Mancala, the National Game of Africa

Name: Mancala, the National Game of Africa
Author: Stewart Culin

By Stewart Culin

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About This Book

The essay surveys a family of pit-and-pebble board games centered on sowing and capturing, describing play rules and regional rule-sets, contrasting luck-based and skill-based variants, and noting board types, counting methods, and playing implements such as shells and pebbles. It traces geographic distribution across Africa and coastal Asia, records local names and board forms from museum and exhibition specimens, and discusses social contexts where the game appears, including cafes and children's play, while highlighting how small rule changes produce distinct strategic behavior.

About the Author

Stewart Culin

Stewart Culin was an American ethnologist and folklorist known for his studies of cultural practices and games. His notable work, "China in America: A Study in the Social Life of the Chinese in the Eastern Cities of the United States," explores the experiences and social dynamics of Chinese immigrants in America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Culin also contributed to the understanding of traditional games, as seen in his book "Mancala, the National Game of Africa," which examines the cultural significance and variations of the Mancala game across different African societies. His interdisciplinary approach has left a lasting impact on the fields of anthropology and cultural studies.