GETTING GOING: HOW TO GET STARTED IN A TRADITIONAL GOAN GAME BOOK EXTRACT: By Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa Rodrigues
This is an extract from the just-released book 'Games That We Played: Traditional Goan Sports'.The 90-page book covers indoor games (pretending games, board games like snakes and ladders, tiktem, tabblam, waganni, carrom, money-money, gulianim and draughts), card games (including burro or donkey, bluff), outdoor games (chasing games, catching, hiding games like non ke par, and racing games), games of exertion (including tug of war, cock-fight or kombea zuz) and games of skill from marbles or godde, to cruzada or attya-pattya, logorio or seven tiles, fotash or the popgun, khoindo bhal, and biyanni or cashew nut based games). Note that the terms used below are merely a reflection of the games as these existed, though some might be seen as politically incorrect going by current standards of usage. A game may start spontaneously without any ritual to select who should be the 'chaser'or 'den' by following the norms applied traditionally by the players. However, children feel a game is not a proper one if such matters as to who is to be allowed to play, what the boundaries are to be, and whether dropping-out is to be permitted have not first been settled. Most often one player has to take a part that is different from the rest; and all children have, or affect to have an insurmountable objection to being the first one to take this part, and they try their level best to avoid being the 'chaser'or the 'den'. How to select a 'den' Different methods are used to select a den: 1. Odd man out: For selecting the person by this method, the players stand in a circle facing inwards,with their hands behind their backs, and chant in unison 'Ram, Ram, ray, sai, sutleo?' They whip their hands from behind their backs, clapping in rhythm with a palm facing upwards or downwards. On the word 'sutleo', the exercise reaches a climax, and the players stop clapping. They then look around to see if any player is 'odd', that is to say, holding his hands in a different position from the others. The majority moves out and the remaining continue. However, if only two players are left, a third one joins in to facilitate and decide who the 'odd'one is from among the last two. 2. The normal way the young decide who is to have the unpopular part in a game is to form the players in a line or circle, and count along the line the number of counts prescribed by the words of some little rhyme. Players form a circle and one of them starts reciting a rhyme and for every word he or she points at a player. The player with the last word is out. This continues till only one player is left. This player will be the den or chaser and the game begins. Or, alternatively, he is counted 'out' and stands aside while the rhyme is repeated and a second player eliminated, and so on, until only one player remains - on whom the count has never fallen - and that player is the unlucky one. This procedure is also known as 'dip'. There are countless numbers of dips and they can be of almost any length, cast in almost any mould, be either sense or nonsense, and need not even be a rhyme. On occassions the players may merely count to twenty-one and whoever the number twenty-one falls on becomes the chaser or den. Alternatively they may recite the alphabet to the twentyfirst letter, A,B,C,D,E,F, ... S,T, 'You!', or just repeat the vowels A,E,I,O, You, or ask the player what colour he has chosen. If its 'ORANGE!' he is asked to spell out and at every letter point out to a player. For example, O.R.A.N.G.E., You! Another option can be to count the numbers, like, one, two, three, Out! More often the process of 'dipping' is more anxiety prone and time-consuming as the 'dip' has to be repeated as many times, less one, as there are players, since the player the 'dip' ends on is not selected but eliminated. The person pointed at stands aside, and the rest face the ordeal of being counted again. The Rhymes or Chants: i. Aptti, dhoptti Khauchem pan; Gal go, Bebi Mogem pan Aa, po, Ginga, po Cari miri, cara po! ii. Aptti, dhoptti, Khaunchem pan; Caddi go, bebi, Muzo can; A, po, ginga, po, Cara, meli, po'. The above rhyme has variations like 'aptti, dhoptti, cazuchem pan' ... the rest remains the same. iii Avanari, Tavanari, Ticri tem, Aussene, Zaussene English man; Ing, Ping, Slesting! iv. Addam, Taddam Tattar baja Udca, tittca Decha, majha Alim, jalim Fulim v. Attli Battli Choneachi battli Tup Korun futtli Van Tutli vi. Atlo patlo Fulamcho patlo