Turf and twig
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Turf and Twig is an English ceremony dating from the 12th century, practiced regularly during English colonialism to take sovereign possession over unclaimed lands.
[edit] History
The process has taken several forms over the centuries. Dr. Bernulf Hodge in A History of Malmesbury describes the process as:
- "The lucky new Commoner goes to his "given" acre and cuts a turf from the selected site and drops two shillings in the hole made. The High Steward then twitches him with a twig and sticks the twig in the turf, then hands it to him saying, "This turf and twig I give to thee, as free as Athelstan gave to me, and I hope a loving brother thou wilt be." The High Steward then takes the money out of the hole and the new landowner replaces the turf." [1]
The practice was discontinued in the late 17th century.
