A Game Of Fingers
It may seem at first like child’s play, or maybe just a spirited taunting between a few men. But make no mistake about it: the Jocu de sa Morra is a game taken so seriously by the men in Sardinia than at some point, it was banned because of the violent outcomes that often resulted from the matches.
The game is played by two to four men, with two sides competing against each other. One man on each side stretches out his hand and shows some of his fingers and then both men try and scream out the total number of fingers shown on both sides. The object of the game is to guess correctly the total number of fingers shown, earning for the winner one point. The winner of each round then plays the game with the opponent’s partner (in games that involve four players) until one side reaches 16 points (in some games it is 21) with a two-point advantage. In the event of a tie, a sudden-death round is started in which the race is to be the first to gain five points.
To the novice observer, the Jocu de sa Morra seems like a spirited game of rock-paper-scissors, played by excitable men who continuously shout numbers at each other. It is played at a rapid pace and the race can be quite intense, especially when several bottles of wine have already been consumed. Such passion Sards put into this game that organized competitions are not uncommon, primarily because in informal games played in street corners or wherever men congregated, the contest becomes so heated that scuffles and knife fights have resulted because of it.
The game is quite popular especially in the Barbagia region of Nuoro, as well as in Urzulei and Gavoi, and on the Montiferru outside Seneghe in the province of Oristano. Competitions are held in the morning, followed by wine and lunch, and then to resume again as impromptu matches in the afternoon. The Jocu de sa Morra is also played during Sardinian festivals.
