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Author Topic: article in USA Today newspaper "Ancient Games Resurrected"  (Read 2975 times)

the Earl of Whirl

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article in USA Today newspaper "Ancient Games Resurrected"
« on: March 29, 2010, 03:39:18 PM »

The Mexican government says that about 150 pre-Hisbanic games are on the verge of extinction.  The Mexican Sports Confederation is printing rule books for several of the ancient games.  Most of the article is about a crazy game they used to play with a flaming ball and oak sticks called "pelota purepecha".  I'm sure one of the 150 games they are talking about involves "trompo throwing" of some sort.  I did a quick search on the internet and thought I found something about this but maybe we can find more specific information about their project.  Seems like they might be interested in people like us and what we are doing to "preserve centuries old pastimes".
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MatiasStuntMan

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Re: article in USA Today newspaper "Ancient Games Resurrected"
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2010, 08:04:49 PM »

Here is the link: http://www.usatoday.com/NEWS/usaedition/2010-03-29-ancientgame29_ST_U.htm.

I don't think that the Mexican Trompo is a prehispanic toy, at least not the version that we know today, that one was brought by the Spaniards since its design is the same to the Spanish Baldufa. Maybe the Aztecs or Mayas played with some other type of spinner toy, somebody mention in this forum that some native american community in Arizona played with whipping tops.
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Ketzaltlipoka

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Re: article in USA Today newspaper "Ancient Games Resurrected"
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2010, 12:32:21 AM »

You are right, Stuntman. I think that some tribes native from here, used spinning tops ...but not with the string.
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ta0

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Natives from the Americans played tops
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2010, 09:00:06 AM »

From Culin's book, Games of the North American Indians:

"The top is one of the most widely diffused of Indian's children playthings . . . its general use, taken in connection with its existence in prehistoric times in Peru, would seem to point to its having been known before the period of contact with whites."

Maya (Yucatan, Mexico): "A top game is called in Maya polkirich. The tops are made of wood in the common shape and spun in a circle marked on the ground in the center of which is the object to be won or lost. "

Culin's book mentions tops from tribes all over the continent.
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Ketzaltlipoka

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Re: article in USA Today newspaper "Ancient Games Resurrected"
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2010, 10:21:36 PM »

The Mexican government says that about 150 pre-Hisbanic games are on the verge of extinction.  The Mexican Sports Confederation is printing rule books for several of the ancient games.  Most of the article is about a crazy game they used to play with a flaming ball and oak sticks called "pelota purepecha".  I'm sure one of the 150 games they are talking about involves "trompo throwing" of some sort.  I did a quick search on the internet and thought I found something about this but maybe we can find more specific information about their project.  Seems like they might be interested in people like us and what we are doing to "preserve centuries old pastimes".

This game, Mike, the "pelota purépecha" is practiced in the region of the west iof the country, mainly in the state of Michoacán.
Michoacán was the land of the tarasco people, who talk the purépecha language. They have been always a unconquerable people (only the spaniards cuold do it).
The game has a deep relation weith the ancient and popular game of the aztecs, mayas and other peoples, called worlwide "el juego de pelota" (the game of ball) called in náhuatl "ullamaliztli", game in whic the ball was hitten with several parts of the body like hip, shoulders, elbows, etc.
The spaniards were astonished when they stared by first time this game, so dangerous and risky that many players died in the game.

The relation of this game of "pelota purpecha" and top, I think, is that in both of them, you use two long sticks (here, I mean, the whipping top).
 Maybe, next year I might go to see that game.
I Ignore if in youtube.com couild have some video.
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