cricket

From: David Cake <davidc_at_cyllene.uwa.edu.au>
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 12:29:46 +0800

> The talk about cricket reminded me of a bit I saw about a tribe on
>some islands near New Guinea that used a somewhat modified version of cricket
>as a replacement for old time ritual combats.

        Trobriand Islander cricket. Includes magic rituals for blessing bats and balls, but not fielding, as hitting people with clubs and throwing things were both originally part of tribal warfare, so spells were readily adaptable. Much larger teams than normal cricket. Teams each have particular dances, songs and rituals. One team imitates aeroplanes, for example, while another sings about their sticky hands. Several songs are rather obscene. The dancing seems almost as important as the actual cricket.

        Generally much more entertaining than the cricket we have here!

        Cheers

                David

---