Tuzo Mazo Soput sutlo. vii Adao, pedao Saco de Melao, Dao, Ding Pass, Puss Cuj cu Caiu fuss viii Inky, pinky, ponky My daddy bought a donkey The donkey died, Daddy cried, Inky, pinky, ponky ix. Eeny, meeny, miney, mo Catch a nigger by the toe If he cries let him go. Eeny, meeny, miney, mo x. Eeny, meeny, miney, mo Sit the baby on the po, When he's don Wipe his bum, Tell his mummy what he's done xi. Dip, dip, dip My blue ship, Sailing on the water Like a cup and saucer Dip, dip, dip, You are not it. xii Policeman, Policeman Don't catch me Catch the robber One, two, three. xiii One, two, three and you go free. xiv Bubble gum, Bubble gum in the dish How many bubble gums Did you wish Four One, two, three, four. 3. Two players who are the leaders will select boys or girls to be enlisted on each one's side. To decide who should select first, the two of them stand at a distance, of say four metres and each one steps up touching his heel to the toe of the other foot consecutively and move towards each other. The one who oversteps the other is the winner and has the first option. The best player is selected first by the winner. 4. Two players, who are leading each side, opt to be any fruit, flower, animal, or any concrete noun e.g. one could be 'orange' and the other a 'lemon'. To select their respective team, the remaining players are asked to march to the singing of the rhyme, Oranges and lemons sold for a penny All the good children are so many The grass is green, the roses red Remember me when I am Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead! An arch is made by two players by holding hands, and they can imprision any player and ask him to select which fruit he wants, 'Orange or Lemon?' D epending on which one he selects, the player takes the side of the leader. However, it may be noted that the selected player does not know which leader represents an orange or who is a lemon. In the same manner the players can be selected singing a Konkani ryhme in which case the player is asked if he wants a 'Shenvtem' or a 'Gulab', that is chrisantemum or rose. Tamretin panam Mezar fulam Amcho kir etolo Oishim rupea haddtolo Gulabanim toddillo Pakad Pakad Pakad Shenvtem kai Gulab? 5. Two players, who are the leaders, stand beside each other and the rest on one side. Each of the remaining players selects the name of a flower, fruit, etc, for example 'gulab'(rose) or 'dhal'(dahlia). Two of the players, with arms on each other's shoulder, dancing along towards the leaders and one of them questions aloud: 'Mat-ma-Tirio?' and both the leaders reply simultaneously: 'Tirio!' The first player then fires the question: 'Gulab nam zallear dhal.' The leaders alternately select the player by mentioning the name of the flower of their choice, for example 'Gulab'. The player who has that name moves to the side of that leader. However, please note that the leaders are not aware of the names the players have assumed. The series of queries and replies continue till all the players are selected to form the respective teams. Propercia Correia Afonso Figueiredo in her interesting article titled ' A Magia do Folclore na vida da crianca Indo Portuguesa', gives us the following description and ritualistic connection in selecting the 'den' and the other key player, the 'cannguinue'. After selecting the den who is considered to be a condemned man a person needs to be selected as the 'cannguinue'. For better elucidation of her explanation and connection to the ritual in the game, she uses the example of the 'hiding game' called 'Apa, lipa' in Goa. A respectable person is selected to be the 'cannguinue', who has the responsibility of closing the eyes of the condemned 'mahar', the den, and also to look after the area of the game, so that after the compulsory runs by players, the 'cannguinue' reveals who has 'touched' her. Those who touch the 'cannguinue' are out of action of 'far', that is, the touch of the hand of the one who is 'condemned'. This touch would turn him into a 'mahar' for the next round, if this 'far' materialises, before the player approaches and touches the 'cannguinue'. In this game, the player is selected by reciting a rhyme, and at every word a player is indicated. The counting is done from the right hand side, beginning with the person who is reciting the rhyme. The one on whom the last word falls is free and is not the first 'mahar'. The round starts again from the person to the right of the one who is free. As before the one on whom the last word of the 'magic litany' falls, is free. At last only two remain. However, even