When creating games, the Russian people invested deep meaning into them - this is study, work, and education. Outdoor games develop dexterity, flexibility, strength, cultivate a heroic spirit, and also make you think. Folk games evoke a feeling of unity and camaraderie.
Capture of the town
Capture of the town - On the hill, people build a fortification from trees and branches, and in winter - from snow. This will be a town. All ladies, young and old, become defenders of the fortress and are located inside the town. The men are divided into riders and horses and begin to advance. The task of the men is to destroy the fortress, penetrate and capture the banner. The difficulty is that you need to be on the horse all this time, but if the rider is thrown off or he falls himself, then he flies out of the game. The girls' task is to protect the banner and prevent it from being captured. To protect the banner, women can use sticks wrapped in skins, which creates a kind of club, bags filled with straw, and snowballs in winter. The game continues until the attackers capture the banner or abandon this idea. In most cases, the game drags on, because the horseman who captured the flag is awarded the honor of kissing all the ladies in the fortress.
Horses
Horses - players are divided into two teams - two troops. Within the team there is a division into riders and horses. The riders are most often women. The players' task is to unbalance the other pair. The team whose riders remain in the saddle wins.
Christians, having seen enough of such games from behind the bushes, then came up with scary tales about “jumping witches” who chase people to death.
Lizard
In this game, the role of a lizard is played by a young man - he is the ruler of the underworld. Around him, the participants become a circle. The lizard is blindfolded and a round dance begins around him, chanting a song:
The lizard sits
Nuts shelling
Under the walnut bush
Chok-chok, piglet,
The lizard is sitting - a fool.
"Lizard":
I want to get married!
Get yourself a girl
A young girl.
"Lizard":
Who is she,
What is her name
And where will they bring it from?
Chorus:
Here she is!
“Lizard” points a finger at the victim without removing the bandage. If the selected player turns out to be a young man, then he takes the place of the “lizard”. If it’s a girl, then the “lizard” carries her to the nearest river to “drown” her. While the lizard is carrying the girl to the water, she can pay off with a kiss or wait until the lizard gets tired. It all depends on the girl’s desire.
Blinking little lights
The participants form a double circle, that is, behind each person there is a second one - his pair. One participant is left without a pair.
The goal of the player without a partner is to entice the player standing in the inner circle by discreetly winking at him. If the player standing in the outer circle does not notice the wink, then he goes to the center, and the driver takes his place.
A folk game is a game that is widespread in a national community in a particular historical period, reflecting the characteristics of this community.
Folk games reflect the culture and mentality of a nation, and therefore undergo significant changes under the influence of economic, social, political, and other processes. Playing is a non-productive activity; its motivation lies in the gaming process itself. But no matter how the gameplay is structured, and no matter how complex or simple the rules of the game are, it remains not only entertainment or physical training, but also a means psychological preparation to the future life situations. Without play, the formation of a person as a full-fledged personality is inconceivable. And the culture of the Slavs is one of the best examples, because is one of the richest folk games in the world in terms of number and variety of folk games. In Rus' they knew how to work and have fun.
Slavic folk games are self-sufficient works of folk art, created and honed by dozens of generations of our ancestors, and incorporating the experience of the people.
It is unlikely that we have ever seriously thought about who and when made the first snowball, who came up with the idea of sledding down a hill; or how old are the “Cossack robbers”. These games have lived with us since childhood and were taken for granted by us. But almost all active children’s games have their own history, which is closely intertwined with the history of our country, we just don’t pay attention to it. If you take a closer look at the emergence, history and development of folk games, you will notice that the games themselves did not originate empty space, and the prototype for them was real events, both everyday and cultural-historical. “Chest with Games” is a chest with equipment for games, painted in Russian artistic traditions. Sports go well with intellectual ones!
For ease of consideration, folk games can be divided into several types:
games reflecting the relationship between man and Nature
games reflecting the daily activities and life of our ancestors
games based on religious and cult motives
games for resourcefulness, speed and coordination
games of strength and dexterity
war games
Let us note that this division is very arbitrary and does not set itself the goal of necessarily driving all games into a certain classification framework. It is quite possible that some of the folk games presented below will fit into several categories at once. Below we will look at the most typical folk games, as well as some pre-game moments, without which the story about the games themselves would not be complete. Children can play each of these games even now. They are simple, understandable and do not require specific skills, special training or any equipment, except for the simplest. Children's games - full of laughter, joy and movement
Barkers
The gameplay itself is unthinkable without prelude. Pre-game barkers as a method of gathering future participants cooperative game with the help of a special chant, has a long tradition. Barkers were used as a starter, calling potential participants to the game:
Little siskin-fawn sparrow, jumps along the street, gathers the girls to play and dance, to show off...
Or:
Tai-tai, come on! Who plays blind man's buff (hide and seek, tag, etc.)?
The call to play was accompanied by jumping in place or in a circle, and the person making them had to extend his hand forward with his thumb bent. Those who wanted to play had to grab the barker's finger with their fist and, in turn, bend their thumb. All this time, the barker pronounced a sentence indicating the name of the game. When enough players were recruited, the barker finished the set:
Tai-tai, come on! Don't accept anyone!
Since most games require a driver, the barker was often used at the same time to determine it: The last one to drive! In cases where the barker did not identify the driver or there was no driver in the game itself (for example, in team games), a lot or counting was used. Counting books Counting books are short rhymed verses used to determine the driver or to distribute roles in the game:
One, two, three, four, five, Six, seven, eight, nine, ten The red month has come out And behind it is the moon, lead one. Six, seven, eight, nine, ten The king decided to hang me, but the queen did not give it and hanged the king.
