Posted by Chester Morton / Monday, 5 June 2023 / No comments
What are some moral lessons and skills acquired during the use of free/leisure time in West African Traditional Religion
Introduction
In
the West African Traditional context, free or leisure time refers to that time
spent engaging in activities unrelated to our regular daily work. It could be
just the time spent hanging out with friends, taking part in cultural events,
playing traditional sports like wrestling, cat and mouse, war games, jumping
competitions, ampe and dance matches, this is just to mention a few. Other
pastimes, like playing the flute or writing traditional songs, are ones that
people pursue on their own. Individuals can unwind, recuperate, and enjoy life
during this spare time.
In West Africa, some of the games may seem like
a pastime that is of no value to the people. A game like “Oware” or “Adi” may
look senseless but they are traditional games designed by the people to teach
useful lessons to the children as they grew. The children are able to imbibe
new skills, to develop excellent moral character, build their muscles, develop
trust in others and many other skills. In this article, we will look at how the
traditional West African games played during their leisure times help to pick
useful skills, ideas, information etc. that become helpful to them later in
life.
MORAL LESSONS LEARNED DURING FREE/LEISURE TIME
Traditional games promote team work
People can learn team work as they play traditional games by
engaging in activities that require cooperation and communication. These
activities challenge players to collaborate and communicate with each other in
order to achieve a common goal. One of the games that promote team spirit is
dancing. There are types of dances that require all the group members to dance
in one formation, moving their feet, arms and body in one direction at the same
time. This requires practice, cooperation and communication to achieve. The
group practice is held on particular days and times. Members of the group need
to keep to time and must committed to learn new things at all times. Keeping to
time is a valuable lesson to learn. Dancing also helps them to learn
coordination skills and ability to keep to rhythms.
Traditional games help to develop honesty
One important skill people learn when they play traditional
games is the virtue of honesty. Like many other games in other jurisdictions,
traditional games played in West Africa are governed by rules and each player
is expected to play by the rules. Players are thought to abide by the rules and
ensure fair play at all times. Honest admission of losses and mistakes are
embedded in the art of the games. Cheating is discouraged and whoever is caught
cheating may be disqualified. The game of “ampe” for example is played by two
girls though it can be played with a group of other girls. Two girls on
opposite sides jump while clapping their hands, then move one leg forward.
Prior to the start, each party chooses what determines a win for her. For
example, if one moves the left leg and the other moves the right, it is a win
for one party. If, on the other hand one moves a right leg and the other also
moves the right leg, then it is a win for the opponent. No player is allowed to
player at a slower speed than the other. Defeat must be accepted in good faith.
The virtue of reconciliation is also thought during the
games. On some occasions, misunderstandings occur and may sometimes result in
fisticuffs. The ability to make peace immediately or in the not-too-distant
future after the games is crucial to harmonious living in the community. Peace
overtures are extended to aggrieved parties and the same opponents can find
themselves playing again. Some wrestling fights may develop into real fights
and opponents need to be separated to avoid injuries. Some of these fights may later involve other
extended family members. Peace needs to be restored between the two families.
All types of alternative resolution mechanisms have to be employed. All these
encourages and teaches the ability to reconcile with people and make peace with
others who wrong a person.
Acquisition of the art of critical thinking
Traditional West African games help to
acquire the art of critical thinking by providing players with the opportunity
to think strategically and solve problems. For instance, the Ghanaian game of
“akomfem" involves strategy, the capacity to predict your opponent's
upcoming move and the capability to counter it with a prior action. The
game is played on a board shaped like a cross, with four rows of four holes.
Players take turns placing stones into the holes. The object of the game is to
capture as many of the opponent's stones as possible. Since the players
strategic thinking in their attempt to capture their opponent’s stones, they
need to develop critical thinking skills. Though this game is designed for
enjoyment, the players must be strategic and skillful. The game, therefore,
teaches the ability to be strategic in thinking.
Children learn endurance and ability to develop high stamina
levels
Again, West African traditional games can help to build
stamina and increase endurance levels in people during their free times. It
helps people to stay in shape. There are games like ampe, wrestling and dance
competitions, which emphasize physical activity. They assist to develop coordination,
muscle strength, and endurance. Furthermore, the flexibility, coordination, and
quick thinking needed by these activities could help to improve mental focus.
Playing these games socially with friends and family may also foster
relationships, reduce stress levels and offer a fun form of exercise. Dancing,
for example, if done for a long time, requires stamina, because some are very
intense and one must learn to endure in order to keep up. Some of the dance
steps are intricate and require a great deal of focus to attain mastery.
Dancing, therefore, helps to develop mental endurance, balance and coordination
abilities.
Traditional games may teach basic mathematics, analytical
and problem-solving skills
West African Traditional games may help in teaching basic
mathematics, develop analytical and problem-solving skills. The children learn
how to count, to add, to subtract, to multiply, and to divide. It is the fusion
of joy, play and learn. The skills may be picked passively too. The games are
designed to help learn how to strategize, and solve problems. The children
become analytical and able to improve upon their calculating abilities.
The traditional game called Oware, for example, is a game
common among the Akans of Ghana though anyone can learn how to play it and very
well too. It is a game played by two players. It involves both skills and luck
but also involves strategy. The board is carved by experts, who create 12 holes
in the wood, six on either side, sometimes with one bigger one on the two edges
for each to gather his trophies. They use seeds from a plant Gulandina bonduc.
The seed is called bonduc seeds. The ultimate aim of the game is to capture the
greater number of seeds from than the other player. In all, 48 bonduc seeds are
needed, each player arranges 24 seeds with four each in the six holes on his
side of the board.
The two players decide who starts he game. The starter
collects the seeds in one hole and distributes, one each in subsequent holes in
a clockwise direction. When he drops the last seed on a group of seeds, he
collects those and continues distributing. This continues until he drops his
last seed in a hole that has no other seed in it. His opponent now takes his
turn. This continues until one player dispossesses his opponent of the greatest
number of seeds. That person is then declared the winner. is won by the person
who has the most seeds captured.
Traditional games may teach efficiency, thriftiness and
cunningness
On moonlight nights, people congregate in their houses, to
tell stories. Ananse, a character in Akan folklore, in Ghana, immediately
springs to mind. The Yoruba call telling stories "alor," while the
Ewes of Ghana call it "gli." The roles played by the characters in
the narrative are meant to demonstrate one competence or the other. One is able
to develop the capacity to be resourceful, more effective in one’s approach to
challenges of life, and being capable of making wise judgments. Some people
develop the skill of outwitting others and utilize wit to win fights or
disagreements. They learn how to manage their finances in the future by
learning how to use their resources effectively. However, the intention is for
the good virtues to be inculcated in the children.
Conclusion
In the traditional setting, free time is an integral part of
life as such time is used in playing games or enjoying a past time. As people
play and enjoy their leisure, they learn lessons of value that can be
beneficial to them in the future. The inculcation of positive values in
children is embedded in the games they are encouraged to play as young people.
Go to other topics in West African Traditional Religion>>
