En gehé
En Gehé
En Gehé is a traditional mancala game played by the Loitha and Kisonga Maasai groups of northern Tanzania. The game was first described in 1904 by a German soldier, Moritz Merker, who was serving in the Kaiserlichen Schutztruppe in German East Africa. En Gehé is traditionally played by men and warriors, and it usually played in teams of six to eight people.
Why is En Gehé Popular?
En Gehé is a game of skill, calculation, and strategy. Although it looks simple, it is not a game of luck. Mancala is one of the oldest known two-player board games in the world, believed to have been created in ancient times. There is archaeological and historical evidence that dates Mancala back to the year 700 AD in East Africa. En Gehé is significant because it is a traditional game that has been played for generations by the Maasai people of Tanzania.
Game Components of En Gehé
A large mancala board with two rows of up to 40-50 pits each. Seeds or small stones, traditionally Caesalpinia bonduc seeds, used as game pieces.
Game Setup of En Gehé
Each team of players owns one of the rows of pits on the board. At Game Setup of En Gehé, there are four seeds in each pit, for a total of 320-400 seeds needed to play the game.
Gameplay Mechanics of En Gehé
Players take turns moving seeds around the board according to specific rules. The game is won by capturing all of the opponent’s seeds or by having the most seeds in one’s own store at the end of the game.
Game Objective of En Gehé
The objective of En Gehé is to capture all of the opponent’s seeds or to have the most seeds in one’s own store at the end of the game.
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