Counting is an integral part of children's play at all times. Modern game makers can respectfully call it a “mechanism random distribution roles.” The amazing variety of rhymes begs the question, where do the themes for them come from? When creating them, children often use motifs and images of lullabies, jokes, round dances, dance songs, comic songs, ditties and other genres of folklore, adapting them to new gaming tasks. From the source texts, what attracts attention is selected by the play of sounds or the unusualness of the situation, and everything unnecessary is removed, which gives dynamics to this plot action. Counting books can begin as riddles:
The woman was sitting on the stove, on a hot brick. She couldn’t stand it, she started puffing….
Or like fairy tales:
Once upon a time there were two geese...
The endings are varied: “get out,” “it’s probably going to be you,” “you’ll be the one to drive anyway.” “Exit” is the final element in the overall composition of the counting rhyme, mandatory for this genre. If the counting rhyme does not have an ending, then the last lines of the text are distinguished by special emotional expressiveness, noticeable during execution.
Lot
The lot in the gaming tradition performs the function of supreme justice. Everyone must obey his decision when distributing playing roles unquestioningly. Usually the draw is reserved for those games where there are two teams. Two queens (captains) are selected from among the most dexterous players, then the guys, approximately equal in strength and age, step aside in pairs, conspire and, having agreed, approach the queens:
Mati, mother, what should I give you?
and ask which of them chooses whom:
Which horse - gray or golden-maned?
Or:
Did you get lost behind the stove or drown yourself in a glass? Etc.
Gradually all players are divided into two teams. The very process of forming two teams is a kind of “game before the game,” and if you remember computer games, then in its fascination it is reminiscent of character generation before starting any role-playing game (even before most computer games).
Of course, not all today's teenagers played folk games - there are plenty of other entertainments. Many people simply don't know what it is. But not to lose folk traditions, to preserve original games for future generations is one of the most important goals of our culture, because it was through games that Our Ancestors raised strong, dexterous, wise and brave people.
Games reflecting the relationship between man and nature
Human life in the old days was much more closely connected with nature than it is today. The forests were full of animals. Field work, hunting, and crafts were subject to natural cycles and weather conditions. In many ways, it depended on nature whether the community would be well-fed and live in abundance, or whether people would have to starve.
It is natural that this connection is reflected in the culture, customs, traditions and holidays of the Slavic peoples. Children, in their desire to imitate adults in their activities, did the same in a playful way. This is how a whole layer of games arose - games that reflect man’s relationship to Nature. In many of them, forest predators - bear, wolf, fox - are the main characters.
Wolves in the ditch
A corridor is drawn on the ground, about a meter wide, indicating a ditch. It could be made of different widths and zigzag. The drivers and wolves are located in the ditch. There are few of them, two or three, and they have no right to leave the moat. The rest of the players are hares. The hares try to jump over the ditch and not get greased by the wolves. If the hare is touched, he leaves the game or becomes a wolf himself.
Details:
Hares do not run across the moat, but jump over it. If the hare's foot touches the territory of the ditch, this means that he has fallen into the ditch and in this case is also out of the game.
Wolves and sheep
On the playing field, areas are demarcated, 3 to 4 steps wide and called paddocks. The players appoint one of the participants as a shepherd, another as a wolf, and the rest remain in the role of sheep. The space between the pens is called the field. On one side it is separated by a line small space- the lair of the wolf. After this, the sheep are placed in one of the pens, and the shepherd himself stands in the field near the pen. The wolf invites the shepherd to drive the flock of sheep into the field, and at this time he himself tries to grab one of them and drag him into his lair. The shepherd tries to protect the sheep heading to the opposite fold from the wolf. Those caught by the wolf become his assistants. Helpers cannot “catch” sheep, but they can detain them in every possible way, preventing them from returning to the fold. After the next capture, the wolf again turns to the shepherd with the words: “drive the herd to the field,” and the game continues. The number of the wolf's helpers gradually increases, and each time he continues to go out with them to hunt for sheep.
Details:
The wolf should not leave the den until the sheep leave their pen and move in the opposite direction. A wolf can only catch sheep in the field.
Lame fox
One player is chosen to play the role of the lame fox. The remaining players become ducks. At the place chosen for the game, a circle is drawn quite large sizes- a bird yard, which includes everyone except the lame fox. At a signal, the ducks run in a circle, and at this time the lame fox jumps on one leg and tries to stain one of the scattering ducks, that is, to touch it with his hand. When the fox succeeds, she joins the ducks, and the caught duck becomes the new fox.
Details:
Ducks are not allowed to leave the poultry yard. The fox catches them, always jumping on one leg.
Bear and leader
To play, you need a rope 1.5-2 meters long. One of the participants is appointed as a bear, the other as a leader. They take the opposite ends of the rope in their hands, and the rest of the players group 4-6 steps away from them. At the signal given by the leader, the game begins, and everyone rushes at the bear, trying to stain it. The leader, guarding the latter, in turn tries to stain everyone approaching the bear before the bear receives 5-6 light blows. If the leader succeeds, the player stained by him becomes a bear. And in the same case, if the bear receives the above number of blows, and the leader does not have time to stain anyone, then he himself becomes a bear, and the one who dealt the last blow becomes the leader.
Details:
Those who spot the bear must declare out loud the blow they have struck, and the blows can only be delivered one at a time, and not simultaneously by two or more players. At the beginning and during the game, with each change of central characters: the leader and the bear, the rest of the participants should not approach them closer than 4-6 steps until the leader gives a signal. For violating the last rule, the punishment is to play the role of a bear.
Folk games reflecting the daily activities of our ancestors
Hunting, fishing, crafts, everyday scenes and much more that constituted the daily activities of people in the old days have survived to this day in numerous reflection games. Looking at them, it is not at all difficult to imagine what and how our ancestors lived. As an example, below are several similar games:
The peculiar dialogue-sentences in games could be quite long and funny. Moreover, it was not forbidden to change the phrases in them during the game. On the contrary, it added interest and liveliness to the game. Here is an example of such a game:
Boyars
The game takes place on a flat surface. The players are divided into two teams, which line up opposite each other in a chain at a distance of 10-15 meters.
