Ban-Ban → German.
| Ban-Ban |
| First Description: Roger Guillamon, 2004 |
| Cycles: One |
| Ranks: Two |
| Sowing: Single laps (?) |
| Region: Bosnia and Herzegovina |
In 2004, Roger Guillamon (a Catalan student then living in Slovenia) wrote in the Catalan mailing list Jocsalparc that there is still a mancala game played in Bosnia, which is called Ban-Ban. It was already known in the Herzegovina during the 16th - 17th century.
It can only be speculated about the origin of the name "Ban-Ban". However, it is quite possible that Ban-Ban is related to Ban, the title of local rulers in Croatia and Bosnia since the Slavic population migrated there in the 7th century.
A Bosnian told Ralf Gering in 2008 that the game is still popular among older people who play it as a pastime in the streets of Sarajevo. It appears that another mancala game was introduced to Serbia by the Ottomans in the 14th century. Perhaps, these games are related to Mandoli.
So far no rules are known outside of Bosnia.
References[]
- Bikić, V. & Vuković, J.
- Board Games Reconsidered: Mancala in the Balkans. In: Etnoantropološki problemi 2010; 5 (1): 183-209.
- Guillamon, R.
- Ban-Ban: el joc de mancala de Bòsnia. E-Mail to the mailing list "Jocs al parc", November 10, 2004.
Copyright[]
© Wikimanqala.
By: Ralf Gering.
Under the CC by-sa 2.5.