The History of Bowling

Many fans of The Big Lebowski are familiar with the game Bowling. However, the history of the game has quite a few surprises, from being a religious game, to being illegal for many years. Let's look at Bowling, the History and evolution of the game that dates back 5,000 years.

Bowling dates back to ancient Egypt 5,000 years ago. From excavations in a town called Narmoutheos, (source) archaeologists believe to have found the first bowling alley, and first bowling balls. The balls were of different sizes. The lane was about 4 meters long and 20 cm wide, with a 2 cm deeper pit in the middle. Game Historians have studied the findings to attain how the game was played. Players would try to hit each others balls out of the pit. The player with the most balls left at the end was the winner.

This ruleset is very similar to the games of Jeu De Bulles, Pétanque or Lawn Bowls, whereby players either try to get closest to a small ball. Bowling as is known in North America took a shift in 300 AD in Germany.

Germans Changed The Game

A German historian, William Pehle, (source) asserted that bowling began in his country about 300 AD, when German partitioners began knocking down their walking sticks. The sticks were metaphors for sins being knocked away. For many centuries a the number of sticks or 'pins' used would vary in number. In 1500's, Martin Luther decreed that 9 was the perfect number of pins to play. The game '9 Pins' grew in popularity throughout Europe. Still to this day 'Kegel' which is popular in parts of Europe (Germany, Austria, and others) is still played with 9 pins in a diamond shape.

Bowling Has Been Banned Many Times in History

Bowling's popularity could have become why it was deemed illegal for many decades. In England in 1366, King Edward III allegedly outlawed bowling to keep his troops focused on archery practice.

Luckily, Henry VI reversed the ban in 1455, and 15th century London briefly became home to several all-weather bowling alleys indoors again.

Henry VIII felt compelled to legislate against the game again in the 16th century. In 1541, he declared that only the wealthy could bowl. This was convenient for him, since London’s Whitehall Palace had recently been rebuilt with outdoor bowling lanes. Henry VIII declared that anyone who kept a bowling green had to pay a fee of 100 pounds. However, the green could only be used for private games and the edict forbid anyone to "play at any bowle or bowles in open space out of his own garden or orchard". “Artificers, labourers, apprentices, servants and the like” were prohibited “from playing bowls except in their masters’ house and presence at Christmas.” The game would have been played as part of the 12 Days of Christmas enjoyed during Tudor England. This was a time which provided the working class with opportunities for rare pleasures such as visiting the zoo, watching plays, and jousting matches. So at least they could go bowling on Christmas. ( Source )

However only a short time later in 1555 Queen Mary even outlawed the Christmas games, saying they provided cover for "unlawful assemblies, conventicles, seditions, and conspiracies.”

In 1618 King James issued the Declaration of Sports, which banned bowling on Sundays but did allow dancing and archery as long as one first attended a church service.

In America, the old farmers almanac of 1841 says 9 pins was banned in several states due to circumvent prohibition and gambling lockdowns. The state of Connecticut banned ownership of 9 pins lanes to curb gambling and crime. This is when the game changed the number of pins, (the game's rule since 1500's) to 10 pins in the shape of a triangle, which was not banned. ( Source )

Today we see the game still being played all over the world in various forms. The evolution of the game's mechanics can be found in many video games, and extreme sports such as truck bowling, or golf bowling.

If you want to learn more about Game Design, check out our Game Design Basics Course. Harness the Power of Play.