if the player knows that the number of words are odd and the one who is repeating them will be 'set free', the children still do not forego the recitation of the rhyme, as it happens in religious rituals. The last one who fails to get the 'pass' or 'safe conduct' is the first 'mahar'. In these games, one plays or fights against a group, the child designated by this 'judgement of God' can be considered as 'tabu', as 'excommunicated' or dart from the group by a condemnation done in precedence to a judgement. Since the player is a 'tabu' all should run from her, hide, so that the 'impure' does not transmit to others its impurities, as was done in the olden days, in relation to the sick with contagious diseases and those who had done grave disrespect to the religion. A formula for freedom exists in all the groups in the primitive laws about 'tabu'. These are expiatory sacrifices, fines, acquisition or the conquest of sacred objects, and finally the 'transfer of evil'. It is therefore, a 'tabu' for the companion who is blindfolded in 'apa lipa'. He tries to free himself from this burden, 'by transfering his evil' to another person of the group. To accomplish this, he searches for his partners in all the possible hiding places, running after those who are seen moving to the 'secret place'. Here the 'tabu' cannot attack him, if the player is able to touch the 'cannguinue' or the 'docio'. A tree is chosen to substitute the 'cannguinue'and is called 'docio' during the game. The area of action for the 'cannguinue' or the 'docio' is restricted, and imparted to the folklorists the idea of comparing it to 'a sacred area'. However, the 'mahar' can only enter that area if he has touched another player and passed the 'far' to him. The 'tabu' who was able to touch any person who has not yet turned sacred, gives a call that his punishment is over and that this person should follow him as the den. The remaining players return to the base since they now have a break, till the eyes of the new den, the 'tabu' are covered. The break also continues till all the players do not reply 'zallem' (ready) to the question asked 'zallem?'(are you ready) by the 'cannguinue'. The 'tabu' person cannot enter the space guarded by the 'cannguinue', until the time he does not transfer his evil. This reminds the players of fear of divine punishment until he washes off his guilt. There are some other words which are accepted in all the games. These are: 'tu maca', which means 'I am sorry'. It is said by a player that makes a mistake; but he has to say it before any other opponent says 'cuss', which means 'you are caught by default'. If the den is not prompted to say 'cuss', the other player gets the chance of saying 'tu'. As long as it is said in time, the 'tu' is like forgiveness and the den cannot take any action against the player. In chasing games the player can take a break if he meets with an accident or is exhausted, by using the word 'ambette/ambettio', which means 'I want a break'. Whichever player says this word accepted by the den protects him from the touch/attack of the den. The player also says 'Ambette',which means in this case 'Victory' and is used when the player reaches safely near the 'cannguinue' and touches him. This exclamation, when accepted by the 'cannguinue', announces to the 'tabu' that he cannot touch the player who has reached the demarcarted area (sacred place). Another way of asking for a break is by feigning a punch and taking it below the chin. Sometimes the player touches the punch with the tongue and says 'ambette'. In this case the saliva should be visible, otherwise the den can 'cuss' him. However, if the opponent touches the transgressor, it is equivalent to 'cuss'. The player who had asked for a break says 'chimbette' when he wants the truce to be over. -- The author, Maria Lourdes Bravo da Costa Rodrigues, can be contacted via email lbravodaco...@rediffmail.com She is known for her work at the Central Library Goa, including at its interesting Goa Books (Rare Books) Section. This book is published by Leonel das Merces Rodrigues of Merces, Tiswadi Goa mobile 91-9822165887. It has been supported by the Crescencia Educational Trust. http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/6683773153/in/photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/6683773163/in/photostream AUDIO recording of the launch function http://www.archive.org/details/GamesThatGoaOncePlayed --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---------------------------------------------------------------------------