The peoples of Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar and the Comoro Islands call the game Bao Kiswahili , indicating a method of play that originated among the Swahili and Bajun muslims of northern Kenya.
How Bao is played
Bao is played by two people on a bao (Swahili for board) containing four parallel rows of eight holes. Each player has 32 pieces and owns half of the board. The goal is, to capture the opponent's pieces and redistribute them on one's own side of the board. This is done by sowing the pieces one by one in the appropriate inner and outer rows during the two stages of the game. A capture is made when a player's last piece falls into an occupied hole in his inner row. This hole must be opposite two ocupied holes in the opponent's inner row. The hole in each inner row that is larger or of a different shape than the others is called Kuu and houses accumulated pieces that may play a strategic role. Like chess, Bao Kiswahili is a contemplating game of strategy. However, unlike chess, African Mankala is played with great speed, requiring both mental and physical agility, and in the presence of a vocal audience. |
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The bao may be simply holes scooped out of the ground or a board carved from a hardwood. In the past, decorated gameboards with a projecting storage hole at either end were prestige objects made by professional wood carvers.
A bao can be a beautiful decorative piece in the house. An art object in itself. When hosting a cocktail party, a bao board can be most useful as a plate for serving peanuts and other bitings and hence becomes a topic of conversation. |
I recall seeing a board carved out of the natural old rock on an amazing Kopje in the bush in northern Tanzania. Each day, I used to walk to this particular place and look at this bao and notice that the small stones, which were used for playing were always in different positions. The local tribesmen believed, it was the spirits that came out each night to play against each other. It still remains a mystery to this day. |
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