An Arabic word "cerid" (pronounced as Jereet) meaning "from bark-free date-tree branch".
1. A game (match) played by horse-riders according to certain rules by throwing sticks at each other,
2. The name of the stick used in this game.
Cirit or Cerit (Javeline) is a game played by Turkish horsemen in Central Asia with a meter-long (3 feet) sticks. The purpose of the Javelin, a team game, is to aim and hit the players-on-horse with such sticks.
It is claimed that the game was rooted at Central Asia and brought to Anatolia by way of Mongol raids. During the Ottoman Age, especially in the 15th century, the game was spreaded around in the vicinity of the palace, in the army, and with their influence, amongst the public. It is known that the Ottoman sultans and their high military commanders were performing this game even during the war times to increase the soldiers' morale, energy, ability of warring and strength. Also, the javelins in different weights and shapes were thrown at targets in different distances to improve physical condition. The game was given a great importance during the reigns of Sultans Bayezit the Thunderbolt and Mehmet the Gentleman and two opponent cavalry companies (cundî) were established in Amasya and Merzifon by the skillful horsemen famed of their horse-riding. After the abolishment of Jannissaryship during the reign of Sultan Mahmut II (1826), the game was banned by the sultan and lost its importance, and, today in some areas in Anatolia like Erzurum, Diyarbakır, Siirt, Konya, etc., the game is played on special days like wedding and circumcision parties and estivals.
Javelin is played with two teams, each team having 6, 8 or 10 horsemen (players) and the game is played on a rectanagular field of 70x120 meters (77x131 yards). The teams situate themselves behind a line at each end of the field having one stick in the right hand to throw and some sticks in the left hand in reserve. (The question how the player manages the horse without using his hands comes into mind: This shows how the horseman is interacted with his horse. He has to be acrobatic enough so that during the game, he has to roll sideways or under the horse to defend himself from the sticks thrown by the opponent player and since he cannot use his hands most of the times, the horse should be able to cooperate with his master and sense and know what his master wants to do.) One player from a team starts the game by going to opponents line till 30 to 40 meters (33 to 44 yards) and calls the name of his opponent to invite him for challenge. After the opponent leaves his own line, the caller throws the stick in his right hand to his opponent and runs away for his own line. The opponent whose name was called by the running-away player, chases his opponent and throws a stick at him. Then, another player from the first player's line meets the on-coming opponent but this time the on-coming player tries to return to his own line and the game goes on like this to the last player in the teams which may last for hours.
If the stick thrown by a player touches the opponent player, the player gets a point but if the stick touches the horse but not the opponent player, the player throwing the stick loses a point; if a player does not throw the stick to his opponent as he was for sure very close to the opponent and score a point, he gets a gentleman-point (This rule cannot be seen at any sport in the world today). And, if there are players, who have hostility for each other, are not placed in the teams. At the end of the game, a committee formed of experienced old players decide about the result of the game.
Abridged and translated from Grand Larousse Encyclopedical Dictionary issued by Milliyet; 1986-1992; Volume 5, Page 2386; and Crossroads magazine issued by Tourist Guides of Turkey, Summer 2003, Issue No. 1; by K. Can Arman.
1. A game (match) played by horse-riders according to certain rules by throwing sticks at each other,
2. The name of the stick used in this game.
Cirit or Cerit (Javeline) is a game played by Turkish horsemen in Central Asia with a meter-long (3 feet) sticks. The purpose of the Javelin, a team game, is to aim and hit the players-on-horse with such sticks.
It is claimed that the game was rooted at Central Asia and brought to Anatolia by way of Mongol raids. During the Ottoman Age, especially in the 15th century, the game was spreaded around in the vicinity of the palace, in the army, and with their influence, amongst the public. It is known that the Ottoman sultans and their high military commanders were performing this game even during the war times to increase the soldiers' morale, energy, ability of warring and strength. Also, the javelins in different weights and shapes were thrown at targets in different distances to improve physical condition. The game was given a great importance during the reigns of Sultans Bayezit the Thunderbolt and Mehmet the Gentleman and two opponent cavalry companies (cundî) were established in Amasya and Merzifon by the skillful horsemen famed of their horse-riding. After the abolishment of Jannissaryship during the reign of Sultan Mahmut II (1826), the game was banned by the sultan and lost its importance, and, today in some areas in Anatolia like Erzurum, Diyarbakır, Siirt, Konya, etc., the game is played on special days like wedding and circumcision parties and estivals.
Javelin is played with two teams, each team having 6, 8 or 10 horsemen (players) and the game is played on a rectanagular field of 70x120 meters (77x131 yards). The teams situate themselves behind a line at each end of the field having one stick in the right hand to throw and some sticks in the left hand in reserve. (The question how the player manages the horse without using his hands comes into mind: This shows how the horseman is interacted with his horse. He has to be acrobatic enough so that during the game, he has to roll sideways or under the horse to defend himself from the sticks thrown by the opponent player and since he cannot use his hands most of the times, the horse should be able to cooperate with his master and sense and know what his master wants to do.) One player from a team starts the game by going to opponents line till 30 to 40 meters (33 to 44 yards) and calls the name of his opponent to invite him for challenge. After the opponent leaves his own line, the caller throws the stick in his right hand to his opponent and runs away for his own line. The opponent whose name was called by the running-away player, chases his opponent and throws a stick at him. Then, another player from the first player's line meets the on-coming opponent but this time the on-coming player tries to return to his own line and the game goes on like this to the last player in the teams which may last for hours.
If the stick thrown by a player touches the opponent player, the player gets a point but if the stick touches the horse but not the opponent player, the player throwing the stick loses a point; if a player does not throw the stick to his opponent as he was for sure very close to the opponent and score a point, he gets a gentleman-point (This rule cannot be seen at any sport in the world today). And, if there are players, who have hostility for each other, are not placed in the teams. At the end of the game, a committee formed of experienced old players decide about the result of the game.
Abridged and translated from Grand Larousse Encyclopedical Dictionary issued by Milliyet; 1986-1992; Volume 5, Page 2386; and Crossroads magazine issued by Tourist Guides of Turkey, Summer 2003, Issue No. 1; by K. Can Arman.
: 06 August 2003 / 11:25 GMT
