Sports and Games of Medieval Cultures

From the beginning of time, humans have created and passed on to their children sports and games that teach skills, promote leisure, and encourage friendly competition. By studying these sports and games, we learn much about the culture and traditions of our ancestors. Sports and Games of Medieval Cultures focuses on those sports, games, and play rituals from across the globe that were invented and played during the time of the Middle Ages. Teachers, students, and sports enthusiasts will enjoy discovering the early origins of their favorite sports and games, and how they have evolved into the familiar versions of today. They will also learn about many games otherwise lost to history, and find instructions on how to adapt them for modern play.

As one of four books in the series Sports and Games Through History, it is divided into seven regions of the world including: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, The Middle East, North America, and Oceania. Each section describes sports, games, and play rituals for that region, and students can compare and contrast similar sports and games from different regions. Descriptions of equipment, with instructions on making or adapting the game pieces, are given for those students who would like to recreate the games for either multicultural assignments or for fun. This unique book belongs in every library's sports history and multicultural collections.

SALLY WILKINS is a freelance writer and has contributed to Greenwood's Louisa May Alcott Encyclopedia.