History of Football

Political and Social Roots of Worlds Game

Football in Europe Political and Social Aspects Katedra Europeistyki UW

China Cu ju

The oldest known cu ju footballer picture (Kai Column, approx. 2600 BC)

China Cu ju
Huangdi (ca. 2697-2597 BC) The Yellow Emperor
legendary Emperor of China Huangdis army used to play cu ju an ancient chinese football game trated as a military inurement mentioned as an author of nearly any ancient Chinese inventions and discoveries
The Yellow Emperor

Cu ju cu (to kick) ju (the ball)

an element of military treatment no religious or mystic aspects barbarians from north mentioned as inventors and teachers of cu ju the ball was made of eight leather stripes and filled with heather of fur

Cu ju ball

China Cu ju
Han Dynasty (3th c. BC) cu ju development
cu ju became a folk sport women began to play cu ju first football manual with 70 rules 10 phases of training rectangular playground the ball can be kicked or punched fouls appeared fouling player is called xiao ren (disgusting fellow) rules transformation two goals of 5m height instead of one since Tang Dynasty era (from 618) the ball was filled with air

Cu ju game in Ming Dynasty era (15 c.)

China Cu ju

The Yongle Emperor observes cu ju game played by eunuchs (Ming Dynasty, 15th c.)

China Cu ju

Chinese women play cu ju (approx. 6th c. BC)

China Cu ju
Li Yus poem about cu ju (2nd c.)
The ball is round The playground is square (just as Earth and Sky) The ball flies upon us like the Moon (when two teams face each other) Selected captains take their positions According to unchanged rules (no privileges for relatives no place for adherents) Everyones decided and confident (no mistakes and no negligances) As all that is needed in football So it is also needed in fight an life
One Hundred Children in Long Spring Chinese painting , Song Dynasty (12th c.)

Japan Kemari

Kemari players Japanese woodcut (approx. 15th c.)

Japan Kemari
Kemari
came to Japan from China approx. 600 AD as a version of cu ju mari describes the ball made of deerskin and with barley grains holy game, conducted by priest, played only in temples 14 m x 14 m playground with selected trees planted in the corners the object was to keep the ball in the air with the cooperation of all players (4-6), who were allowed to use feet, head, knees, backs and possibly elbows the ball was blessed by the priest and then the oldest player kicked it off good players were called mariashi they had high level of ball control players uniforms karingu Kemari was first reserved for aristocracy

Modern reconstruction of Kemari game in Tanzan Shrine (Temple)

Japan Kemari

Modern reconstruction of Kemari game in Tanzan Shrine

Ancient Greece Episkyros

Greeks playing episkyros marble relief from Nation Museum of Archeology in Athens (approx. 2000 BC)

Ancient Greece Episkyros

Episkyros
team athletic sport, played in ancient Greece probalby since approx. 2000 BC the object was to carry the ball behing the strict line of enemy team the ball was made of leather episkyros probably hadnt any mystic or religous aspect

Modern reconstruction of episkyros balls

Ancient Rome Harpastum

Romans playing probably harpastum (approx. 1st c. BC / 1st. c. AD)

Ancient Rome Harpastum

Harpastum
a Roman version of episkyros introduced after the conquest of Greece and widespreaded on the turn of BC and AD era the small ball made of leather on filled with horse hair was probably replace by air-filled balls later on playground was rectangular and had three lines ticked two end lines and middle line made of stones the aim of the game was to carry the ball behing enemy team (5-12 players) end line player who carried the ball behind end line was to leave the field game began with a coin-toss team was formed in 4 lines: astati, veliti, principi and treari

Romans playing harpastum

Ancient Rome Harpastum

Harpastum
game were played by Julius Ceasar, Cato the Younger, Octavian August, Nero and Antonius it was very popular among young man and Roman soldiers later on harpastum evolved into more brutal version sphaeremachia, which was broought to Britiain

Galen described Harpastum as:

Romans playing harpastum

() better than wrestling or running because it exercises every part of the body, takes up little time, and costs nothing. () profitable training in strategy () played with varying degrees of strenuousness."

