En Gehé
Encyclopedia
En Gehé is a traditional mancala
game played by the Loitha and Kisonga Maasai groups of northern Tanzania
. The game was first described in 1904 by a German soldier, Moritz Merker, who was serving in the Kaiserlichen Schutztruppe in German East Africa
. Merker later became the first ethnologist
to study the Maasai culture.
En Gehé is traditionally played by men and warrior
s, and it usually played in teams of six–eight people. According to the Maasai oral history
, it was devised by Sindillo, son of the first man Maitoumbe.
' n gurtót (sing. en gurtóto). Each team of players own one of the rows. At game setup, there are 4 seeds in each pit, for a total amount of 320-400 seeds needed to play the game. Seeds are called es soido (sing. os soid). Caesalpinia bonduc
seeds, or small stones, are traditionally used.
Teams take turns. At one team's turn, one the team members takes all of the seeds from one of the team's pits and relay-sows them counterclockwise. If the last seed falls in empty pit of the team's row, any seeds in the opposite pit are captured and removed from the game, together with the seed that captured them.
The game ends when one the teams has no seeds in its row. The opponent team captures all the seeds, and the winning team is the one that captured most seeds.
Mancala
Mancala is a family of board games played around the world, sometimes called "sowing" games, or "count-and-capture" games, which describes the game-play. Mancala games play a role in many African and some Asian societies comparable to that of chess in the West, or the game of Go in Eastern Asia...
game played by the Loitha and Kisonga Maasai groups of northern Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. The game was first described in 1904 by a German soldier, Moritz Merker, who was serving in the Kaiserlichen Schutztruppe in German East Africa
German East Africa
German East Africa was a German colony in East Africa, which included what are now :Burundi, :Rwanda and Tanganyika . Its area was , nearly three times the size of Germany today....
. Merker later became the first ethnologist
Ethnology
Ethnology is the branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the origins, distribution, technology, religion, language, and social structure of the ethnic, racial, and/or national divisions of humanity.-Scientific discipline:Compared to ethnography, the study of single groups through direct...
to study the Maasai culture.
En Gehé is traditionally played by men and warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
s, and it usually played in teams of six–eight people. According to the Maasai oral history
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
, it was devised by Sindillo, son of the first man Maitoumbe.
Rules
The board used to play En Gehé is one of the biggest mancala boards; it comprises two rows of up to 40-50 pits each. Rows are called el mátuan (sing. ol mátua); pits are calledCaesalpinia bonduc
Caesalpinia bonduc, commonly known as Gray Nicker, is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that has a pantropical distribution. It is a vine-like shrub that reaches a length of and scrambles over other vegetation. Stems are covered in curved spines...
seeds, or small stones, are traditionally used.
Teams take turns. At one team's turn, one the team members takes all of the seeds from one of the team's pits and relay-sows them counterclockwise. If the last seed falls in empty pit of the team's row, any seeds in the opposite pit are captured and removed from the game, together with the seed that captured them.
The game ends when one the teams has no seeds in its row. The opponent team captures all the seeds, and the winning team is the one that captured most seeds.