Traditional Board Game Series (Second Edition) 4 Leaflet #48 The Traditional Board Game Series Leaflet #48: Dogs & Jackals The Traditional Board Game Series Leaflet #48: Dogs & Jackals
Entering and Moving Pieces backwards, if possible.
INTRODUCTION & HISTORY 11. No piece may be moved 4. A player starts his turn by We do not know what the ancient in Egypt in around 2000 B.C., the past point 30. throwing the casting sticks. Egyptians called this game. Today board mentioned above being the 12. A throw that can be used 5. The number of marked sides it has many names, inspired by the oldest yet known. From other must be used, otherwise it is lost. facing up is counted as the player's design of the ancient boards and boards we know that the game was score; if all sides showing are blank, Ending the Game pieces found at archaeological digs. played in Palestine in about 1300 the score is five. The most common is dogs and B.C., and in the Assyrian empire 13. A piece on point 30 may be 6. On throwing a one, the play- jackals, from the pieces of a beauti- after 700 B.C. Boards for a similar borne off the board on an exact er may enter a piece in hand at point ful ebony and ivory set found by game from the Christian era have throw of five. 1 on his side of the board. He then Lord Carnarvon in 1932, the set dat- been found in Egypt, too. 14. A player may only bear off throws again. ing between 2000 and 1788 B.C. From the one-dimensional a piece if all his pieces have been 7. If pieces are already in play, Other names include the palm tree track it appears that dogs and jack- entered into play. any throw (including 1) may be game, shields and hounds and jack- als is a race game. The original 15. The winner is the first play- used to move a piece the appropri- als, inspired by the shapes and dec- rules have not been preserved, but a er to bear off all five pieces. ate number of spaces along the oration of various boards and number of board game experts have course shown in Illustration 2. Variation pieces. made plausible reconstructions. 8. A piece on point 10, 15, 20 The game seems to have begun 16. The pieces to not stop at or 25 blocks the way and may not point 30, but continue round the HOW TO PLAY be passed. It is permissible to jump board to the opponent's point 1, over other pieces, however. A number of differing reconstruc- pieces. bearing off from that point as per 9. No piece may land or enter tions have been offered. The rules rule 13. Beginning the Game on a point already occupied. here are based on those by Jack 17. If all pieces are jammed up 10. A piece landing at one end Botermans (see Further Informa- 1. At the beginning of the game against each other such that none of a marked line proceeds immedi- tion, later), but have been supple- each player has all his pieces in can ever move, then the game is ately along that marked line to the mented with information found in hand, and the board starts empty. drawn. point at the other end, forwards or the other books listed. 2. One player chooses a side of The game is played by two the board on which to play (top or players on a board with fifty-nine bottom half in Illustration 1). holes fit for 3. The player pegged pieces, of who makes the which each player first throw is de- has five. Four cided at random. casting sticks are used to determine the moves of the Illustration 1: the game board, with points numbered. Point 30 is shared. Illustration 2: the direction of play for each player.