[SG Faire: The Black Tower] - Games and sports in Randland

[Talya]

We all know about the Game of Foxes and Snakes in WoT. What other games and sports do you think they would have played? What games that we play nowadays do you think would fit in with WoT and why.

 

How would the games and sports be different from Rand's time to the Age of Legends.?

 

do you think that there isn't much reference about games and sports in the books?

 

 

 

[Moon Sedai]

There are references to tournament-style games in the Two Rivers during Beltine, how Tam wins every year in the archery competitions and such.

So I imagine that there are quite a few places in Randland that have competitions for weaponry skills.

 

Plus, there is the infamous "Maiden's kiss." It may be a kissing game, but it's a dangerous one at that.

 

With all the horses in Randland, i would not be surprised if there were equestrian style sports somewhere.

 

And, who can forget "Stones"?

[Red2111]

theres also Cards & Dice which are mentioned alot. so games like 5 card stud and Bones would probably be popular in Randland.

 

also, when i hear of stones, i think of the game alot of people play called Reverse or Lotus.

 

i would also think games such as Chess, Hopscotch & possably jump rope would be played as well.

[Talmanes]

Well we know they have horse racing.

Does badger catching count? lol

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

i think there are a lot of one on one fighting games, dueling, wrestling, swordplay, perhaps jousting, perhaps organized hunting parties. the aiel compete with high kicks and i believe target practicey things. i'd guess there are games and competitions similar to those in the last couple of centuries, like log rolling, log sawing, rail and wood splitting, axe throwing, big heavy tree trunk tossing, cow-pie tossing, cross-saw team speed competitions, sheep sheering competitions. children always find something to kick around or bat around, foot races, sack races, broad and high jumping. cooking competitions, faires with competitions for best veg, biggest veg, best pie, best preserves, you get the idea. general rural good fun. can't imagine a world without tug-o-war. thom seems to sense bardic competition, and knows how to rank himself. peddlers would compete for the available custom by having the best stories, the best new gadgets, the best liquor.

 

i think the sports and games played (let me add checkers and anything similar), would be those things that could be played with minimal equipment, and which would either show off or hone skills needed for survival, for fighting, and for fun.

 

how they differ from today or from the AOL would be the amount of time and resources available to either train for a lifetime just to play a sport with no real world benefit (aside from money, fame, etc.), and the time and money to watch these games/sports. and the transportation to make it worthwhile forming teams for sports.

 

i think most gambling games we have today, like cards and dice, would have been available. again, low tech. no one armed bandits perhaps.

 

but i don't know nothin bout no sports, so i'm just guessing.

[Moon Sedai]

I imagine Seanchan has sports involving Da'mane and their funky creatures. Just a guess, but if I owned some leashed channelers, I'd want to show them off, have them compete with other leashed channelers...

 

 

 

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

like the kennel club... definitely.

[raitora]

I can imagine the larger kingdoms having jousting tournaments during special occasions, maybe faires or feast days or whatever.

[Red2111]

so i'm re-reading tSR right now.

 

 

right befor the first Trolloc attack of 500 on Edmonds Field after Perrin was healed, Bain & Chaid were playing some type of game to pass the time that involved throwing a dagger down point first into the ground between them.

 

 

i also think i remember mention of a game similar to "Cat's Cradle" the Madiens play as well

 

[raitora]

i also think i remember mention of a game similar to "Cat's Cradle" the Madiens play as well

 

I loved playing that in high school. :D

[Red2111]

mee too. i haven't come across the mention of the Madiens playing it yet, but i remember it being played. when i come across it i'll try to post the description for sure!!

 

 

another craft i'm sure wa played in randland, thoguh i don't recall it being mentioned, would be this, anyone recall what it's named

 

 

 

 

also, i don't knwo if it's been mentioned, but Snakes & Foxes always put me in mind of Shoots & Ladders. i'm sure that they probably had a variation of the game "Jacks" and "Red Rosey" in Rand land as well for kids to play

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

i first thought of chutes and ladders, but the description of the pointlessness makes me think more of tic tac toe.

 

i'd think the kids also play kugelach, which is like jacks, but you play with lead cubes or 5 stones.

[Red2111]

how come it makes you think of Tic Tack Toe? you can win that without havign to break the rules. but i bet they play that one as well *grins*

 

 

they probably also have versions of

 

- Tag

- Hide & Seek

- Cops & Robbers

- Red Light/Green Light

- Simon Says

 

and other child hood out door games.

[Talmanes]

I think tag and hide and seek are extremely likely to have been played, especially among younger children. They require nothing to play, and are extremely basic games.

 

That being said, I agree that it is likely that as one gets older in Randland, the games or sports become much more competition oriented. We see this by the fact that several competitions are mentioned, but also it may be hinted in the fact the, especially with Rand, Perrin, and Mat, they are always comparing themselves to each other. True it was usually about women, but it could be further evidence of growing up in a competitive enviroment.

[Talmanes]

Then of course as you get older, depending on your social standing, the forms of entertainment mostly consist of gambling, playing stones, or reading.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

how come it makes you think of Tic Tack Toe? you can win that without havign to break the rules.

 

because if you know how to play and your opponent doesn't you always win, and if you both know how to play you always tie.

 

and because the snakes part made me think of the O, like the wheel of time, serpent eating its tail. and the foxes part made me think of the X, like a foxy shaped face, the two "V"s, ya know?

 

the name itself sounds like chutes and ladders, but i never really played that one, so i was just assuming it was winnable. i could easily be wrong there, though.

[Locke]

Yeah, I could imagine chess would be pretty popular. Also a lot of our card games I think would go over well, specifically with the nobles.

 

The kids it seems, at least if The Boys are any representation, go on adventures and play pranks for fun....

[Moon Sedai]

I always imagined Stones being much like chess.

 

And Chutes and Ladders... that's a great game.

 

Then, there are probably a lot of drinking and kissing games.

[Talmanes]

That would depend on where you are located.

In Caemelyn maybe, but definitely not in the Two Rivers. lol

[Red2111]

Cindy - i get what your saying now. i haven't played Chutes & Ladders since i was a really young kid, but i do think it's winnable, just takes a while to win.

 

 

Moon - see, the discrption of "Stones" puts me more in mind of Reverse then chess, because it's played with little discs and is about having more of your stones on the board or capturing more of your oponents stones. where Chess is about catpuring your opponents king. in the WoT books, when te characters talk about playing stones, they don't use any terminology that could be associated with Chess imo.

 

 

thsi is an example of a Reverse board

 

 

 

i've played reverse a few times, but never truely understood the strategy for winning; only that the object of the game is to have the most pieces on the board and you can capture your oponents pieces. i believe this game is also called "Go"

 

heres a wiki page on the board game Go if you read the basic synop of it, it sounds alot like Stones in the WoT. this game was invented by the Chinese over 2,000 years ago so it's more than possable it is the game Jordan used as a basis for his Stones game.

[Locke]

Stones always reminds me of..blast, can't think what it's called now, but a game from The Legend of the Guardian King series. They just both feel very similar to me in relation to their worlds.