Bunnock
Encyclopedia
Bunnock, also known as Glockenspiel
and the Game of Bones, is a game
that is thought to have been created by Russia
n soldiers to pass the time while stationed in northern Siberia
during the early nineteenth century (although a 16th-century painting exists which may or may not show bunnock being played).
The game involves what the soldiers had a surplus of; namely, horse
anklebones. It has been compared to a cross between bowling
and curling
, in which the two teams stand on opposite ends of the field and take turns trying to knock down each other's row of bones. This is done by throwing more bones at the standing bones, and must be done in a specific order.
Bunnock was brought to Canada
sometime in the early 20th century by Russian and German immigrants, many of whom settled in Saskatchewan
. It has become highly popular in the small near-border town of Macklin, where the World Bunnock Championships are held annually; Macklin's tourist information booth is a 32 feet (9.8 m)-high fibre-glass horse anklebone. The "bone" is hard to miss when driving past Macklin on Highway 14.
Glockenspiel
A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
and the Game of Bones, is a game
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
that is thought to have been created by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n soldiers to pass the time while stationed in northern Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
during the early nineteenth century (although a 16th-century painting exists which may or may not show bunnock being played).
The game involves what the soldiers had a surplus of; namely, horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
anklebones. It has been compared to a cross between bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
and curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
, in which the two teams stand on opposite ends of the field and take turns trying to knock down each other's row of bones. This is done by throwing more bones at the standing bones, and must be done in a specific order.
Bunnock was brought to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
sometime in the early 20th century by Russian and German immigrants, many of whom settled in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. It has become highly popular in the small near-border town of Macklin, where the World Bunnock Championships are held annually; Macklin's tourist information booth is a 32 feet (9.8 m)-high fibre-glass horse anklebone. The "bone" is hard to miss when driving past Macklin on Highway 14.
See also
- KubbKubbKubb is a lawn game where the object is to knock over wooden blocks by throwing wooden sticks at them. Kubb can be simply described as a combination of bowling and horseshoes...
, the Swedish equivalent. - Finnish skittlesFinnish skittlesFinnish skittles is a centuries old game of Karelian origin. The aim in Finnish skittles is to throw wooden skittle bats at skittles, trying to remove them from the play square using as few throws as possible...
, also known as kyykkä, a Finnish game originating from the same game as Russian gorodkiGorodkiGorodki is an ancient Russian folk sport whose popularity has spread to Karelia, Finland, Sweden, Ingria, Lithuania, and Estonia. Similar in concept to bowling and also somewhat to horseshoes, the aim of the game is to knock out groups of skittles arranged in various patterns by throwing a bat at... - MolkkyMölkkyMölkky is a Finnish throwing game invented by Tuoterengas company in 1996. It is reminiscent of kyykkä, a centuries old throwing game with Karelian roots. However, mölkky does not require as much physical strength as kyykkä, and is more suitable for everyone regardless of age and condition...
- WashersWasher pitchingWashers is a game, similar to horseshoes, that involves two teams of two players that take turns tossing washers towards the washer box. In order to score, one must place a washer into the box, into the can that is within the box, or within one foot of the box...
External links
- Official Bunnock Website The Online Home of Bunnock - A Game For All Ages!
- "Town of Macklin Bunnock Page" Shows the famous sculpture and provides more information on the sport and the tournament.
- "Official Rules of Bunnock" As played in the Macklin World Championship Bunnock Tournament.
- Tossing Games A great Bunnock resource forum.