Warri (Antigua)

Warri

First Description: Melville Jean Herskovits,1932

Cycles: One

Ranks: Two

Sowing: Single laps

Region: Antigua and Barbuda

Warri (meaning "house") is the national mancala game of Antigua and Barbuda. The game is also promoted by the owner of the Tipple Tree Hotel in Belize who has boards and instructions from Antigua in his guest rooms. The game is a variant of Oware, which was brought to Antigua in the early 18th century by African slaves.

There are many tournaments, such as the Taxi Drivers Tournament at the Heavenly Hill Art Gallery in Johnson's Point, the Women International Warri Championship at the Jolly Beach Resort and the National Warri Festival (also known as "Antiguan Open International Warri Tournament") usually held each October in the Multi-Purpose Cultural Centre, St. John's . The best players are Trevor Simon, September Christian and Pumpkin Lewis who rival West African Oware masters. They are organized in the National Warri Association which is presided by Everton Jacobs.

In 2002, HAMA films produced the drama "No Seed", which is a story of power and deception that parallels a Warri game.

Warri is traditionally played with nickernuts, locally known as "nickars".

"When you play Warri with God, you get no seed."
Antigua Proverb.

Rules

The game is played on wooden boards with initially four seeds in each hole, which are called "kru" in Antigua. The leftmost hole is called "foot", the rightmost "head" and the one next to the head "throat" or "neck".

Initial Position

The rules differ from Oware in the following manner:

• If a player empties all of the other player's kru through a capture (also known as a "cut"), he must move again to provide the other player with seeds, if that is possible.

See also

• No Seed, a political drama

External Links

• Warri: A Count and Capture Game from Antigua
• Antiguan Open International Warri Tournament
• A drawing by E. T. Henry showing Warri players

References

Anonymous.

International Warri Festival Ends With Awards Ceremony Last Weekend. In: Antigua Sun 2001 (November 7).

Anonymous.

Locally Produced Film Gets Extended Stint at Deluxe. In: Antigua Sun 2004 (January 5).

Anonymous.

Antiguans Dominate International Warri Tourney. In: Antigua Sun 2005 (September 22).

Anonymous.

Warri Festival Kicks Off This Weekend. In: Antigua Sun 2005 (October 29).

Anonymous.

Antigua and Barbuda Headlines International Warri Tournament. In: Antigua Sun 2007 (December 5).

Anonymous.

‘No Seed’ Makes World Television Premier. In: Antigua Sun 2008 (January 9).

Anonymous.

Warri- The Oldest Surviving Game. In: Caribarena News 2009 (November 2).

Anonymous.

Capitalise on the Warri Potential. In: Antigua Observer 2010 (August 19).

Anonymous.

Correction - Warri. In: Antigua Observer 2010 (September 29).

Anonymous.

Warri Grandmasters Promote Antigua & Barbuda in Kazakhstan. In: Antigua Observer 2010 (November 15).

Anonymous.

Taxi Stand Warri Tournament Warming Up. In: Antigua Observer 2010 (December 20).

Anonymous.

King George V Taxi Stand Warri Results. In: Antigua Observer 2010 (December 21).

Anonymous.

Top Guns Clash in King George Taxi Masters’ Warri Tourney. In: Antigua Observer 2010 (December 23).

Anonymous.

King George Taxi Stand Warri competition continues. In: Antigua Observer 2010 (December 24).

Anonymous.

‘Urkle’ Secures Class A Warri Honours. In: Antigua Observer 2010 (December 28).

Anonymous.

Masters Begin Quest for Top Honours in King George Taxi Warri Tournament. In: Antigua Observer 2010 (December 30).

Anonymous.

‘Bewe’ Out-soars ‘Triple’ in Masters Warri Play. In: Antigua Observer 2010 (December 31).

Anonymous.

Double Victory for ‘Pubie’. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (January 3).

Anonymous.

Masters’ Warri Battle Continues. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (January 4).

Anonymous.

‘Tipple’ Mascal Claims Masters’ Warri Title. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (January 5).

Anonymous.

Prime Minister’s Knockout Warri Tournament Begins. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (January 7).

Anonymous.

Warri Association to Be Officially Launched at Prize Giving Function. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (January 22).

Anonymous.

Warri Association Meeting. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (January 28).

Anonymous.

Warri Players to Discuss Game's Future. In: Antigua Barbuda Sports Network (ABSN) 2011 (January 31).

Anonymous.

Warri Meeting Invites New Players. In: Caribarena News 2011 (February 1).

Anonymous.

Sports Ministry Facilitates Discussion on Warri. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (February 2).

Anonymous.

Interim Committee Selected to Oversee Formation of Warri Association. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (February 12).

Anonymous.

Massiah Happy to Attain ABWA Presidency. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (March 26).

Anonymous.

ABWA Postpones Warri Festival. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (April 30).