The first team goes forward with the words:
-Boyars, we have come to you!
And returns to its original place:
-Darlings, we have come to you!
Another repeats this maneuver with the words:
-Boyars, why did you come? Dear ones, why did you come?
The dialogue begins:
-Boyars, we need news. Dear ones, we need news.
- Boyars, which one is dear to you? Dear ones, which one is your favorite?
The first team deliberates and chooses someone:
-Boyars, this one is dear to us (pointing to the chosen one).
Dear ones, this one is sweet to us.
The selected player turns around and now walks and stands in a chain, facing the other direction.
The dialogue continues:
- Boyars, she is our fool. Dear ones, she is our fool.
- Boyars, and we whip her. Dear ones, we will whip her.
-Boyars, she is afraid of the whip. Dear ones, she is afraid of the whip.
- Boyars, we’ll give you some gingerbread. Dear ones, we’ll give you some gingerbread.
-Boyars, her teeth hurt. Dear ones, her teeth hurt.
- Boyars, we’ll take you to the doctor. Dear ones, we’ll take you to the doctor.
-Boyars, she will bite the doctor. Dear ones, she will bite the doctor.
The first command completes:
Boyars, don’t play the fool, give us the message forever!
The one who was chosen as the messenger must run up and break the chain of the first team. If he succeeds, then he returns to his team, taking with him any player from the first. If the chain is not broken, then the newsa remains in the first team, that is, she gets married. In any case, the losing team starts the second round. The teams' task is to keep more players.
Details:
You can change the words of the dialogue, making them up as you go. You can't duck under your arms while running.
Another big “plus” of Russian games is that gaming equipment can be found in abundance in any home.
Fishing in Rus' was one of the most important. The following two games are based on it:
Seine
The game takes place on a limited area, the boundaries of which cannot be crossed by any of the players. Two or three players join hands to form a net. Their task is to catch as many swimming fish as possible, i.e. the rest of the players. The fish's task is not to get caught in the net. If the fish is in the net, then it joins the drivers and itself becomes part of the net. The game continues until the player who turns out to be the most agile fish is determined.
Details:
Fish do not have the right to tear the net, i.e. unclasp the hands of the drivers
Fishing rod
The players form a circle. The driver, standing in the center, rotates a rope with a bag of sand tied at the end - a fishing rod. The players jump over the rope as it passes under their feet, trying not to touch it. The one who touches the rope becomes the driver.
Details:
Rotation of the rope should not exceed knee level.
Bird catcher
The players determine one player who becomes the bird catcher. Those who remain choose the names of birds whose calls they can imitate and become birds. The birds stand in a circle, in the center of which is a blindfolded birder. Birds walk around the bird catcher and chant:
In the forest, in the little forest,
On a green oak tree.
The birds sing merrily
Ay! The bird catcher is coming!
He will take us into captivity,
Birds, fly away!
The bird catcher claps his hands, the players stop in place, and the driver begins to look for birds. The one he finds imitates the call of the bird he has chosen. The birder guesses the name of the bird and the name of the one caught. After which this player himself becomes a bird catcher. If the birdcatcher makes a mistake, the game continues in the same roles.
Details:
Players should not hide behind objects encountered along the way. Players must stop in place exactly when signaled.
Games based on religious and cult motives
Similar motives can be clearly seen in folk pastimes. Mermen, mermaids, brownies, sorcerers, devilry appear not only in fairy tales and rituals, but also appear in the plots of games. In general, childhood is characterized by a certain unique worldview that makes games on similar topics lively and vibrant.
Water
The merman (driver) sits in a circle with his eyes closed. The players dance around him with the words:
Grandfather of the water,
Why are you sitting under water? Look out for a little bit, Just for a minute.
The circle stops and the merman stands up and, without opening his eyes, approaches one of the players. The merman's task is to determine who is in front of him. If the merman guessed right, he changes role and now the one whose name was named becomes the driver.
Details:
The merman can touch the player standing in front of him, but he cannot open his eyes.
Devils in hell
This game is a type of tag. They draw on the ground parallel lines at a distance of 2 meters, and this space is called Hell. Two drivers are running inside it, holding hands - devils. All other participants stand on different sides of Hell and try to run across it to the other side. Those who are tainted also become devils.
Details:
Devils are forbidden to let go of each other's hands.
Grandfather-horn
Nowadays the game is known as “sorcerers”. The leader chosen by lot, in this case the grandfather-horn (sorcerer), is assigned a house in which he sits quietly for the time being. The remaining players, divided equally into two groups, move away in different directions from this house - at a distance of 15-25 steps. At the same time, each party draws a line for itself or places a pole, thereby designating each of its houses. The free space between these features, or houses, is called the field.
Grandfather-horn from his house asks:
-Who is afraid of me?
- Nobody! - the players answer, running across the field and teasing the driver:
- Grandfather-horn, he burned a hole on his shoulder!
Tom needs to catch the players and take them to his house. Such players are considered bewitched and cannot leave the house.
A modern version of the game of “sorcerers”. Roller skating
While Grandfather Horn is busy catching one of the running players, the players caught by him can be rescued by their comrades. To do this, you need to run up to the sorcerer’s house and touch the captured person with your hand. This player is considered disenchanted. He can leave home and join his old group. If grandpa-horn catches everyone, then take them to next game The one who was caught first starts.
Details:
A player caught by a sorcerer who wants to be bewitched must extend his arms to the sides with the words: “Tea-tea, help me out!”
Games for resourcefulness, speed and coordination
Running, jumping and other manifestations of motor activity are typical for children. They become especially attractive when they are designed as a game. Excitement, gaming enthusiasm, elements of rivalry and competition - these are the main components of Slavic folk games.
