2024 Culture Fest: Day 7 - Entertainment and Leisure

The Kingdom of Pibocip

Entertainment and Leisure:

The sport of Athletics (Cross Country, Track and Field), is a popular sport in the Kingdom of Pibocip. Both Crown Prince Phillip and Prince Phillip J. are experienced Track and Field Officials, and Prince Richard is a Track Coach. Their Highnesses Richard, Richard H, Robert, Alexander, Andrew, and HRH Phillip are either runners or are former runners in the sport of Athletics. American Football also finds its way into sporting entertainment of many Pibocians. H.H. Phillip J. is an active Lifeguard Instructor, and Their Highnesses Annamarie and Daniel are former swimmers. Many Pibocians find hobbies in many different experiences from PM Ziobert and H.H. Phillip J. with Model Railroading to historical engines and farm equipment. Pibocians tend to enjoy a variety of wholesome activities that strengthen the spirit, mind and body.

Shangki ænd Stihkubala

Þe Markomanas enjoy few sports more than shangki and stihkubala. Both sports involve a lot of gambling, a lot of physical confrontation, and a highly competitive spirit.

Shangki is played by throwing a spear, and depending on the variant, either trying to throw it through a rolling hoop or by trying to land it the closest to where a rolling stone disc will stop. Shangki was learned long ago from the people of Kahokya (Cahokia), who taught it to Haimariki and his men. The game, called chunkey today, was then learned by the Ald Markomanas from the Wazazei (Osage).

Stihkubala was learned from interactions with the Shalaki (Cherokee), and is the more physically active of the two sports. The ball, a small ball of leather wrapped around wood, is thrown up in the air as members both teams them clambor to catch it in their sticks that end in a small basket or wood-framed leather loop. The goal is to get the ball, however possible, through the opposing side’s goal posts; this often means throwing the ball to other players, or rushing and plowing through the opponents.

Hneftafl, Sjakk and other traditional board games
Forunesians who lives in their native far north, had for obvious reasons spend most of their winter inside. This was a great way to tell tales, read, write or play games.

These games can attribute their origin to the Viking age, if not older. The outset Hnefatfl for example, is to sacrifice yourself from an encircling enemy to save your King, this made it also a factor for the Germanic “honour culture.”

Later, as the Vikings came back home they didn’t only bring gold and slaves, but also games, through both trade and raids the game “chess” came here. Beautiful chess pieces carved whale bone, such as seen in Trondheim or in Lewis is percieved to be made by local artisans in Trøndelag (the region where Forunes is located.)

Beyond several board games which despite their old origin, is still thriving, “betting” is also pretty common, this includes anything from who is going to win the hnefatfl game, or how many in the school of fish is going to jump form the water.

The “betting” on both board games and in nature usually includes on coins (such illustrated in the picture) or of other things such as objects (for example the “knight piece”.)

By sports, skiing is an extremely popular sport, some have even called it “mandatory” to watch and ski. The origin started as the easiest, sometimes the only way to transport, today it is usually done to challenge oneself.

Writing and reading is a popular entertainment way. The many Norse sagas still being the hit, as it not only is greatly written, but also sometimes tells anout local places from a distant time. For the Italian minority, popular works include such as by Aligheri, Bocaccio. The mostimportant in Italian is the “Il naufragio della Querina” an real story about how the venetian captain Pietro Querini in the 15th century managed to shipwreck in Røst, Northern Norway and made their way back to Italy (whilst going by Forunes.)