A Brief Overview of Hashing

The sport of Hashing was devised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the year 1938 by a group of British expatriots. The sport was adapted from the children's games of Hares & Hounds and Paper Chase. The sport takes it's name from the meeting location of the original Hash House Harriers or "Hashers." The Royal Sengalor Club was an establishment serving rather unimpressive food, known as "hash" in the slang of the day. As a result, the Sengalor was refferred to as a Hash House. Harriers of course refers to the sport's emphasis on running. Althought the name continues in use today, the name does not imply association with the modern (and popular) definition of Hash and Hash House, i.e. drugs.

The goal of the Hash House Harriers, from the 1938 charter of the Kuala Lumpur Hash House Harriers is:

To promote physical fitness among our members
To get rid of weekend hangovers
To acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it in beer
To persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel

An excellent (and much more comprehensive) description of the Hash, as well as the history of the Hash House Harriers can be found at The Half Mind Catalog.