How do you spend your weeknights? Maybe you spend it making dinner with your spouse or helping your children with homework or, if you’re anything like me, you binge-watch a new Netflix series. For some locals and ex-pats, they spend their evenings running through the jungle, clawing up muddy slopes, trying to beat everyone else out to the other side. Welcome to the wonderful world of hashing.
Hashing started in Malaysia in 1938 with the initial members being expatriates and British colonial officers. The event typically took place on Monday evenings around 5:00pm. The name came from the British slang for gruel because, due to lack of refrigeration at the time, a mix of food from Sunday’s dinner was served at the end of the event. The hash was organized similarly to the British paper chase or “hare and hounds.” During World War II, the hash ceased due to many participants leaving to fight the war but it was quickly started up again by many of the original members after the war ended.
The second chapter was formed in Singapore and afterward, the Brunei Hash House Harriers was formed in February 1963. Since then, about a dozen other hashing groups have popped up all over Brunei from Bandar Seri Begawan to Kuala Belait. For a long time, hashing was a male-only sport. Eventually, female-only groups were started but they quickly developed into all-inclusive groups and are referred to as H4 (Hash House Harriers and Harriettes). Hashing began with these core philosophies:
- To promote physical fitness among our members
- To get rid of weekend hangovers
- To acquire a good thirst and satisfy it with beer
- To persuade older members that they are not as old as they feel
Typically, the hash is marked earlier in the day by one or more group members; they are known as the “Hare(s).” The group that comes through that evening around 5:00pm to run or walk the trail is known as the “Pack.” The trail is marked with toilet paper on trees, bushes, and high grass, while pieces of paper mark the ground. Both of these markers are picked up the next morning by the “Sweepers.” Prior to beginning, the Hash Master or Mistress will gather everyone in a circle to welcome new hashers and give information about the trail that has been set. During the entire event, hashers are referred to only by their hashing names, which are usually appointed by the club and tend to be humorous and purposely embarrassing. This originally stemmed from local superstitions that the forests or jungles were haunted by spirits and to use your real name would invite the spirits to find and haunt you.
Since some members of the “Pack” run and others walk, the “Hares” set up “Checks” or “Check Points.” These are piles of paper in an “X” formation to let the “Pack” know that the current trail has ended and they must now look for the beginning of the new trail. This gives those at the back of the pack a chance to catch up and adds an extra element of fun to the hash. Everyone will search and yell “Checking!” to let upcoming people know there is a new trail that is being searched for. When the trail has been found, the person who finds it will call out “On, On!” to signal where the new trail begins. If the group of hashers is experienced, the “Hare(s)” will have some extra fun, leading the “Pack” astray with fake trails that have dead ends.
At the end of the hash, the “Pack” will meet and gather in a circle to begin eating and celebrating a successful hash. This typically includes poking fun at the newcomers or existing members, also called being “Down-Downed.” The person on the receiving end will be made to do silly things for a multitude of reasons.
“It can be anything from having new shoes or not wearing one of our hashing T-Shirts on the run,” says long-time hasher Mirka.
“Down-Downs” are a safe and fun way to bring the group closer together because no one is ever safe from being “Down-Downed.” Most groups have an ice throne that the person being ‘Down-Downed” is asked to sit on as the group sings a “Down-Down” song. With the days of serving gruel long gone, one or more hashers will bring food for the group to enjoy afterward. The group will sing and eat and enjoy each other’s company for a few hours before heading home to rest.
Hashers are resilient; in all the years of hashing, rain, or shine, the “Pack” has always gone out. It wasn’t until COVID-19 struck that hashers were forced to forgo their weekly jungle excursions. Now that the dust of the pandemic has settled in places, hashers are back at it again even as the monsoon season has set in. There are usually main events that one hashing chapter will host annually where the rest of the chapters are invited to travel to another country to meet fellow hashers and explore a different type of terrain. The “Red Dress Run” is one such annual event where hashers from all over show up in red dresses to the hash. It began in 1987 when Donna Rhinehart did an impromptu hash in her dress but it quickly gained popularity and is now used as a way to raise money for local charities.
Many of these types of large events have had to be postponed due to the pandemic but hashers remain steadfast in their love of comradery and the sport itself and carry on with their weekly adventures. If you find yourself curious to learn more and experience hashing for yourself, the local hashing group is always welcoming newcomers. You can contact Mirka Kosova at +673 883 9496 if you would like to participate in the next hash.
Savannah Jung 