CLASSIFICATION OF TRADITIONAL GAMES

Based on the Aarne-Thompson tale type classification, there are four classification of traditional games:
Animals participating in Man’s Game, Ordinary Games, Jokes and Trickster and Formula Games.

 ANIMALS PARTICIPATING in MAN’s GAMES

A traditional game/sports wherein animals are part of the game. Animals engage in direct physical
conflict on behalf of human competitions. This classification of game initiates thru animal tales as the
main characters.
It is subdivided into four categories: (1)Man and Domesticated Animals, (2) Man and Birds, (3) Man
and Insects, (4) Man and Other Animals
CATEGORY Name of Setting Materials Mechanics
Game/Origin
Man and Paligsahan ng In an open Each player Objective:
Domesticated Kalabaw field: during must have A carabao and rider are to reach the
Animals (Carabao Race) town fiestas, young frisky goal ahead of the others.
SAN ANTONIO, of celebration bull. A two Rules:
NUEVA ECIJA after harvest. year old is 1. No Carabao should start first
(Tagalog) It takes time considered to regardless of size.
place anytime be the best. 2. The riders should not hit their
of the day. animals with any materials, but
should be maneuvered with their
ropes only.
Movement:
1. All the carabaos runs towards the
goal with their respective riders on
their backs.
2. The first three animals to reach
the finish line area declared as
winner.
Note: The owner of the winning animals
choose one day when all losers will work
for them at their home or field.
SUWAGAN NG Outdoors, in Each player Objective:
KALABAW an open field. must have a A carabao is to thrust a horn at an
(Carabao Fight) Anytime of husky, young opponents neck.
SAN RAFAEL, the day. water buffalo. Rules:
BULACAN 1. No person should interfere in any
(Tagalog) way the moment the horns of the
carabaos interlock. Interfering the
Other Regional game should be done when a
Versions: buffalo is hurt or runs away.
SANGDO 2. The first animal to free his horn
(Butting Heads) from the interlocked position and
(Ilocano) thrust it at the oponent’s neck, just
below the ear will be declared as
the winner.
3. The momemnt the carabaos
 interlock their horns, the rider must
jump off as fast as they can.
Note: When the fight is over, the owner of
the carabao that lost winds up bathing the
two carabao in the nearest river. Also they
will serve the winning owner in field task.
Movement:
The two carabaos interlock horns.
They butt their heads and move
backward and forward.
MAN AND SABONG- Outdoors, Each boy Objective:
BIRDS SABUNGAN compact soil should have a A pullet is to slach the other bird
(Mock Cockfight) under the cockerel with lemon of lime thorn.
PARIAN, shade of big (young Rule:
CALAMBA, tree. domestic male 1. The mockfight is considered
LAGUNA chicken). draw if: one or both the cockerels
(Tagalog) Lime or are injured before the game, one of
Lemon three the handlers still hold the cockerel
thorns for after the referee announces the
spurs for the release of the cocks.
young roosters 2. Any cock that flees from the ring
leg. Piece of is declared the loser.
string or rag Movement:
strip (6inch 1. The gamefowls, alone in the
long) to tie the ring, freeze in a fighting stance,
thorn. their neck feathers shawled and
ruffled, their heads jerking up and
down, watching the waiting for an
opportune time to strike.
2. The birds simultaneously clash,
their legs armed with lemon thorns,
make fast and shorts stabs during
the shuffle.
3. The gamecock that holds out
longer with fewer wounds is
declared winner by the
senctenciador.
MAN AND SAPUTAN NG Indoors or A live spider Objective:
INSECTS GAGAMBA Outdoors. for each A spider is to spin a web around its
(Spider Fight) Anytime of player. A plam opponents.
SAN RAFAEL, the day. midrib Movement:
BULACAN (tingting) one 1. The two spiders meet at the
(Tagalog) foot long or a center of the stick, touch or jab
piece of split each other with their forelegs.
bamboo or 2. The spiders rush and attach each
smooth twig. other, their feet grappling and
intertwining. By the time they
separate, a leg is pulled off from
one of the protagonists.
3. The moment the other spider
moves, the one with the leg leaves
 his food, faces its rival sqaurely and
ferociously struggle starts.
4. The spider pulled up starts to
fight for its life and the two
enemies try to outdo each other in
encasing one another completely in
a web net.
5. The first one to immobilize the
other inside a white ball of web
wins.
MAN AND SIPITAN NG Indoors or Crab with two Objective:
OTHER TALANGKA outside in the healthy claws A crab is to pull off the opponents
ANIMALS (Crab Fight) fields. or pinchers for claw.
CABANATUAN, Anytime of each player. A Movement:
NUEVA ECIJA the day. basin of 1. The players make the two
(Tagalog) shallow basket opponent crabs touch, the pincher
(bilao) of one snapping close at the big
claw of the other. The crabs are
places inside the basin or basket.
2. The rival crabs push and pull
each other’s claw, using all the
other little claws to do so.
3. The first crab to pull off the
others big claw is declared the
winner.
Note: The losing owners pays off the
winner in terms of certain number of crabs,
depending on the agreement.
KARERA NG Indoors or A snail for Objective:
SUSO outside in the each player. A snail should crawl out of the
(Snail Race) fields. circle line.
PARIAN, Anytime of Movements:
CALAMBA, the day. 1. At the given signal, the race
LAGUNA strats regardless of whether some
(Tagalog) nails are hiding under their shells.
2. The snails that stick their head
out of their shells start moving in
different directions.
3. The first snail to get out of the
circle line if the first winner: the
next will be the second
respectively.

