History
This is an indoor game the aim of which is to swing a metal ring which
is dangled from the ceiling on a rope, onto a metal hook on the wall. Originally, the hook was a
bull's horn. Quite often the hook is embedded in the nose of the head of a bull on the wall. Other
variants exist featuring other animals such as stags and pigs. The game is one of the oldest in the
country; legend has it that it was brought back by Crusaders from Jerusalem. The story appears to
have come about primarily from the most famous pub featuring the game - the venerable "The Trip to
Jerusalem" situated in the cliffs underneath Nottingham castle. This pub is an old crusaders tavern
dating from 1189 and so the legend certainly is not without merit.
Left top is pictured Ringing the Stag!. By kind permission of Arthur Taylor.
Left middle and left bottom is Ringing the Bull found at Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham. This pub is one of at least 5 pubs that claim to be the oldest in Britain and is worth a visit even regardless of the game.
The game is also played in and around the Caribbean where it is known by
several names and often has a nautical theme and one is required to ring a fish! Various theories
for its origin are espoused - some say it was introduced by Pirates, other say its inventor was
Ernest Hemingway! However, the earliest confirmed documented reference found for the game is from
England in Men of Character by D. Jerrold, 1838, in which is written "After that, he must visit the
gypsies; then he must ring-the-bull" and "There is first the lucky-bag-then the sticks-then the
ringing-the-bull-then the round-about".
This is an illustration of the game from a book published in 1890 that upon detailed scrutiny reveals some points of interest. Notice the 2 hooks on the horns as well as 1 on the nose. The horizontal suspending pole appears to be telescopic - the author presumes so that the game wouldn't get in the way when not in use. The description of the game mentions tossing the ring onto the hook and the picture seems to back this up because the string is not taut. If true, this would be a different skill to that of swinging the ring...
The game is so simple
that many pubs stage it simply as an informal
pastime rather than as a competitive game. A person will make a a number of attempts to ring the
bull and then pass the ring to somebody else for a turn. The basic throw is simple a swing in a
clockwise direction (for a right handed player) straight onto the ring but advanced players can also
ring the bull across themselves in an anti-clockwise direction. Old hands are able to throw with
either hand in either direction and will then really impress their spectators by facing away from
the hook and swinging in the opposite direction such that upon its return the bull is ringed. For
extra difficulty, they might do this while standing next to the target instead of at the usual
throwing mark. The ultimate throw 
is
one which
circles the room completely twice and then lands squarely on the target. Difficult yes, but not
impossible!
This Ringing the Bull appears to be a manufactured version and as at 2019 was being played at the Sheffield Arms in Burton upon Stather. If anyone knows anything about it, please let me know. With thanks to Keiran Stannard.
Here's a Ringing the Bull video taken in the Tower Arms, Brentwood.
Where to buy
As
far as we know, Masters Traditional Games is only company that makes a version of of Ringing
the Bull.
Pubs
Please see the separate Ringing the Bull Pubs page.