----- Original Message -----
From: Thomas Bolt & the editor
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 1:26 PM
Subject: =- Is this Pnin's game? -=
 
Eagle-eyed Tom Bolt (who apparently never forgets anything) sent in the following desciption of the recently revived Swedish bowling game "kubb" and wondered whether it was the Russian game "gorodki" described by Pnin to his pseudo-son Victor. Below Tom's item, I have provided the relevant Pnin text  (chapter 4, section 8) and, for those who did not have a Russian childhood, a description of the Russian game (drawn fron Genevra Gerhart's _The Russian's World_.The short answer to Tom's question is that the Swedish "kubb,"  (literally "bowler) and the Russian "gorodki" (literally "littles cites") appear to be close kin. The truly dedicated Nabokovian will wish to print this out and insert it in their copy of Gennady Barabtarlo's splendid volume of Pnin explications.


http://www.vmkubb.com/~eweb/vakueng.htm

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What is kubb?

Kubb is a very old game. "Throwing logs" is quite popular in Sweden now, particularly on the island Gotland.
Kubb is a "partygame" which is played outdoors with 2-20 participants. Everyone can join it, young as old.
The game is played on a playing ground 5x8 meters, the size can be less or more depending on the players skilfulness, the playing ground should be fairly smooth and flat, usually we play at grass but gravel, flat rock or snow will also do.

The game pieces are made of wood and contains of following parts:
1 KING approx. 9x9 cm square and 30 cm´s height.
10  KUBBS approx. 7x7 cm square and 15 cm´s height.
6 THROWING BATONS,  round 44 mm in diameter and 30 cm´s in length.
4 CORNER STICKS 2x2x30 cm is also useful to have.

1:King, 2:Kubbs, 3:Throwing batons, 4:Corner stick, 5:Baseline

The players are divided in two teams and take place behind their respectably baseline. The game is aimed at to knock down the other teams kubbs with the throwing batons according to the rules. When all the kubbs are knocked down, the king should be knocked down, the team which does this has won.
Since 1995 "VM i Kubb" ("World championship in Kubb") is arranged on Rone IP (Gotland), 2001 there was 170 teams (of 6 members) in competition, mixed men and ladies, the teammembers age was between 8 and 85 years old.

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'Another game,' continued Pnin, lavishly sugaring his coffee, 'was naturally kroket. I was a champion of kroket. However, the favourite national recreation was so-called gorodki, which means "little towns". One remembers a place in the garden and the wonderful atmosphere of youth: I was strong, I wore an embroidered Russian shirt, nobody plays now such healthy games.'

He finished his cutlet and proceeded with the subject:

'One drew,' said Pnin, 'a big square on the ground, one placed there, like columns, cylindrical pieces of wood, you know, and then from some distance one threw at them a thick stick, very hard, like a boomerang, with a wide, wide development of the arm — excuse me — fortunately it is sugar, not salt.'

'I still hear,' said Pnin, picking up the sprinkler and shaking his head a little at the surprising persistence of memory, 'I still hear the trakh! the crack when one hit the wooden pieces and they jumped in the air.