 ORDINARY GAMES

It is subdivided into three groups. It is also known as the largest group in the classification of
traditional games: Physical Games, Games of Dexterity and Skill, and Mimetic or Drama Games.
o Physical Games – these are games characterized by energetic motor movements, bodily
strength and endurance. Included under physical games are:
  Duels – in which two players engage in direct physical conflict.
 Mock Battles or Warfare – game between two or more teams, a numerical
extensions of man to man duels or combat games
 Chasing Pursuit – in which ne person runs after (habol) one player or players or
conversely, one player pursuid by the rest of the players.
 Racing Games – two or more contestants compete against each other in arriving first
at a designated goal. Under this group falls the relay which is a relief arrangement by
which a succession of players carry through an activity.
 Hopping and Jumping Games – in which the players engage in various kinds of
jumping and hopping activities.
 Hide and Seek games – where a player or a team tries to find another player or team
who are hiding. The players hiding can gain safety by remaining hidden or getting
back to the base ahead of the seeker.
o Games of Dexterity or skill – are games that requires staggering feats of memory, foresight
and power of concentration. The emphasis in these competition is not on quick motor action
and reaction but on the meticulous performance of strategic maneuvers and/or the expert
manipulation of game props.
o Mimetic or Drama games – these are games wherein players step into roles other than
themselves and mimic animals, inanimate objects, or other people. Under this are group of
games in which players enacts stories with traditional dialogues and plots but each player is
free to direct the solution of the dramatic competition to his favor by pitting his capabilities
against those of the other players. The player who succeeds in providing the best solution to
the dramatic conflict of the game wins.
Below are some examples of Ordinary games:
PHYSICAL GAME
NAME/ORIGIN SETTINGS/MATER MECHANICS
IALS/PLA-YERS
CULLIOT  Outdoor Objective:
(Rope Pulling)  A piece of Rope To pull the opponent out of his circle with the aid
SAN JOSE, NUEVA around nine feet or the rope.
ECIJA long. Movements:
(Ilocano)  Two boys 1. At a given signal, each player tries to pull his
opponent outside the circle he is in.
2. The first player to step out of his own circular
line loses.
BAGBAGTO  The dry bed of the Objective:
(Rock War) river is chosen as To throw rocks at the opponent team and
BONTOC the battlefield, penetrate their territory.
(Igorot) since the Movement:
ammunition to be 1. The team starts hurling rocks at each other.
used (stones and 2. One team advances with a rain of rocks and
rocks) is plentiful tries to cross the imaginary line.
in the area. Played 3. The other team tries to stop the advancing
after planting time. opponents by attempting to knock them down
 Thirty to forty with well-aimed rocks, at the same time, also
men or more trying to advance and force the offensive team to
retreat and withdraw from the battle.
 4. The team that manages to cross the imaginary
line successfully and force the other to abandon
its territory and withdraw from the war wins.
ASWANG-ASWANG  Outdoors Movement:
(Witch Tag)  Two or more 1. The “Aswang” goes around the circles and tries
SAMPALOC, MANILA children of both to tag anyone of the players inside the circle.
(Tagalog) sexes. 2. The players inside move constantly to avoid
being tagged.
3. If a player is tagged or goes out of the circle, he
exchanges places with the it.

