Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Knur and Spell

KNUR AND SPELL (called by Strutt “Northern Spell”), an old English game played with a ball, which is “risen” from a trap and hit with a bat made for the purpose. The ball, called the “knur,” is made of wood, a little bigger than a walnut. The bat, called a “tripstick,” as it is also used to spring the trap or “spell,” consists of a piece of hard wood, 6 by 4 inches, and 1 inch thick (the pommel), attached to a supple handle from 3 to 4 feet long, which the player grasps with both hands, giving the full swing of his body with the stroke. The game consists of the cumulative distance of a given number of strokes, the player who has the greatest number of yards being the winner.