Burners
The players stand in pairs one after another. In front of everyone, at a distance of a couple of steps, stands the driver - the burner. The players chant:
Burn, burn clearly
So that it doesn't go out.
Stay at your hem
Look at the field
The trumpeters are going there
Yes, they eat rolls.
Look at the sky:
The stars are burning
The cranes shout:
- Gu, gu, I'll run away!
One, two, don't be a crow,
And run like fire!
“Burners” is a game very characteristic of the Russian mentality. There is nothing for the leisurely and clumsy to do there.
After the last words, those standing in the last pair run from both sides along the column to its beginning. The burner tries to stain one of them. If the running players managed to take each other's hands before the burner stains one of them, then they stand in front of the first pair, and the burner leads again. And the game repeats itself. If the burner manages to stain one of those running in a pair, then he stands with him in front of the entire column, and the one who is left without a pair burns.
Details:
The burner has no right to look back and can only catch up with those running away when they run past him.
Pile
Explanatory dictionaries describe this game as follows: “Russian folk game: throwing a sharp rod (also called a pile) with a spherical end into a ring lying on the ground.”
We are better known for another version of the game, called “land” or “knives”.
A circle is drawn on the ground and divided equally by the number of players. And the war begins to “cut off” the lands. They take turns. The walking player, standing on his share of the land, throws a knife into the circle so that it sticks in the territory of any of the neighbors. If the throw is successful, then the player who made it draws a line in the direction of the width of the knife blade on the ground to the border of his land. The new territory comes into his possession. If the throw fails or the player stumbles while trying to draw the boundary, then the throw attempt goes to the next player in line. If the player has so little land left that he cannot stand on it, then he is eliminated from the game, and the rest of his territory goes to his nearest neighbor. The one who manages to capture all the lands wins.
Details:
If the knife is stuck outside the outlined circle or in its territory, the attempt is considered unsuccessful and the move is passed on to the next player. You can play real “pile” even now. If you know the places.
12 sticks
For this game you need a board and 12 sticks. The board is placed on a small log to create something like a swing. All the players gather around this swing. 12 sticks are placed on the lower end, and one of the players hits the upper end so that all the sticks fly apart.
The driver collects the sticks, while the players run away and hide. When the sticks are collected and placed on the board, the driver goes to look for the hidden ones. The found player is eliminated from the game.
Any of the hidden players can sneak up to the swing unnoticed by the driver and break the sticks again. At the same time, hitting the board, he must shout out the name of the driver. The driver collects the sticks again, and all the players hide again.
The game ends when all the hidden players are found and the driver manages to keep his sticks. The last player found becomes the driver.
Details:
The driver picks up and places the sticks back on the swing, strictly one at a time.
Zhmurki
Using a counting rhyme, a driver is chosen - blind man's buff. He is blindfolded and taken to the middle playground, make you turn around several times and ask:
- Cat, cat, what are you standing on?
- In the kettle.
- What's in the kneader?
- Kvass.
- Catch mice, not us!
After these words, the participants in the game run away, and the blind man’s buff catches them. The caught person changes roles with the driver.
Details:
Zhmurka is forbidden to remove the blindfold from his eyes, and those escaping have no right to leave the site. “Zhmurki” were popular not only in Rus'. German children also happily ran blindfolded, trying to catch their running friends.
Games of strength and dexterity
The strong and dexterous have been respected at all times and in any society. A game is an activity in which children could demonstrate these qualities to their peers.
Leapfrog
One of the players is chosen to play the role of the goat. The rest must take turns jumping over it. Whoever failed to jump over the goat, or knocked it down, or fell after the jump, takes the place of the goat, and the former goat goes to jump. For complexity, instead of one goat, you can choose several, and the jumper must overcome the entire chain without mistakes.
Details:
The goat is prohibited from deliberately bending, dodging, or otherwise interfering with the jumper.
This is the “obstacle course” of friends’ backs that you have to overcome when playing “leapfrog”
Arc
To play the game, a rope is stretched and players take turns walking under it, bending down. In this case, you must not fall and touch the rope itself. With each end, the rope drops lower and lower, and in the end the most flexible and stubborn one wins.
Rooster fight
A circle with a diameter of 1.5-2.0 meters is drawn, into which two participants of the game enter and are located at a distance of half a step from each other. Both bend one leg, holding it with the hand behind the foot, the other hand behind the back. The essence of the game is to jump on one leg and push your opponent with your shoulder to throw him off balance and push him out of the circle.
War games
Military themes, of course, could not help but enter children's games. Over their long history, war games have not undergone any serious modifications, and have come down to us in almost their original form.
In its most general form, the game of war is a competition between two teams, in which folk tradition determines the acceptable means and methods of confrontation and the conditions for recognizing the winners.
In Rus', war games have long been the favorite pastime of most boys.
Fist fight
It will be surprising for many readers, but children also took part in fist fights in Rus'. Of course, they fought not with adults, but with each other, “for the sake of baiting.”
In one of these types of games, the main place was occupied by contact confrontation between the “fighters”. Punching was allowed (usually the face and groin were excluded from the affected area), grabbing the body and clothing of opponents, and wrestling techniques. The players were divided into two teams. The clash of both parties took place in an open space, and in the end it was necessary to capture the enemy or put them to flight, which made the game similar to traditional adult fist fights. “Fighters” who fell or were knocked to the ground were considered “killed” and were eliminated from the game.
Snowballs
One of the variants of this type of war game can be considered a game of “snowballs”, when one team of boys competed with another in throwing lumps of snow at each other. They could play until one of the teams admitted defeat, unable to withstand enemy fire. Or some additional rules were stipulated. For example, a player hit by a snowball could be considered “killed” or “wounded” and would be eliminated from further play. Or continued to participate in it (in case of “injury”), but with restrictions. The severity of the “wound” was determined by where the snowball hit. The wounded man could now move only by galloping on healthy leg etc.
