Awithlaknakwe

Awithlaknakwe gameboard and starting setup for four players (two teams): Red and Black vs. White and Blue

Awithlaknakwe (or Stone Warriors, or Game of the Stone Warriors) is a strategy board game from the Zuni Native American Indians of the American Southwest. The gameboard comprises 168 squares. Two or four may play, with players identified as North, West, South, and East.

The game was described by Stewart Culin in his book Games of the North American Indians (1907).

Equipment

The gameboard is a 12×12 square grid with six extra squares centered on each of the four sides, totaling 168 squares. Diagonal lines run through each square (the diagonal lines are called trails; the orthogonal lines are called canyons). Each player has six warriors, and a seventh man named Priest of the Bow.

The historical board was cut into stone slabs, and pieces were small discs of pottery with tops either plain or having a hole in their centers to differentiate ownership. The Priest of the Bow was distinguished from friendly men by being somewhat larger.

Game rules

Each player starts the game with his six warriors on the six squares nearest to him (or home rank). The goal is to bring one's men to the opponent's home rank, while capturing as many enemy pieces as possible. However, the winning conditions of this ancient game are not completely defined (see "Incomplete rules" section below).

Two players

Players sit at opposite sides of the board; North plays against South.

Four players

North and West are partners against South and East. Each team has one Priest of the Bow (not two).

Incomplete rules

The rules described by F. H. Cushing and reported by Culin, and subsequently by Bell and Murray, lack specificity on some points:

References

  1. "The disks are in two sets, 12 plain and 12 perforated [...] In addition, there are two pieces, one plain and one perforated, somewhat larger than the others." Cat. no. 16550, 17861, Free Museum of Science and Art, University of Pennsylvania (Culin 1907:799)
  2. F. H. Cushing's description reported by Culin states: "When a player gets one of his opponent's pieces between two of his own, it may be taken, and the first piece thus captured may be replaced by a seventh man, called the Priest of the Bow, which may move both on the diagonal lines and on [crossing] those at right angles." (Culin 1907:799)

Bibliography

  • Bell, R. C. (1979). "$2.1 War Games The Alquerque Group". Board and Table Games From Many Civilizations. Vol I (Revised ed.). Dover Publications, Inc. pp. 48–9. ISBN 0-671-06030-9. 
  • Culin, Stewart (1907). Games of the North American Indians (rpt. Mineola, NY: Dover, 1975 ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office. ISBN 0-486-23125-9. 
  • Murray, H. J. R. (1978). "$4.1.14 War-Games Interception Captures and Diagonal Moves". A History of Board-Games other than Chess (Reissued ed.). Hacker Art Books, Inc. p. 64. ISBN 0-87817-211-4. 

External links

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