User:Khyamamoto/Traditional Hawaiian games

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A collection of various ʻulu maika stones from the collections of Bishop Museum.

ʻUlu maika (also known as as maika, ‘olohū, or Hawaiian bowling) is a traditional Hawaiian game involving rolling specially-shaped rounded stones. Goals for the game vary, with accounts describing either rolling the stone as far as possible or rolling the stone between two stakes. The game was very popular among islanders and was typically played during Makahiki celebrations, a tradition that continues into the modern day.

History

Though the first written accounts of ʻulu maika date back to the 18th century, it is theorized that the practice of playing the game, or a predecessor of it is much older. ʻUlu maika was a game exclusive to men, and one closely associated with betting in the islands. ʻUlu maika's connection with betting culture was one of the reasons for its decline in the 19th century, as missionaries and colonization stripped away and discouraged native culture and practices seen as undesirable. Scholars theorize that the subsequent popularity of bowling in the islands is a result of the sport "replacing" ʻulu maika. Though not as ubiquitous and popular as it once was, ʻUlu maika has regained its cultural relevance in the present day by featuring in modern Makahiki celebrations.

Gameplay

Games of ʻulu maika took place on specially-made courses known as kahua maika. Kahua maika were large areas of compacted ground, some of which were excavated and shaped for special challenges functions, like having curves or funneling stray stones. Presently, almost all original kahua maika have been destroyed.

There are two primary forms of gameplay, one where the objective is to see which competitor could roll the stone the furthest, and one to see which competitor is more skilled via rolling their stone between two closely placed stakes. Specific aspects of gameplay, such as the exact length of the course and distance between stakes are vague, ranging from 30 to 40 meters long and "several inches apart" respectively.

Equipment

The primary pieces of equipment for playing ʻulu maika are the rounded stones thrown by players, called ʻulu, maika, or ʻulu maika. The specific material of the maika varied, from differing kinds of rock to rare occasions of wooden maika, with the overall design of the stone changing based on the material. Typical maika stones were 3 to 4 inches in diameter, and between 1 and 2 inches thick, though some maika were found to be up to 6 inches in diameter. The appearance of the maika stone is similar to that of a hockey puck with convex faces, where the center of the disk is thicker than the edges, and they were known to be highly polished. The stones were prized and taken care of after use, being oiled and preserved in cloth. Today, many of the original maika stones have survived, and are parts of the collections of museums and other collectors.