ISLAND WARI

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WAYNE'S WORD Vol. 6 (No. 3) Fall 1997

A Game Called Island Wari

A Board Game From The Caribbean Islands

A Fabulous Board Game Played With Nickernuts, The Marblelike
Seeds From A Spiny Beach Shrub Found Along Tropical Beaches.

The Ancient Game Of Wari From The Continent Of Africa
The Fabulous Island Wari Game Popular In The Caribbean
Where To Get Hardwood Wari (Mancala) Game Boards
Read About The Amazing Nickernuts Used In Island Wari
Read About A Marvelous Shareware Wari Game For PCs

The Ancient African Game Of Wari

During the past decade (circa mid 1980s to mid 1990s) the Life Sciences Department at Palomar College conducted a number of natural history field courses to the Caribbean region, including the islands of St. John, Grand Cayman, Antigua and Dominica. On several of these islands we discovered a popular board game called "Island Wari" played with "nickernuts," the marblelike seeds of a spiny native shrub. The game became a popular past-time with students and instructors (during free hours when we were not diligently studying the indigenous flora and fauna of these islands). Island Wari (also spelled warie and wauri) is one version of similar board games called "Wari" that are played in various parts of the world. They are generally known by the Arabic name "Mancala" and have been played for thousands of years in Egypt, where "boards" have been carved into the stone of the pyramid of Cheops and the temples at Luxor and Karnak. Asante kings played the game on beautiful boards made of ivory and gold, and today in some rural areas of Africa children play this ancient game on "boards" scooped out of the ground. African slaves brought Mancala games to the Caribbean during the 18th and 19th centuries when many of these islands were denuded of vegetation and planted in sugar cane for the production of sugar and rum. Legend has it that Black Beard the Pirate introduced the game to Grand Cayman after one of his voyages to Africa. Island Wari was reportedly a favorite of Ernest Hemingway each time he visited this lovely island.

Like the European game of chess, the ancient African Wari is a fascinating strategy game, but unlike chess it can be played with the simplest of objects, including stones, sea shells or seeds. In the Caribbean region Island Wari is commonly played with gray or yellow nickernuts (Caesalpinia bonduc and C. major), two common coastal shrubs with marblelike drift seeds that wash into the sea where they ride the ocean currents of the world.

The Island Wari Game

Island Wari is one of several versions of Wari (often referred to as Mancala games). [A slightly more complicated version of Wari using a marvelous PC shareware computer program will be explained later.] Island Wari is played on a rectangular board with a row of 6 cuplike depressions or wells on each side AND a larger well at each end (between the 2 rows). Depending on who wrote the description, these wells are referred to as "bins," "cells," or "houses." Two players sit opposite each other (and opposite the 6 wells on either side of the board). The larger end well to the right of each player (as they face the board) is their "home base." Four nickernuts are placed in each of the 6 wells on both sides of the board (a total of 48) and the 2 home base wells are left empty. In the following diagram the wells are labeled A, B, C, D, E and F for one player and A', B', C', D', E'and F' for the opposing player on the opposite side of the board. For each player the wells are labeled from left to right, and each move is always made to the player's right (i.e. counterclockwise on the board).

Illustration of an Island Wari board with 4 seeds in each of the 12 wells.

A genuine Island Wari board from the Caribbean island of Grand Cayman containing 4 gray nickernuts in each well.

The toss of a coin determines which player shall start first. Moves are always counterclockwise (to each players's right) and consist of taking all 4 nickernuts out of a well on YOUR SIDE OF THE BOARD and placing one seed in each of the successive wells in a counterclockwise fashion. [As the game progresses, a move may involve more than 4 seeds, as nickernuts are moved around the board and accumulate in certain wells.] A seed is also placed in YOUR HOME BASE, but never in your opponent's home base. If your last seed ends up in YOUR HOME BASE you get another turn. In fact, this can be very good strategy to make sure you get another turn.

The object of Island Wari is to clear all of the 6 wells on your side of the board before your opponent can clear their side. To do this you must move the seeds to your home base and to your opponent's side of the board (but never to your opponent's home base). This requires a considerable amount of strategy and a lot of careful counting in order to prevent seeds from ending up on your side of the board again. Remember: The first person to clear their side of the board wins the game.

