Sungka

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The game Sungka is a variant of Mancala that originated in the Philippines . It is also played anywhere in the world where Filipino migrants live. Like the closely related congkak , it was traditionally a women's game. Sungka was first described outside of Asia in 1894 by the ethnologist Stewart Culin . There are competitions in the Philippines, Taiwan , the USA and Austria . The biggest tournament takes place at the Kadayawan Sports Festival in Davao City . In 2004, the Department of Computer Science at the Imperial College of Science in London, England, hosted a Sungka computer tournament . In Chicago, USA, Sungka is used at the John W. Garvy Elementary School to support students with dyscalculia .

The elongated game board ( Sungka (h) an ), usually artfully carved from wood (e.g. mahogany ), consists of two rows, each with seven holes. In addition, there is a large storage trough ( bahay ) for the trapped stones at each end . Each player owns the memory on his right.

At the beginning of the game there are seven game pieces ( Sigay ), mostly cowries, in each slot .

Whoever catches the most stones wins.

Comparison with other games

Sungka is very similar to other South Asian variants of Mancala, such as Naranj (Maldives), Dakon (Java), Congkak (Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia) and Tchonka (Mariana Islands). The main difference between the game and the Kalaha, which is known in the USA and Europe , is that the move continues when the last stone falls into a filled hollow. If that happens, the content of this trough is picked up and distributed. A move does not end until the last stone is placed in an empty play pit. Another difference is that in Sungka the first move is made simultaneously. This should compensate for the tightening advantage. The game differs from Congkak in that it is played counter-clockwise.

Cultural meaning

Sungka is an important instrument of identity , especially for Filipino migrants. This can be seen in Sungka tournaments, which take place far away from the Filipino homeland, and in the representation of Filipino culture through Sungka demonstrations at intercultural festivals. The identity-forming function of the game is also found in the children's book " Sungka and Smiling Irish Eyes, A Boy discovers what it means to be Half-Irish and Half-Filipino " (German: "Sungka and smiling Irish eyes; a boy discovers what it is." means to be half Irish and half Filipino " ) addressed by Natalie Gonzales-Sullaway. The feminist, poet and communication scientist Alison M. De La Cruz wrote the performance " Sungka " in 1999 , which analyzes social and family expectations with regard to gender-specific behavior and sexuality, race and ethnicity by playing a Sungka game be compared. De La Cruz also processed her own lesbian coming out with it. Her poem " That Age ", which was part of the performance, achieved great fame in the USA .

Sungka is also used to this day by fortune tellers and prophets , who are called Bailan or Maghuhula in the Philippines , as a divinatory aid. Older people try in this way to find out whether it is cheap for young people to travel on a particular day, and girls, whether and if so when they will get married.

In the past, the Sungka board was also used for mathematical calculations, which were studied by Indian ethnomathematists .

Although the rules of Sungka hardly differ from those of Congkak, Sungka is perceived as a typical Filipino game.

Filipino riddle poem

"Aso co sa pantalan, lumucso nang pitong balon, umuli nang pitong gubat, bago nag tanao dagat. (Day.) Sungkahan."

Translation:

My dog ​​jumped from the quay over seven wells, jumped over seven forests again before seeing the sea. (Answer) Sungka board.

literature

  • Culin, S. Mancala: The National Game of Africa . In: Report of the National Museum, Philadelphia (USA) 1894: 597-611.
  • Culin, S. Philippine Games ( July 21, 2006 memento in the Internet Archive ). In: American Anthropologist (New Series) 1900; 2: 643-656.
  • De La Cruz, RE, Cage, CE & Lian, M.-GJ Let's play Mancala and Sungka: Learning Math and Social Skills Through Ancient Multicultural Games . In: Teaching Exceptional Children 2000; 32 (3): 38-42.
  • Flores, PV Sungka: A Game full of Holes . In: Filipinas 1998 (3); Pages 58–59 & 66.
  • Gonzales-Sullaway, N. Sungka and Smiling Irish Eyes, A Boy discovers what it means to be Half-Irish and Half-Filipino . Imprint Books, 2003. ISBN 1-59109-902-1
  • Henson, MA How to play Sungca or Chong-Ka. 1958.
  • Liu, R. Foreign Laborers hold Sungka Challenge . In: Taipei Times Aug 25, 2003, p. 3.
  • Manansala, P. Sungka Mathematics of the Philippines . In: Indian Journal of History of Science 1995; 30 (1): 14-29.
  • Scott, LE Mancala in the Philippines ( Letter to the Editor). In: Games & Puzzles 1975; 34 (3): 21.
  • Starr, F. A Little Book of Filipino Riddles . World Book Co. Yonkers, New York 1909, 145.

Web links

Commons : Sungka  - collection of images, videos and audio files