Stick fight
In another type of war game, rivals fencing with wooden weapons: “swords,” “swords,” and sticks. The rules for “wounds” in this game were similar to the rules for “snowballs”. “Prisoners” captured by the rival party were also excluded from the game. It was strictly forbidden to intentionally hit the head, neck and groin with a “weapon”. The confrontation continued until all those playing on one side were “killed,” “seriously wounded,” “captured,” or put to flight.
Cossack robbers
When playing another common war game - “Cossacks-robbers”, one of the teams (“robbers”) had to hide, and the second (“Cossacks”) had to look for and pursue it. “Robbers” during the game sought different ways confuse the enemy, complicate his search. When both teams or their individual representatives met, the conditions of the game included both direct hand-to-hand confrontation and combat with wooden weapons, “shootout”, “capture”.
Capture of the fortress
The last type of war game discussed in this article required preliminary preparations. Each rival side erected fortifications, “fortresses,” not far from each other. The materials for them could be the most different in winter- snow and pieces of ice, in summer wood: boards, branches, logs. The teams fired at each other with snowballs, ice floes, bags of sand or grass, or launched “bayonet” attacks on enemy fortifications, during which hand-to-hand combat and fencing with sticks. The winning party, as a rule, tried to destroy the enemy’s “fortress”.
A folk game is a game that was widespread in a national community during a specific historical period, reflecting the characteristics of this community.
Folk games reflect the culture and mentality of a nation, and therefore undergo significant changes under the influence of economic, social, political, and other processes. Playing is a non-productive activity; its motivation lies in the gaming process itself. But no matter how the gameplay is structured, and no matter how complex or simple the rules of the game are, it remains not only entertainment or physical training, but also a means of psychological preparation for future life situations. Without play, the formation of a person as a full-fledged personality is inconceivable. And the culture of the Slavs is one of the best examples of this, because... is one of the richest folk games in the world in terms of number and variety of folk games. In Rus' they knew how to work and have fun.
Slavic folk games are self-sufficient works of folk art, created and honed by dozens of generations of our ancestors, and incorporating the experience of the people.
It is unlikely that we have ever seriously thought about who and when made the first snowball, who came up with the idea of sledding down a hill; or how old are the “Cossack robbers”. These games have lived with us since childhood and were taken for granted by us. But almost all active children’s games have their own history, which is closely intertwined with the history of our country, we just don’t pay attention to it. If you take a closer look at the emergence, history and development of folk games, you will notice that the games themselves did not arise out of nowhere, but real events, both everyday and cultural-historical, served as prototypes for them. “Chest with Games” is a chest with equipment for games, painted in Russian artistic traditions. Sports go well with intellectual ones!
For ease of consideration, folk games can be divided into several types:
games reflecting the relationship between man and Nature
games reflecting the daily activities and life of our ancestors
games based on religious and cult motives
games for resourcefulness, speed and coordination
games of strength and dexterity
war games
Let us note that this division is very arbitrary and does not set itself the goal of necessarily driving all games into a certain classification framework. It is quite possible that some of the folk games presented below will fit into several categories at once. Below we will look at the most typical folk games, as well as some pre-game moments, without which the story about the games themselves would not be complete. Children can play each of these games even now. They are simple, understandable and do not require specific skills, special training or any equipment, except for the simplest. Children's games are full of laughter, joy and movement
Barkers
The gameplay itself is unthinkable without prelude. Pre-game barkers, as a method of gathering participants for a future joint game with the help of a special chant, have a long tradition. Barkers were used as a starter, calling potential participants to the game:
Little siskin-fawn sparrow, jumps along the street, gathers the girls to play and dance, to show off...
Or:
Tai-tai, come on! Who plays blind man's buff (hide and seek, tag, etc.)?
The call to play was accompanied by jumping in place or in a circle, and the person making them had to extend his hand forward with his thumb bent. Those who wanted to play had to grab the barker's finger with their fist and, in turn, bend their thumb. All this time, the barker pronounced a sentence indicating the name of the game. When enough players were recruited, the barker finished the set:
Tai-tai, come on! Don't accept anyone!
Since most games require a driver, the barker was often used at the same time to determine it: The last one to drive! In cases where the barker did not identify the driver or there was no driver in the game itself (for example, in team games), a lot or counting was used. Counting books Counting books are short rhymed verses used to determine the driver or to distribute roles in the game:
One, two, three, four, five, Six, seven, eight, nine, ten The red month came out And behind it came the moon, lead one. Six, seven, eight, nine, ten The king decided to hang me, but the queen did not give it and hanged the king.
Counting is an integral part of children's play at all times. Modern game makers can respectfully call it a “mechanism for random distribution of roles.” The amazing variety of rhymes begs the question, where do the themes for them come from? When creating them, children often use motifs and images of lullabies, jokes, round dances, dance songs, comic songs, ditties and other genres of folklore, adapting them to new gaming tasks. From the source texts, what attracts attention is selected by the play of sounds or the unusualness of the situation, and everything unnecessary is removed, which gives dynamics to this plot action. Counting books can begin as riddles:
The woman was sitting on the stove, on a hot brick. She couldn’t stand it, she started puffing….
Or like fairy tales:
Once upon a time there were two geese...
The endings are varied: “get out,” “it’s probably going to be you,” “you’ll be the one to drive anyway.” “Exit” is the final element in the overall composition of the counting rhyme, mandatory for this genre. If the counting rhyme does not have an ending, then the last lines of the text are distinguished by special emotional expressiveness, noticeable during execution.
