Friday, December 31, 2010
The "Game of Warri" Story
It was an ordinary day. Just exchanged Christmas gifts with our friends Jerry and Sue. They arrived late this afternoon and we plan to travel tomorrow to Alexandria, Virginia for the weekend. I got a game for Christmas from them. Two years ago the four of us traveled to Barbados for a vacation. Really neat time and as we traveled throughout the island, I saw this unusual game being played by many of the local people. Didn't know what it was called. Found out later from our tour/cab driver that if was called "Warri". Thought it would be neat to have a copy of the game, but never got one before we left the island. Well, Sue remembered that I wanted the game and searched online for it and that is what I just opened. The case, which serves as the game board looks to be made of beautiful mahogany while the playing pieces or round seeds are probably made from Red Sandalwood. Warri is the oldest surviving game on Barbados. It is a pit-and-pebble game that originated in the Sudan over 3600 years ago and came across the Atlantic in the 17th Century with the introduction of African peoples in the Caribbean to work as slaves in the colony's tobacco and sugar plantations. Pit and pebble games are probably the most arithmetical of all games. It is a game of strategy and not of chance. Sugar Island Warri as it is sometimes called or simply - The Game of Houses, is a perfect pastime for persons who like games of strategy .... the Bajan way! It looks relatively simple with the six small compartments on each side of the board and the two large compartments on either end. I did read that you place six seeds in each small compartment and you try to end up with the most seeds in your scoring pit at the end of the board. Now I have to figure out the strategy as to how to get them there. Let you know. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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