Isolo (Sukuma)

From Wikimanqala

Isolo
Isumbi
Played in: Usukuma (Tanzania)
Two cycles
Multiple lap
Captures are reintroduced
8 holes per row
Four rows

Isolo (according to Kalumbete also called isumbi) is the name given to three related mancala games played by the Sukuma, in Tanzania. The three versions are played by women, boys and men, and each is a little bit more complicated than the previous one. The only prestigious isolo is the one played by men, and refered to, sometimes, as the "royal Sukuma game".

1 Nomenclature
2 References
3 See also
4 External links

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Nomenclature

The board used is called also isolo (in plural, masolo). It is usually made of wood, but can also be made of stone or even carved on the soil. Boards are about 70x32 cm, and the holes are rounded (7cm of diameter) or square.

The playing pieces are called busolo and can be peebbles (tuwe), Caesalpinia bonduc seeds (filili) or droppings (tushi)

There can be an extra and larger pit on one end (twe kwa magado) used to put some pieces (kitée) to indicate the match score.

Singletons are called ngosha (males) and pits with more than one seed are liha.

A move with no capture is called kutagata, and ending a move is kucha (dying).

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References

Kalumbete, Bela B.: (2001) ISOLO, or Bao played by the Sukuma [Online], available at http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0003aj [13 Oct 2006].
Popova, Assia: (1979) 'Isolo, jeu royal des Sukuma', in Cahiers d'études africaines, 73-76, XIX-1-4.

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