The origins of the Quoit can be traced back to the very ancient Chakram, a ring-shaped metal blade used as a weapon of war, and later in history, to the Discus throw of the ancient Greek Olympics. The Discus was also referred to as a Quoit in many Greek writings and mythological tales. In its original form it was a flat, tapered disk made of stone, iron, or bronze. The Discus was by far the most popular event of the Olympic games, so many spectators who watched the athletes perform the Discus throw in competition eagerly sought to imitate the sport at home. Those who were wealthy paid to have custom iron or bronze disks or rings made for their personal use; others who could not afford the expense made do with objects they could find or craft themselves.
At some undocumented point in history, stakes in the ground were added to change the Game from one of distance to one of accuracy. During the period of the Roman conquest of Europe, the Romans shod their warhorses with circular rings of iron weighing about 4 pounds apiece. These "shoes" were not nailed to the horses' hooves but rather were strapped to them with leather thongs. The rings were a fair imitation of a Discus or Quoit, so the soldiers began tossing the worn-out shoes in their leisure time. When horseshoes later developed into the open U-shape familiar now, the soldiers would either bend them into crude rings or just pitch them as they were. Thus, Horseshoes became the economical substitute for soldiers and commoners who did not have access to the expensive, forged sets of Quoits.
The Roman conquest brought Quoits to Britain, and by the 1300 s the game became a hugely popular pastime there, especially among English Noblemen. http://usqa.org/history/historyindex.htm
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The origins of the Quoit can be traced back to the very ancient Chakram, a ring-shaped metal blade used as a weapon of war, and later in history, to the Discus throw of the ancient Greek Olympics. The Discus was also referred to as a Quoit in many Greek writings and mythological tales. In its original form it was a flat, tapered disk made of stone, iron, or bronze. The Discus was by far the most popular event of the Olympic games, so many spectators who watched the athletes perform the Discus throw in competition eagerly sought to imitate the sport at home. Those who were wealthy paid to have custom iron or bronze disks or rings made for their personal use; others who could not afford the expense made do with objects they could find or craft themselves.
At some undocumented point in history, stakes in the ground were added to change the Game from one of distance to one of accuracy. During the period of the Roman conquest of Europe, the Romans shod their warhorses with circular rings of iron weighing about 4 pounds apiece. These "shoes" were not nailed to the horses' hooves but rather were strapped to them with leather thongs. The rings were a fair imitation of a Discus or Quoit, so the soldiers began tossing the worn-out shoes in their leisure time. When horseshoes later developed into the open U-shape familiar now, the soldiers would either bend them into crude rings or just pitch them as they were. Thus, Horseshoes became the economical substitute for soldiers and commoners who did not have access to the expensive, forged sets of Quoits.
The Roman conquest brought Quoits to Britain, and by the 1300 s the game became a hugely popular pastime there, especially among English Noblemen. http://usqa.org/history/historyindex.htm
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