Mancala, the National Game of Africa

About this book

"Mancala, the National Game of Africa" by Stewart Culin is a scholarly publication written in the late 19th century. The book serves as an anthropological exploration of Mancala, a game deeply rooted in African culture, examining its rules, variations, and significance across different regions. Given the time period, it reflects the era's interest in ethnology and cultural history. In this detailed study, Culin provides a comprehensive account of Mancala's gameplay, its historical context, and its distribution globally, particularly within Africa and the Middle East. He describes various forms of the game, such as La’b madjnuni and La’b hakimi, and illustrates how Mancala is played using pebbles and boards of differing designs. Culin goes further to illustrate the cultural implications of Mancala, being a link between peoples and a form of entertainment that has traversed demographics and geographies. He notes the game's prevalence in cafes, among children, and highlights how it reflects social interactions within communities, ultimately arguing for its significance as a cultural artifact.