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Evidence for Luuth
1 pieces of evidence found.
Id DLP.Evidence.2041
Type Ethnography
Location Nuer
Date 1971-01-01 - 1971-12-31
Rules 2x7 board. Four counters per hole. The first player takes all of the counters from one of their holes. If they take from the central hole, they can be placed in any other hole on the board. If they are from any other hole, they can be placed in any hole except the opposite hole on the opponent's side. Once both players have made this initial move, the main phase of the game begins. Players alternate turns taking counters from one of the holes on their side of the board and moving them. Groups of four counters are always moved. Play can occur in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. Players sow, four counters at a time. When the final four counters land in an empty hole in the player's row, any counters in the opponent's opposite hole are captured, and the player may sow again from another hole. Play continues until all of the counters have been captured, and the player with the most counters wins.
Content Rules described by Pankhurst: "Luuth. this game is based on two rows each of seven holes with four holes, and is known as luuth, the holes being called ang, literally "eye." The game, which has very unusual basic moves almost reminiscent of draughts, was played by James Tut, another student from the Sudan side of the frontier who is now studying at Addis Ababa. The first player would begin anywhere on his row by picking up the entire contents of one of this holes. If he did so from his middle hole he could place them in any hole whatsoever, either on his own side or his opponent's; if from any of his other holes he could place them in any hole except his opponent's opposite hole. After this initial move it was his opponent's turn to move. The players, who moved alternately, could thereafter move either in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction according to the following rules based on the moving of balls always in groups of four or multiples thereof: 1. A group of four balls could be moved to an adjacent hole on the same side of the board. 2. A group of eight or more balls could be distributed on the basis of four balls per hole in successive holes on one side of the board or another. On alighting with a group of four balls in an empty hole, or, if he had more than four balls in his hand, with his last group of four balls, the player would capture the contents, if any, of his opponent's opposite hole, such a capture entitling him to continue his move by picking up the contents of any of his holes with which to play. The player gaining the largest number of balls was accounted the winner, for this type of game was won in a single round." Pankhurst 1971: 204.
Confidence 100
Ages Adult
Genders Male
Source Pankhurst, R. 1971. Gabata and Related Board Games of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia Observer 14(3):154-206.
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