WASANNI A ƘASAR HAUSA
By
Abu-Ubaida Sani
Yakubu Aliyu Gobir
This book explores the important role of play and games in human life, noting that while games are universal across cultures, their styles and forms vary depending on tradition and environment. Interestingly, the book observes that play is not limited to humans—animals such as monkeys, dogs, cattle, and other creatures also engage in various forms of play, sometimes even interacting with humans.
However, traditional Hausa games—like many other
Hausa customs—are facing gradual extinction due to the influence of modernity.
Recognizing this decline, the book aims to preserve these games in a single
volume so that even if they disappear from practice, they remain documented for
posterity.
The book successfully compiles 214 traditional Hausa
games and is divided into nine chapters:
Chapter One serves as an introduction, discussing the benefits of
traditional games, including character training, moral correction, teaching
heroism, imparting wisdom and strategy, and providing physical exercise.
Chapter Two provides background on Hausa life in the past and present,
covering religion, social structure, and marriage, offering readers a cultural
context for understanding the games.
Chapter Three classifies the types of Hausa traditional games based on
various criteria, including the manner of play, timing, participants, and other
factors, with clear explanations and examples.
Chapter Four examines the impact of modernity on traditional games,
analyzing the causes of their decline—such as the spread of religious and
Western education, the internet, and social media—while also noting adaptations
and new games that have emerged.
Chapters Five through Eight present detailed catalogs of games: Chapter Five covers 65
boys' games, Chapter Six covers 103 girls' games, Chapter Seven covers 36
mixed-gender games (boys and girls playing together), and Chapter Eight covers
7 adult games.
Chapter Nine provides the conclusion, followed by references and an appendix containing all 214 games in a structured table format. For each game, the table provides essential information: the name of the game, the players, the category, equipment used, benefits, and outcomes (both positive results when played well and negative consequences when rules are broken).
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