiced at the Franco-Belgian border and Florence, seems to be very close, by the aspect of the balls and the curved grounds? Unless Belgians and Italians brought it back on their premises, in the olden days, after a stay in Anjou? It for origin has the funds of hold of the boats which went up the Loire and which were used as playing fields to the désoeuvrés sailors… but there exists much of other assumptions and many mysteries.

The passion of the ball is old in Anjou. Plays of ball existed already in XVIesiècle.

In XVIIIesiècle, " sociétés" where one plays ball of fort are very widespread.

It is a play primarily practiced by men. The woman being present only by representations, generally, suggestive. However since the years 1970, certain companies of play of ball of fort accept the women henceforth. There exist even mixed challenges. Nevertheless the woman is still not very present in this male universe.

Geographical

The ball of fort is a typically local play which gathers more than 50.000 players in 392 companies including 315 in Maine and the Loire. It forms part of the inheritance angevin primarily.
Cependant one also practices the ball of fort in extreme cases external of Anjou, Vouvray like with Langeais and Lerné in Touraine, without forgetting Saint-Nazaire and some villages in the East of the Loire-Atlantique. Nevertheless its practice, is primarily widespread in the old province of Anjou (departments of the Maine-et-Loire, the West of the Indre-et-Loire (Bourgueil, Castle-the-Vallière), the South of the the Sarthe (the Maine angevin as with the Arrow), and the Mayenne (the Mayenne angevine).

Homages

Writers angevins, such as: Rene Bazin, Marc Leclerc, then Emile Joulain praised this subtle play, all in address, without anything excessive.

" If you had time to bind friendship with some of our bowlers You will be able to claim that you know the monuments most curious about Anjou " (Rene Bazin).

Emile Joulain, celebrates writer and patoisant poet, said ball of fort: " the ball of fort, in Anjou, as out of Anjou, is a thing of the Loire or its affluents: Dormouse, Maine, Thouet, Louet, Authion. It is ligérienne as well as the castles, the salmon, the sand of the strikes… ".

Description of the play of the ball of fort

The characteristics of this sport of balls are mainly:

a ball 13 centimetres in diameter, slightly flattened each side, out of hard wood (Buis, Cormier or Frêne) or in figure ringed of steel, whose tread is shifted, therefore asymmetrical and adjustable thanks to a sliding screw towards the “weak side” or the “strong side” from where the name of the play.
a particularly large ground in the shape of gutter: 20 m length on 7 broad. The longitudinal edges are raised from thirty to forty centimetres.
of the balls being able to spend more than one minute to reach their destination from where very long parts, up to three hours, for an objective of points of 10 or 12 (counted as with the Game of bowls).
obligatory wearing of slippers on the track.

Young girls and wine of Anjou

The maintenance costs of the circles and companies of plays of ball of fort, are covered by the receipts obtained with the refreshment bar of the gaming rooms of balls. The wine consumption is of tradition, even if today some prefer drinking fruit juice and lemonades. the wine is selected within the committees of the companies. it is cheap and the wine is bottled small, called " young girl " by the male members of the companies, because the women are excluded from the operation. Even if the men drink less (chopinent less) that front, it is of tradition of " to kiss wine young girls of red or white Anjou ". According to whether the meetings are challenges or friendly, the winners or the losers pay the general round.

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