The lot in the gaming tradition performs the function of supreme justice. Everyone must obey his decision when distributing playing roles unquestioningly. Usually the draw is reserved for those games where there are two teams. Two queens (captains) are selected from among the most dexterous players, then the guys, approximately equal in strength and age, step aside in pairs, conspire and, having agreed, approach the queens:
Mati, mother, what should I give you?
and ask which of them chooses whom:
Which horse - gray or golden-maned?
Or:
Did you get lost behind the stove or drown yourself in a glass? Etc.
Gradually all players are divided into two teams. The very process of forming two teams is a kind of “game before the game,” and if you remember computer games, then in its fascination it is reminiscent of character generation before starting any role-playing game (even before most computer games).
Of course, not all today's teenagers played folk games - there are plenty of other entertainments. Many people simply don't know what it is. But not to lose folk traditions, to preserve original games for future generations is one of the most important goals of our culture, because it was through games that Our Ancestors raised strong, dexterous, wise and brave people.
Games based on religious and cult motives
Similar motives can be clearly seen in folk entertainment. Mermen, mermaids, brownies, sorcerers, and evil spirits appear not only in fairy tales and rituals, but also appear in the plots of games. In general, childhood is characterized by a certain unique worldview that makes games on similar topics lively and vibrant.
The merman (driver) sits in a circle with his eyes closed. The players dance around him with the words:
Grandfather of the water,
Why are you sitting under water? Look out for a little bit, Just for a minute.
The circle stops and the merman stands up and, without opening his eyes, approaches one of the players. The merman's task is to determine who is in front of him. If the merman guessed right, he changes role and now the one whose name was named becomes the driver.
Details:
The merman can touch the player standing in front of him, but he cannot open his eyes.
Devils in hell
This game is a type of tag. Parallel lines are drawn on the ground at a distance of 2 meters, and this space is called Hell. Two drivers are running inside it, holding hands - devils. All other participants stand on different sides of Hell and try to run across it to the other side. Those who are tainted also become devils.
Details:
Devils are forbidden to let go of each other's hands.
Grandfather-horn
Nowadays the game is known as “sorcerers”. The leader chosen by lot, in this case the grandfather-horn (sorcerer), is assigned a house in which he sits quietly for the time being. The remaining players, divided equally into two groups, move away in different directions from this house - at a distance of 15-25 steps. At the same time, each party draws a line for itself or places a pole, thereby designating each of its houses. The free space between these features, or houses, is called the field.
Grandfather-horn from his house asks:
-Who is afraid of me?
- Nobody! - the players answer, running across the field and teasing the driver:
- Grandfather-horn, he burned a hole on his shoulder!
Tom needs to catch the players and take them to his house. Such players are considered bewitched and cannot leave the house.
A modern version of the game of “sorcerers”. Roller skating
While Grandfather Horn is busy catching one of the running players, the players caught by him can be rescued by their comrades. To do this, you need to run up to the sorcerer’s house and touch the captured person with your hand. This player is considered disenchanted. He can leave home and join his old group. If Grandfather the Horn catches everyone, then the one who was caught first starts driving in the next game.
Details:
A player caught by a sorcerer who wants to be bewitched must extend his arms to the sides with the words: “Tea-tea, help me out!”
Other games on similar topics:
Plowmen and Reapers;
Ivan the Mower and the Animals;
Cradle.
War games
Military themes, of course, could not help but enter children's games. Over their long history, war games have not undergone any major modifications, and have come down to us in almost their original form.
In its most general form, the game of war is a competition between two teams, in which folk tradition determines the acceptable means and methods of confrontation and the conditions for recognizing the winners.
In Rus', war games have long been the favorite pastime of most boys.
Fist fight
It will be surprising for many readers, but children also took part in fist fights in Rus'. Of course, they fought not with adults, but with each other, “for the sake of baiting.”
In one of these types of games, the main place was occupied by contact confrontation between the “fighters”. Punching was allowed (usually the face and groin were excluded from the affected area), grabbing the body and clothing of opponents, and wrestling techniques. The players were divided into two teams. The clash of both parties took place in an open space, and in the end it was necessary to capture the enemy or put them to flight, which made the game similar to traditional adult fist fights. “Fighters” who fell or were knocked to the ground were considered “killed” and were eliminated from the game.
One of the variants of this type of war game can be considered a game of “snowballs”, when one team of boys competed with another in throwing lumps of snow at each other. They could play until one of the teams admitted defeat, unable to withstand enemy fire. Or some additional rules were stipulated. For example, a player hit by a snowball could be considered “killed” or “wounded” and would be eliminated from further play. Or continued to participate in it (in case of “injury”), but with restrictions. The severity of the “wound” was determined by where the snowball hit. The man wounded in the leg could now move only by jumping on his good leg, etc.
Stick fight
In another type of war game, rivals fencing with wooden weapons: “swords,” “swords,” and sticks. The rules for “wounds” in this game were similar to the rules for “snowballs”. “Prisoners” captured by the rival party were also excluded from the game. It was strictly forbidden to intentionally hit the head, neck and groin with a “weapon”. The confrontation continued until all those playing on one side were “killed,” “seriously wounded,” “captured,” or put to flight.
Cossack robbers
When playing another common war game - “Cossacks-robbers”, one of the teams (“robbers”) had to hide, and the second (“Cossacks”) had to look for and pursue it. During the game, the “Robbers” tried to confuse the enemy in various ways and complicate his search. When both teams or their individual representatives met, the conditions of the game included both direct hand-to-hand confrontation and combat with wooden weapons, “shootout”, “capture”.
Capture of the fortress
The last type of war game discussed in this article required preliminary preparations. Each rival side erected fortifications, “fortresses,” not far from each other. The materials for them could be very different in winter - snow and pieces of ice, in summer wood: boards, branches, logs. Teams fired at each other with snowballs, ice floes, bags of sand or grass, or launched “bayonet” attacks on enemy fortifications, during which hand-to-hand combat and fencing with sticks were allowed. The winning party, as a rule, tried to destroy the enemy’s “fortress”.
