History of Cinco Marias
The original version of the game Cinco Marias, or “Five Marys,” dates back to more than twenty centuries ago. At the time, the Greeks called the game Astragalissimo, while the Romans referred to it as Pentalia.
Both the Greeks and the Romans would toss small bones onto the ground and interpret the way they fell as a consultation with the gods. As a result, the game was also known as the “bone game.”
After the expansion of the Roman Empire, Cinco Marias spread to a number of places around the world. This explains how the game arrived in Brazil, as a result of Portuguese colonization. It may also account for why the game is called Cinco Marias in Portuguese, as Portugal was a devout Catholic country during the colonization period.
What is Cinco Marias?
Cinco Marias is very popular among Brazilian children. The game is typically played by girls, and is a common pastime for children nationwide.
Both simple and versatile, the game does not require any specific materials, nor must it be played in a specific place. All players need are the rules of the game and five small objects (called “Marys”) that are similar in size — five stones, for example.
Although the objects are often stones, bones or bottle caps, many Cinco Marias players make their own objects. Some people sew little cloth bags that they’ve filled with rice or sand to use as Marys. Then, with the five Marys in hand, the players are ready to begin their game of Cinco Marias.
During the game, players must complete a series of tasks that are divided into five phases. To win the game, it is important to finish the tasks before the other players. However, the game does not have to be competitive, and is arguably just as enjoyable when played alone.
There are a number of different versions of Cinco Marias, including the “bone game” and the “game of the little ones”:
- Jogo do osso
- Jogo das perdinhas
- Bugalhos
- Chinas y Chinos
- Pipoquinha
- Epotatá
- Onente
- Capitão
Rules of Cinco Marias
There are many different ways to play Cinco Marias. The most common version of the game is divided into the five following phases:
- The player begins by tossing all five Marys onto the floor. Then, he or she must pick one object up without touching the other four. The player will throw the bag they’ve chosen up into the air, picking another object while the first one is still in the air. After picking up the second bag, the player must catch the first one in the same hand before it touches the ground.
- This process must be repeated for each of the remaining objects on the floor. The second round is similar to the first one, but instead of taking just one object at a time, the player must select two objects while the original is still in the air.
- For the third round, the player will pick up a single object after their first throw, and the three remaining objects after their second throw.
- The same rules apply to the fourth round of Cinco Marias, but now the player will pick up all four bags at the same time before catching the one that was originally thrown.
- In the final round, the player begins by throwing all five Marys onto the floor and picking one of them to throw into the air. The difference here is that instead of selecting a single bag while the first one is in the air, the player will make a tunnel with their non-throwing hand and pass one bag at a time through the tunnel while the first bag is still in the air.
Similar to jacks and tiddlywinks, Cinco Marias offers a unique Brazilian take on Western children’s games.
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