Game

Aggalacengeng

Note: The following text is taken from a 19th-century collection catalog and, in its language and perspective, partially reflects colonial thought patterns. We present the text in its original version to make the collection's history transparent and promote a critical examination of the colonial legacy. Certain terms and formulations may be perceived as problematic today. A 2009 research project concluded that most descriptions are factually correct and still usable; only a few details were found to be inaccurate or incorrect. The results of this project were published in the following collection catalog: https://khm-wmw-tm-library.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1457155265

"407. Game - "Agalatjangang"
A wooden block about 20 cm wide and one meter long, on the upper surface of which two rows of bowl-shaped cavities have been made in which hard fruits or stones are put in the manner which the game requires.The game is called "Galatjan" and is played in the following manner: two persons crouching on the floor set the block between them so that each player has a large bowl-cavity, "indo", close to his right hand. After the other, smaller, cavities, called "mata" have been occupied with seven nuts or stones each, one player begins removing the nuts from a "mata" on his side and to distribute these from the right continuously, piece for piece in the following "matas" and also in the indo which belongs to him. The nuts from the "mata", in which the last nut has been put are all taken out and in the same way distributed into the following cavities, or matas, piece by piece. If the last nut is put exactly into one's own "indo" then one must begin with the distribution again with a "mata" of one's own side. It continues in this way until one player is forced to put the last nut into an empty "mata", something which is called "potjo"; then the other begins until he also has made "potjo" when then the first player begins again, etc. With this making "potjo" it should be mentioned that if one has thrown the last nut into an empty "mata" of one's own side and if on the other side the same "mata" still has nuts, one can say "natembai", i.e., it is good, and then he has the right to take all the nuts of this cavity at the same time with his own last nut and put them into his own "indo". That does not, however, exclude the possibility that now the opponent has his turn. When it has finally reached the point where one player has no more nuts in his cavities that need to be distributed, then he takes the nuts from his "indo" and looks to fill as many "matas" as possible. When one of the players cannot fill one of his "matas" with seven nuts, as it was at the beginning, then it is called "ri-tallo-ni tji-lallang"‚ i.e. to set a house on fire. If two cavities remain empty then one calles this "ri-tallo-ni duwa-Iallang", etc. The empty "matas" are closed with one or the other and are not allowed to be occupied any more. As soon as again one of the players cannot occupy, then one or more of the "matas" are filled again will nuts from his "indo" and if there are not enough, then again one or more of the empty "matas" are closed. The player whose "matas" are all closed first, gets an "aseg" or bad point, he has lost. If one is lucky however, and can fill all the matas in the following games, then one of the closed "matas" can be used again. Thus the match can continue for a long time with changing luck. This game is usually played during the time of mourning which is held after a death and often is brought from the mosque where it is lent for a fee. If one has his own playing block, then this must be buried in the church yard (sic) after the mourning period in order to remove everything unclean "permali" from the house."