Adji-boto
Adji-boto is a traditional mancala game played by the Saramaccans, i.e, the Maroons who live on the banks of the Saramacca river, in Suriname. It is similar to some mancalas played in West Africa, especially Benin, and could be regarded as a variation of the Wari game, which is the most common mancala game found in the Americas. The game plays an important role in the social life of Saramaccans, and it is especially connected to funeral rituals.
Adji-boto
-JvL- from Netherlands · Adji-boto game from Ghana · CC BY 2.0
- Field
- mancala
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Adji-boto is a traditional mancala game played by the Saramaccans, i.e, the Maroons who live on the banks of the Saramacca river, in Suriname. It is similar to some mancalas played in West Africa, especially Benin, and could be regarded as a variation of the Wari game, which is the most common mancala game found in the Americas. The game plays an important role in the social life of Saramaccans, and it is especially connected to funeral rituals.
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wikipedia incomplete · checked 25 September 2026
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wikidata · Q1057836 · wikipedia · Adji-boto
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Overview
After someone's death, the game is played for the ten days before burial; at night, the board is left outside in the open so that the yorkas (spirits of the dead) can play with it. The intent is to lure the spirits into the village so that they will eventually accept the dead's spirit in their community. Board can only be manufactured by widows.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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