Mongolian’s revere parts of livestock bones; for example, knuckle-bones, which are often used in religious rites, plays, and traditional games. One of such traditional games is knuckle-bone shooting, a team activity involving six to eight players who flick marble tablets at a target of sheep knuckle-bones, aiming to knock them into a target zone.
The name "knucklebones" comes from an ancient Greek variant of the game when the astragalus of a sheep was used instead of the nail. In shagai games, the dice land on one of four sides: horse, camel, sheep, or goat. On uneven ground, a fifth side, a cow, is possible.
Shagai, or dice-rolling, is particularly popular during the Mongolian summer holiday of Naadam. Each player has individually designed shooting tools and instruments and has a costume with distinct characteristics according to their rank. The members of a knuckle-bone shooting team are tied by close bonds of respect and dignity.
For example, the knowledge, skills, technique, and expertise associated with knuckle-bone shooting are transmitted through apprenticeship. A favorable knuckle-bone shooting environment offers the chance for each member to contribute to the team's success, social well-being, and development through supporting and learning from others.
Furthermore, Mongolians (usually male) collect wolf shagai, which are regarded as good-luck tokens because they superficially resemble male genitalia. Traditionally, four shagais were rolled on the ground, with the two convex sides, horse and sheep thought to be lucky. The sides with concave indents, goat, and camel, were deemed unlucky; the rolling of all four on one roll was considered indicative of very good fortune.
Through the tradition, team members from different backgrounds come closer together, are encouraged to interact and show respect towards elders and one another, and the social cohesion of the team is improved.
Modern knucklebones now consist of six points, or knobs, projecting from a base, and are made from metal or plastic. However, diverse games from different cultures use other objects to play, such as stones, seashells, seeds, and cubes. Today, Mongolians exchange rolled dice as tokens of friendship. The dice can be kept in a small pouch.
Shagai is a name for an astragalus bone from the ankle of a sheep or goat. According to English language sources, shagai is sometimes called "ankle bones," and playing with shagai is called "ankle bone shooting."
Shagai, or rolled dice, are particularly popular during the Mongolian summer holiday of Naadam. In shagai games, the dice land on one of four sides: horse, camel, sheep, or goat. On uneven ground, a fifth side, a cow, is possible.
The name "knucklebones" comes from an ancient Greek variant of the game when the astragalus of a sheep was used instead of the nail.
Certain parts of the bones of livestock are revered in Mongolia and used in traditional games, plays, and religious rituals. And among the popular team-based games is the knuckle-bone shooting. Teams of six to eight players flick marbles like dominoes on wooden surfaces and aim to knock sheep knuckle-bones into a target zone. The shooters sing traditional knuckle-bone shooting songs as they do so.
Each player has individually designed shooting tools and instruments and has a costume with distinct characteristics according to their rank. Each member of a knuckle-bone shooting team is tied by close bonds of respect and dignity.
For example, the knowledge, skills, technique, and expertise associated with knuckle-bone shooting are transmitted through apprenticeship. The environment is favorable in which knuckle-bone shooting offers the chance for each member to contribute to the team's success, social well-being, and development through supporting and learning from others.
Furthermore, Mongolians (usually male) collect wolf shagai, which are regarded as good-luck tokens because they superficially resemble male genitalia. Traditionally, four shagais were rolled on the ground, with the two convex sides, horse and sheep thought to be lucky. The sides with concave indents, goat, and camel, were deemed unlucky; the rolling of all four on one roll was considered indicative of very good fortune.
Through the tradition, team members from different backgrounds come closer together, are encouraged to interact and show respect towards elders and one another, and the social cohesion of the team is improved.
Modern knucklebones now consist of six points, or knobs, projecting from a base, and are made from metal or plastic. However, diverse games from different cultures use other objects to play, such as stones, seashells, seeds, and cubes. Today, Mongolians also exchange rolled dice as tokens of friendship. The dice can be kept in a small pouch.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/mongolian-knuckle-bone-shooting-00959) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shagai) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knucklebones#Central_Asia) |Subject=Belief, Entertainment and Recreation |Country=Mongolia |SDG=(11) Sustainable Cities and Communities }}