In the following illustrations your side of the board is shown as A, B, C, D, E and F, and your opponent's side is shown as A', B', C', D', E' and F'. We will start with a board at the initial stage of the game (i.e. with 4 seeds in each well--except for the 2 empty home base wells):

An Island Wari board at the beginning of the game with 4 seeds in each of the 12 wells.

Let's say that you won the toss and get the first turn. You pick up all the 4 seeds in well C and place one seed in wells D, E, F and your home base. Since your last seed landed in your home base you get another turn--but we won't show another move now.

In this illustration 4 seeds from well C are picked up and placed one each in wells D, E, F and your home base.

Now let's say that your opponent picks up all the 4 seeds in their well E' and places one seed in their well F', their home base, and your wells A and B.

In this illustration 4 seeds from your opponent's well E' are picked up and placed one each in your opponent's well F', their home base, and your wells A and B.

Now let's say you pick up all the 5 seeds in your well F and place one seed in your home base (making a total of 2) and one seed in your opponent's A',B',C' and D'.

In this illustration all 5 seeds from well F are picked up and placed one each in your home base and your opponent's wells A', B', C' and D'.

In another move you pick up all the 5 seeds in your well B and place one seed in wells C, D, E, F and your home base. Because your last seed landed in your home base you get another turn.

In this illustration all 5 seeds in well B are picked up and placed one each in your wells C, D, E, F and your home base.

In the next example you pick up the seed in your well F and place it in your home base, thus giving you another turn.

In this illustration the single seed in your well F is picked up and placed in your home base, thus giving you another turn.

In the last example let's say you pick up all the 6 seeds in your well E and place one in your well F, one in your home base, and one in your opponent's wells A', B', C' and D'. Notice the number of seeds in different wells on the board: 5 in your home base, none in your wells B and E, 6 in your opponent's wells A', B', C' and D', etc.

In this illustration all 6 seeds in your well E are picked up and placed one each in your well F, your home base, and your opponent's wells A', B', C' and D'.

Are you getting the hang of this game yet? If not, read about the computerized version for PCs and download the remarkable shareware version of Wari.

Another Version Of Wari (Mancala):

In some variations of mancala it may be advantageous if the last seed of a move lands in an empty well on your side of the board. In this variation, the object of the game is to acquire the most seeds in your home base well. If your last seed of a move lands in an empty well that is opposite your opponent's well containing seeds, you can automatically take the seeds in their well and add them to your home base. Unlike Island Wari, clearing all of your seeds from your 6 wells is a big mistake because any seeds left in your opponent's wells automatically add to your opponent's home base, and they win! A nifty computerized version of this game is called Hoyle Board Games, available for Macs and PCs from Sierra Attractions (1-800-757-7707) or visit their web site at www.sierra.com/hoyle.

Pick up your 5 seeds in well A and place them in wells B, C, D, E & F:

Since your last seed landed in your empty well F, you can now take all the seeds in your opponent's well A' and add them to your home base well:

This version of mancala requires a lot of concentration and some very careful moves. You must also be very careful of your opponent's moves, especially when they move into empty wells opposite your own wells that contain seeds.

Read About A Marvelous Shareware Wari Game For Your PC

Wari (Mancala) Boards Are Available From:

The United States:

Teaching Resource Center
P.O. Box 1509
San Leandro, CA 94577
(800) 833-3389
(800) 972-7722 (FAX)

Hardwood Creations
P.O. Box 542
Davis, CA 95617
(916) 758-6624

The Caribbean Islands of Barbados and Grand Cayman:

Caribbean Charlie Ebanks
Hand-Carved Waurie Games
USA: (609) 784-9858
Cayman Islands: (809) 947-9558 and (809) 947-9452

Lee Farnum-Badley
43 Paradise Heights
St. Michael, Barbados
(246) 424-0643
badley@mail.sunbeach.net

Order Wari Game Boards From An Ireland Web Site

Or You Can Use Dried Peas In An Empty Egg Carton

Read About The Nickernuts Used In Island Wari

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