Bul (game)

Bul, also called Buul, Boolik or Puluc, is a running-fight board game originating in Mesoamerica, and is known particularly among several of the Maya peoples of the Guatemalan highlands. It is uncertain whether this specific game dates back to the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, or whether instead it developed in the post-colonial era after the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores.

Stewart Culin described the game in the 24th Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology: Games of North American Indians published in 1907.R. C. Bell referred to the game in his reference work Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations. Both of these descriptions were based on the eyewitness accounts of others.

Lieve Verbeeck, a linguist studying Mayan language, witnessed the modern version of the game being played by Mopan and Kekchi Maya in Belize:

But neither can I give you hard evidence that the corn game, as it is now still played by the Mopan and K'ekchi' Mayans, (who are neighbours), was known in the ancient times. There is linguistic evidence that the ancient Mayans used to play games of chance. The name of BUL occurs in several Mayan languages and always means to play with dice. Sometimes, by extension, it means "to lose with gambling". There is archaeological evidence that the Mayans knew the square- and oval-shaped patolli boards. There are many sites throughout the Maya area where archaeologists found patterns of patolli boards carved in floors or benches. Unfortunately there are no BUL boards found (yet??) ... Anyway I don't have any thrilling stories for you about famous BUL contests in the ancient times. Only three Maya manuscripts were safeguarded from the Spanish conquerors. Up till now no reference to Maya board games was found. Of course there are a few pictures displaying priests throwing corn or seeds for divination ... Culin's version of BUL is quite accurate. I observed the game being played by 10 men. They placed 25 grains of corns in a row. The game lasted for 3 hours, because they played 5 variants.

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