Title: The Waa Game

General Information about Item:

• Customary Folklore: Game

• Language: English

• Country: United States

Informant Data:

• The informant is a Dartmouth ’21 male. He went on a first-year trip in September 2017; the trip was canoeing.

Contextual Data:

• Social Context
  • All the trippees and trip leaders stand around in a circle together

• Cultural Context
  • In the game, individuals often make silly mistakes in what should be a basic / straightforward game. Laughing with one another at these silly mistakes leads to bonding
  • It is nice to be able to play a relatively easy game to allow everyone to relax

Item:

• The Waa game: In the Waa game, everyone in the group stands in a circle facing each other. One person then starts the game by pointing with both hands together at another person in the circle and screaming “waa.” The person who was pointed at then must raise her/his arms and scream “waa.” The two people next to that person then swipe their arms across the person who was pointed at and scream “waa.” The game then continues with the person who was pointed at pointing at someone else.

Transcript of Informant Interview:

“We played the Waa game. In the game we are all standing up in a circle. And one person points to someone else in the circle screaming “Waa” and then the person who received the point then puts both arms in the air screaming “Waa.” And the two people beside that person both chop the person down while also screaming “waa.” And then if you don’t follow those rules you are out. So we bonded over those.”

Informant’s Comments:

• It was a really fun game, and a cool way to learn interesting things about the other people on my trip.

Collector’s Comments:

• Informant was able to give a detailed account of the experience that he had on trips.

Collector’s Name: Madison DeRose

Tags/Keywords:

• Customary Folklore, Game, Waa, fun, trippees, bonding