Ancient Rome Harpastum

Roman playing probably harpastum (approx. 1st c. BC / 1st. c. AD)

Pre-Columbian America

Relief showing Aztec playing football

Pre-Columbian America
Pre-Columbian Football
numerous and various football games played by Mayas, Toltecs, Zapotecs, Mistecs and Aztecs very popular in Central America in every version it was a religious and mystic ritual combined with sacrifice ceremony ball was very often a symbol of sun the only source of information about PreColumbian football are Aztec pictograms the Aztec version of football is the only one fully described in main cities the game held its religious character in provinces it became a sort of entertainment connected with gambling

Indian player with a rubber ball National Museum in Mexico City (2nd/3rd c. BC)

Pre-Columbian America
Pre-Columbian Football
playgrounds had a double T shape and were made of stones playgrounds lenght was 146,8 m and its width was 27 m on boths sides of playground stood stone walls of 7,32 m tall In the middle on walls on 6,75 m height two stone rounded goals were situated the object of the game was to put a rubber ball in the hole of goal the ball was always ritually blessed before the game, sometimes a lifesacrifice was made before the kick-off captain of the losing team was sacrificed the football game was often held on Huitilopochtli god holy day

The goal of Aztec football

Pre-Columbian America

Aztec football playground scheme with gods (National Museum in Mexico City, approx. 1500 AD)

Pre-Columbian America

Aztec football playground in Chichen Itza from approx. 1000 AD

North America - Choctaws

Choctaw Football
a ritual and mystic sport of Choctaw tribe started approx. 400 AD before game players took 3-week training and last week before the game was sexless playground was very long (up to 1,5 km) and widhout specified width the object of the game was to throw a small ball into the goal using a rocket each player carried two 1,2 m rockets with a brace net players were naked, waring only rituallysewed belts with horse tails the game ended with the 100th goal for one of teams in 1832 George Catlin noticed a game with more than 1000 players

Choctaw football player

North America - Chocktaws

Ritual Chocktaw dance before the football game

North America - Chocktaws

Chocktaw football game

North America - Chocktaws

Choctaw football game

North America - Chocktaws

Choctaw football game

France La Soule (La Choule)

France La Soule (La Choule)

La Soule
game appeared in Normandy, Brittony and Picardy in 12th c. it was a kind of Sunday entertainment la soule often began on Sunday afternoon, was played on Easter, Christmas and Shrovetide at very beginning, the aim of the game was to bring the ball made from pigs bladder covered by leather, to the church door very often rival teams represented two parishes no rules the ball could be kicked, punched, carried or hit by sticks in 13th c. the game became moving from cities to special playgrounds in 1538 playing in churchyard became forbidden goals not always had posts

La Soule

France La Soule (La Choule)

La Soule game

France La Soule (La Choule)

Late la Soule game (1894)

Italy Calcio Fiorentino

Italy Calcio Fiorentino

Calcio Fiorentino
game appeared in Florence in 16 c. and was played on Santa Croce Square in 1530 the game was played even though Charles V seiged the city (Il Sedio) in late 16 c. game evolved to modern rugby, specially when played by the folk team was formed by 15 innanzi, 5 sconciatori, 4 datori innanzi and 3 datori addietro game was connected with Carnival and was approved by Catholic Church famous players: Clemence VII, Leon X, Urban VII poverity was not allowed to play on main squares in early 17 c. game became very popular in Italy and then disappeared in lat 18 c.

Modern Calcio Fiorentino reconstruction

Italy Calcio Fiorentino

Calcio Fiorentino

Italy Calcio Fiorentino

Calcio Fiorentino

Scotland The Ba Game

Marble relief of the Ba Game (Kirkwall, Scotland)

Scotland The Ba Game

The Ba Game
game appeared in medieval Scotland Based on Tuscar legend game between Donnies (they go to port) and Uppies (they go uptowns) game was connected with Chistian holy days, like Christmas or New Years Eve very popular in medieval Scotland banned throughout the country in 14-15 c. the object of the game is to carry the ball into to final festination inside or outside city walls game always begins at 1 PM in front of Kirkwal Cathedral

Modern Ba Game reconstruction

Ba Game reconstruction