Other games of similar themes.
Playing is the most favorite pastime of children and adults. Game is the best and most effective form of acquiring new knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience. In games, a person learns everything he needs in life. That is why in the Slavic tradition the entire process of teaching children was built in the form of a game. However, many adults now do not remember the games they played as children. And remembering them during the holidays, they have fun like children. Remember those games that you and your great-great-great...parents played. Many of them develop abilities: dexterity, attentiveness, endurance, ingenuity, etc. Who, if not you, will pass on these games to your children?
The merman (driver) sits in a circle with his eyes closed. The players dance around him with the words:
Grandfather of the water,
Why are you sitting under water?
Look out for a little bit
For one minute.
One, two, three - the merman don’t sleep!
The round dance stops, the “water man” gets up and, without opening his eyes, approaches one of the players.
The merman's task is to determine who is in front of him. If the merman guessed right, he changes role and now the one whose name was named becomes the driver. The “merman” can touch the player standing in front of him, but his eyes cannot be opened. For greater difficulty, the “mer”, at the last words of the song, spins towards the movement of the round dance.
P.S.
When they play for a long time, many are already recognized by their clothes, so our guys sometimes change scarves, or take off some piece of clothing to make it more difficult. Squat lower or stand on tiptoes. The game is very fun. As a rule, it is played the longest.
“Blind Man's Bluff” is an ancient game that has many varieties. Children of all ages play it. The number of participants is usually from 4 to 25 people. In all varieties, the essence is the same: the driver with his eyes closed - “blind man's buff” - must catch other players and guess who he caught.
Blind Man's Bluff WITH VOICE
All players, holding hands, form a circle. The driver (by lot) stands in the middle of the circle. He is blindfolded or has a cap placed on his head to cover his eyes. You can give the driver a stick, or you can play without it.
All players move in a circle in one direction until the driver stops with the command “Stop!” Then everyone stops, and the driver extends his hand forward. It should be taken over by the one playing at whom it is directed. The driver asks him to raise his voice, that is, to say something. The player calls the name of the driver or makes any sound by changing his voice. If the driver guesses who voted, he changes place and role with him. If he doesn’t guess correctly, he continues to drive.
Rules You can ask for a voice up to 3 times, after which the driver must say who is holding his hand (or wand). If the driver fails to guess 3 times, he is replaced by a new driver by lot or choice. When the driver asks for a voice, there must be complete silence.
FLOOR, BOW, CEILING
This game is also a good test of attentiveness. It is very simple, its rules are easy to explain. Right hand point to the floor and say: “Floor.” Then point to your nose (it will be better if you touch it), say: “Nose,” and then raise your hand up and say: “Ceiling.” Take your time. Let the guys show with you, and you will call. Your goal is to confuse the guys. Say: “Nose,” and at this time point to the ceiling. The guys must listen carefully and show correctly.
AT THE BEAR IN THE FOREST
The game involves children from 3 to 40 people.
One driver is selected - a “bear”, who stands in the corner of the site (or room). The rest of the players are children. They are located on the other side of the site in their “home”. The space between the “den” of the “bear” and the children is “bor” (“forest”).
Children go to the “pine forest” for “mushrooms” and “berries”, gradually approaching the “bear”. While picking “mushrooms” and “berries”, children chant:
By the bear in the forest
I take mushrooms and berries,
The bear caught a cold
Frozen on the stove!
The last two lines are now often replaced with:
And the bear is sitting
And he growls at us!
After the last words, the “bear”, who had previously pretended to be asleep, stretches and runs towards the children, and they quickly turn and run to their “home” or scatter in different directions, trying not to get caught by the “bear”, who is trying to catch them (touch them with his hand - to make one's face).
Whoever the “bear” catches changes roles with him. If the “bear” fails to catch anyone (all the guys will hide in their “house”), he goes to his “den” and continues to drive.
Rules "Bear" has no right to run out and catch the guys until they say last words recitative. Fishing is only possible within the established limits of the site.
Option:
Two circles are drawn, one circle is the “forest” (berries and mushrooms are placed in the middle of it), the other is the “village”. One of the participants in the game, depicting a bear, sits in the “forest”. The rest go from the “village” to the “forest” to pick berries and mushrooms, the guys have a basket in their hands. Everyone sings:
By the bear in the forest
I pick mushrooms and berries.
But the bear doesn't sleep,
Everything is looking at us
And then how he growls
And he will run after us.
The guys walk around the “forest” and tease the Bear:
We're taking berries
But we don’t give it to the bear.
Let's go into the forest with a club -
Hit the bear in the back!
Passing the basket to each other, they try to run into the “forest” and throw berries and mushrooms into the basket. Whoever the Bear catches in the “forest” is eliminated from the game. When someone manages to run into the “forest” and throw berries and mushrooms into the basket, everyone runs to the “village”, and the Bear catches up. If the Bear catches up with the guys and takes the basket, he takes the berries and mushrooms for himself. And if the guys manage to escape from the Bear to the “village,” then a new Bear is chosen and the game continues.
The ancient game "Lapta", often called "Russian Lapta", and in different places it has its own name (for example, in Tajikistan this game is called “Tulufbozi”, in Bashkiria - “Ural Ball”, in Karakalpakstan - “Koshamaran”) and some differences in the rules. The rules of the game below apply mainly in middle lane RSFSR.
“Lapta” is played on a large area, a lawn in the summer. Schoolchildren, youth and adults, from 8 to 30 people, participate in it. The game is played independently. The game's referees are usually the team captains, or "queens" as they are often called in this game.