Anonymous.

New Date Announced for Warri Festival. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (May 30).

Anonymous.

ABWA Warri Festival Set to Commence Tonight. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (June 11).

Anonymous.

Results of Independence Warri Tournament for Matches Played on October 29. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (October 31).

Anonymous.

Independence Warri Tournament in Full Swing. In: Antigua Observer 2012 (October 20).

Anonymous.

National Warri Team are World Champs. In: Caribarena News 2012 (November 14).

Anonymous.

World Warri Championships to be Staged in Antigua. In: Antigua Observer 2013 (August 22).

Anonymous.

Warri Association announces week of championship activities. In: Antigua Observer 2013 (October 15).

Baptiste, N.

Warri Has Benefits Say World Champs. In: Antigua Sun 2005 (September 23).

Baptiste, N.

Simon: Warri Needs Home and Chance to Grow. In: Antigua Sun 2005 (September 24).

Baptiste, N.

Antigua’s Simon is World Warri Champ. In: Antigua Observer 2010 (September 27).

Baptiste, N.

Warri Players to Form New Club/Association. In: Antigua Observer 2010 (December 29).

Baptiste, N.

‘Slow Play’ Claims Prime Minister’s Knockout Warri title. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (January 10).

Baptiste, N.

Warri Players Seek to Have Constitution Ratified. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (March 3).

Baptiste, N.

Warri Players to Reattempt Ratifying of Constitution. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (March 10).

Baptiste, N.

Warri Executive in Place as Constitution Ratified. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (March 23).

Baptiste, N.

Warri Association to Host First Official Competition. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (April 8).

Baptiste, N.

‘Rat-Buster’ Captures Cool & Smooth Warri Festival. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (June 17).

Baptiste, N.

Simon Captures Sixth Swiss International Warri Tournament. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (September 21).

Baptiste, N.

Top Warri Players Indicate Changes Needed in Present Association. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (September 22).

Baptiste, N.

Warri Association to Host Presidency Elections. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (October 11).

Baptiste, N.

Elected Warri Head Wants to Take Game Global. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (October 24).

Baptiste, N.

ABWA to Hold Independence Warri Tournament. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (October 25).

Baptiste, N.

Barton Captures Independence Warri Tournament. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (November 3).

Baptiste, N.

Warri Association Still Awaits Simon’s Apology. In: Antigua Observer 2011 (December 23).

Baptiste, N.

Warri Association to Host Whit Monday Competition. In: Antigua Observer 2012 (May 23).

Baptiste, N.

Whit Monday Warri Tourney A Success. In: Antigua Observer 2012 (May 30).

Baptiste, N.

Warri Squad Selected for Swiss Tournament. In: Antigua Observer 2012 (October 25).

Baptiste, N.

PM Spencer Opens International Warri Festival. In: Antigua Observer 2013 (October 30).

Baptiste, N.

Warri Champs Embrace Triumph, But Crave Stronger Competition. In: Antigua Observer 2013 (November 13).

Baptiste, N.

Warri to fill empty positions. In: Antigua Observer 2014 (May 21).

Baptiste, N.

Lucrative warri tournament on the horizon. In: Antigua Observer 2014 (July 4).

Buffonge, C.

HAMA’s ‘No Seed’ Premieres in Montserrat. In: Antigua Sun 2002 (December 30).

Caleb-Browne, A. A.

BODY FOUND …Well-known Warri Player Pulled from Sea. In: Antigua Sun 2007 (June 1).

Christian, S.

Taxi Drivers Warri Tournament: A Tremendous Success. In: Antigua Art, Artists & Culture (Johnson's Point, Antigua) 2003.

Hall, M. I.

Warri: Antigua's Mancala Game. Berkeley (USA) 1974).

Herskovits, M. J.

Wari in the New World. In: Man: The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 1932; 42: 23-37.

Hill, E.

HAMA’s No Seed Opens to Rave Reviews. In: Antigua Sun 2002 (November 25).

Hill, E.

Tourism Minister Pleased With HAMA’s ‘No Seed’. In: Antigua Sun 2002 (November 26).

Jackson, L.-V.

Antigua Commercial Bank Sponsors International Warri Competitor. In: Antigua Sun 2003 (March 5).

Jones, V.

Why Warri? In: Caribbean Beat 1993; 6.

Joseph, C.

Former warri PRO calls for Philp’s resignation. In: Antigua Observer 2013 (July 31).

Medica, H.

No Seed - A Success at the Box Office. In: Antigua Sun 2004 (January 14).

Medica, H.

Optimist Hosts Warri Workshop and Competition. In: Antigua Sun 2004 (April 24).

O'Donnell, C. & Lougheed, V.

Adventure Guide to Belize. Hunter Publishing, Walpole MA (USA) 2003, 335-336.

Copyright

© Ralf Gering
Under the CC by-sa 2.5 license.