Title: Kirenge
General Information About Item:
- Customary Lore, Children Hand Games
- Language:
- Country of Origin: Rwanda
- Informant: Manzi Bryan
- Date Collected: May 9, 2019
Informant Data:
The informant is myself, I was born in Kigali, Rwanda to Rwandan parents. I attended Primary and Secondary school in Rwanda and since 2017 have lived in Hanover, NH at Dartmouth College.
Rules:
Please refer to “Contextual Data” section for this example to learn more about the rules.
Text:
This is a non-verbal game.
Contextual Data:
I learned this game in primary school when I was around 11 years old. A boy taught it to me at a party and I have seen it played mostly at parties ever since. Adults are usually not invited to these parties. The game is typically played with some accompanying music
The foot game consists of two players starting off by touching the inner sides of their feet, then they touch the outer sides of their feet followed by the back sides of their feet and finally the heels of their feet. The game is often played at parties and with music playing. The movements become faster as the game goes on until one of the players cannot keep up. This player is the ‘loser’.The movements and tempo should accompany whichever song is playing. Players often make sounds as they jump and when the game ends, both players are often breathing fairly heavily.
Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):
Video:
Additional Notes:
There is consistency in the way this game is played across sub-saharan Africa. From Ghanaians to Rwandans, almost everyone who knows the game also has the same rules about how the game is played.
Collector’s Name:
Manzi Bryan ’21
Tags/Keywords:
- Customary Folklore
- Children Games
- Children Foot Games
- Kirenge