The game requires a small rag, rubber or tennis ball and lapta - a round stick 70-80 cm long and 3-3.5 cm thick. It is slightly beveled at one end to make it easier to hold in your hands; at the other end it remains round (for beginners, you can make it spade-shaped).
Description.
On two sides of the site - “fields” - at a distance of 40-80 m, two lines are drawn or marked with branches or other objects - the horse line and the “city” line. Two captains (“queens”) are chosen and divided into two teams in any way (usually by collusion). By lot, one team stands behind the “city” line; the other is placed randomly in the “field”. The captain of the “field” team sends one player to the “city” to serve the ball.
In turn, the first thrower - the "city" player - takes the shoe and stands at the "city" line, opposite him is the server who throws the ball, and the thrower hits it with the shoe into the "field" as high and far as possible. Fielders try to catch it from the air or grab it from the ground. The one who successfully hits the ball runs to the stake and returns to the “city”, for which he earns 1 point. The field players, having grabbed the ball from the ground, try to throw the ball at those running across. If someone is insulted, they themselves run to the “city”, and the players from the “city” run to the “field” and try to hit the player who did not have time to run to the “city” with the ball (i.e., they strive to “get away”) .
The team, which managed to occupy the “city” in its entirety, remains there and begins to hit the ball into the “field”. If a field player catches him from the air (“candle”), his entire team goes to the “city”, and those who were in the “city” go to the “field”. And so the struggle goes on to take possession of the “city.” Everyone who manages to run to the stake and back earns a point. They play until a certain number of points or for an agreed time. The team with more points wins.
Rules The “city” players hit the ball into the “field” in the order established by the captain. Each player hits the ball 1 time, and the captain has the right to 3 hits. The server must throw the ball so that it is easy to hit it, otherwise he must repeat the toss. And so on up to 3 times. If he throws poorly 3 times, he is replaced. The person running across must leave the lapta in the “city”, otherwise he must return for it. A hit with the ball is only counted if it hits the player directly and does not bounce off something. If a player hits the ball poorly, he may not run to the stake, but wait for a good shot, which is then performed by one of the other players. Therefore, several players who hit the ball unsuccessfully can run at the same time. The server has the right to insult those running across, just like the field players. You can only run as long as the ball is outside the “city”. The player who returns to the “city” has the right to hit the ball again in the “field” in order of rotation.
The emergence of a folk game in Rus'
It’s unlikely that we have ever seriously thought about who and when made the first snowball, who came up with the idea of sledding down a hill, and how old the “Cossack robbers” are. These games have lived with us since childhood and were taken for granted by us. But all active children’s games have their own history, which is closely intertwined with the history of our country, we just don’t pay attention to it. If you carefully observe the emergence, history and development of folk games, you will notice that the games themselves did not arise out of nowhere; they were inspired by real events - everyday and cultural-historical ones. “Chest with Games” is a chest with equipment for games, painted in Russian artistic traditions. Sports go well with intellectual ones!
Classification of games of the ancient Slavs
Let's look at typical folk games. Children can still play each of these games today. They are simple, understandable and do not require specific skills, special training or any equipment, except for the simplest. Children's games are full of laughter, joy and movement.
Folk games can be divided into several types - with the caveat that this division is very arbitrary:
- games reflecting the relationship between man and nature;
- games that reflect the daily activities and life of our ancestors;
- games based on religious and cult motives;
- games for resourcefulness, speed and coordination;
- games of strength and dexterity;
- war games.
It is natural that this connection is reflected in the culture, customs, traditions and holidays of the Slavic peoples. Children, in their desire to imitate adults in their activities, did the same in a playful way. This is how games emerged that reflect man’s relationship with nature. In many of them, forest predators - bear, wolf, fox - are the main characters. For example, “Wolves in the Ditch”, “Wolves and Sheep”, “Limping Fox”, “Bear and the Leader”.
Hunting, fishing, crafts, everyday scenes and much more, which constituted the daily activities of people in the old days, have survived to this day in numerous reflection games. Looking at them, it is not at all difficult to imagine what and how our ancestors lived. Gaming equipment for Russian games can be found in abundance in any home. Examples of such games: “Boyars”, “Net”, “Fishing Rod”, “Birder”.
Religious and cult motives are clearly visible in folk entertainment. Mermen, mermaids, brownies, sorcerers, and evil spirits appear not only in fairy tales and rituals, but also in the plots of games. Childhood is characterized by a special worldview that makes games on similar topics lively and vibrant. These are “Vodyanoy”, “Devils in Hell”, “Grandfather the Horn” (“Wizards”).
Running, jumping and other manifestations of motor activity are characteristic of children, but they become especially attractive when they are framed as a game. Excitement, game enthusiasm, elements of rivalry and competition - these are the main components of Slavic folk games for resourcefulness, speed and coordination. For example, “Burners”, “Pile”, “12 sticks”, “Blind Man’s Bluff”.
The strong and dexterous have been respected at all times and in any society. A game is an activity in which children could demonstrate to their peers their best qualities. Examples of such games: “Leapfrog”, “Arc”, “Cockfight”.
Military themes could not help but enter children's games. Over their long history, war games have not undergone any significant changes and have come down to us in almost their original form.
In its most general form, the game of war is a competition between two teams, in which folk tradition determines the acceptable means and methods of confrontation and the conditions for recognizing the winners.
In Rus', war games have long been the favorite pastime of most boys. These are “Fist Fight”, “Snowballs”, “Stick Fight”, “Cossack Robbers”, “Capture of the Fortress”.
Not all children today play folk games; there are plenty of other entertainments. Many people simply don't know what it is. But not to lose folk traditions, to preserve original games for future generations is one of the main goals of our culture, because it was through games that our ancestors raised strong, dexterous, wise and brave people.
Natalya Safarova,
Anastasia Savelyeva,
Alina Kostyleva,
teachers of school No. 141, Moscow