OTHER PHYSICAL GAMES:

o Kagkagtin (Kicking Game) – SAGADA, BONTOC (Igorot)
o Bunong Braso (Arm Wrestling) – SAN RAFAEL, BULACAN (Tagalog)
o Binti (Leg Combat) – JOLO, SULU (Tausug)
o Butag (Fist Pounding) – SAN JOSE, NUEVA ECIJA (Ilocano)
o Patintero (Block the Enemy) – MANILA (Tagalog)
o In-Narrian (Dump the Rider – BACOLOR, PAMPANGA (Kapampangan)
o Buwan-Buwan (Moon-Moon) – MANILA (Tagalog)
o Dakpanay (In and Out of the Circle) – CEBU CITY (Visayan)
o Hilahan sa Dahon ng Niyog (Palm Frond Race) – CABANATUAN CITY, NUEVA
ECIJA (Tagalog)
o Kadtarget – COTABATO (Maguindanoa)
o Bilaran (Back to Back Race) – CABANATUAN, NUEVA ECIJA (Tagalog)
o Kingking (Hopping to a Post) – (Tagalog)
o Luksong Bayo (Broad Jump) – PARIAN, CALAMBA, LAGUNA (Tagalog)

Note: Other games under this will be discussed thru online conference

 JOKES and TRICKSTERS

These are games in which jokes or tricks are played by a player or a group of players on one player,
exposing to that individual to physical and mental indignity and discomfort in front of the opponent,
or a trickster type of player that controls directly of indirectly the actions of the players. There is a
good deal of rough humor in these games.

It must be mentioned however that only those trick games where each player knows before the game
starts what kind of trick is involved in the game, should be included in this category. Pranks or
practical jokes whereby the trick or joke is known to everyone except one player, technically cannot
qualify for this game category for all the players should be in equal footing, therefore no player is to
be in a disadvantageous position in relation to the other competitors.
Jokes and Tricksters is divided into three groups:
1. Practical Jokes
Generally speaking, these are game that fall into two types: that in which the basis for laughter is
the victim’s action and that in which it is the speech rather than his action which leads to be the reason
why the other players are laughing.
 Example of Games:
KWARTA SA NOO  Played indoor or Objective:
(San Rafael, Bulacan) outdoor. To make the coin slide from the forhead to the
 Silver coin mouth without using the hand.
Movement:
1. At a given signal, all the players tilts their
face upward then place a coin on their
foreheads. They slowly slide the coin down to
their mouth.
Note: Hand should never be use in any way
2. The players who succeed keep their coins,
while those who failed return their coins to the
officials. The first player to win gets the
special prize.
PALIPITAN NG DILA  Played indoor or Objective:
(Manila) outdoor. The leader is to make the players stumble on
some words as they repeat tongue twisters.
Movement:
1. The leader goes to a player and makes him
repeat words that sound almost the same.
2. If the player pronounce the word correctly,
the leader ask him to pronounce the words
faster and faster.
3. If the player twist his tongue and stumbles
on a word, he is ask to forfeit something and
be penalized later. But if the player does not
make any mistake in pronouncing the wor, the
leader will proceed to the next player and so
on.

2. Games of Power Play

These are games wherein a player taking the “It” role utilizes his potential role and manipulates
the movements of the rest of the players with a minimum of skill but a maximum trickery.

Example of Game:
ILONG, ILONG,  Played indoor Objective:
BIBIG or outdoor. The players are to follow the leaders command
(Manila) and not what the leader does.
Movement:
1. The leader touches his nose with a finger and
says ilong, ilong, ilong, bibig, bibig, bibig the
players will follow his command.
2. The leader suddenly puts his finger on his
mouth and taps it saying Ilong, ilong, ilong
Note: the leader continues to repeat the words but quickly
taps some other part of the face.
3. The player caught imitating the leaders
movements and not his command is eliminated
from the game.
3. Guessing Games
These are games in which speculation plays a major role.

PITIK – BULAG  Played indoor Objective:

(Cabanatuan City, or outdoor. The flicked player is to guess how many fingers his
Nueva Ecija) opponent is flasing behind his back.
Movement:
1. Player A will cover his eyes with a hand. Player
B stands sideways, facing the ear of Player A, then
flicks the hand that covers the latters eyes. At the
same time, he flashes a finger or fingers behind
player A’s head.
2. When flicked, Player A raises his flicked and
flasehs the same number of fingers he believes
player B has behind his back.
3. If the guess is correct, they will exchange roles.
But if the guess is wrong, game will be repeated.