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Varpa is an outdoor game that dates back to the Viking Age and survived in Gotland. It is similar to boules and horseshoes but is played with a flat and heavy object called a "varpa" instead of balls. Varpas used to be well-shaped stones, but nowadays, aluminium is more popular. A varpa can weigh between one-half and five kilograms (one and eleven pounds). The object of the game is to throw the varpa as close to a stick as possible. The stick is fifteen metres (sixteen yards) away for women and twenty metres (twenty-two yards) away for men. The game can be played individually or in teams.
No official nationally sponsored varpa teams exist; however, unofficial leagues are growing in popularity among youth in suburban areas of Sweden and Norway.[1]
"Varpa" is an old word which simply means "to throw".
Varpa is one of the disciplines at the annual Stånga Games (Stångaspelen).[1]
See also
- Caber toss
- Game of physical skill
- Pärk
References
- ^ a b Molin, Maria (12 June 2015). "Stångaspelen för den oinvigde" [Stånga Games for the uninitiated]. www.gotland.net. Gotlands Media AB. Retrieved 24 June 2016.