Istunka, also known as Dabshid,is a festival held annually in Afgooye, Somalia on the Somali new year. The tournament was developed during the medieval Ajuuraan period, and was centralized in the 19th century under the Geledi sultanate. Consisting of several teams engaging each other in mock combat, it is celebrated alongside other ceremonies such as Nowruz.
History
The Istunka tournament was developed in the Middle Ages, during the Ajuuraan period. It was celebrated annually on the Somali new year alongside other festivals such as Nowruz. The martial arts festival later became a centralized tournament under the Geledi sultanate. During the reign of Sultan Ahmed Yusuf, separate teams were established, each supported by an assembly of poets, female vocalists and dance groups throughout the duration of the contest.
In the modern era, the festival evolved into a local attraction; particularly during the 1970s and 80s. It is still practised annually in the southern Afgooye region.
Description
The event itself consists of a mock fight between the people residing on each side of the river bed in the town of Afgooye. Symbolizing the defence of one's community and honor, it coincides with the start of the main harvest season. Istunka was originally performed in full combat gear, with battle-axes, swords and daggers. However, for safety reasons, performers later replaced those weapons with large sticks or batons.
Wow , I think in Sudan they have something like that too . It's for marital purposes or something like that in Sudan I think .{not sure , seen it on tv once }, they whip each other really bad though .
This is unique
Re: Afgooye People are Crazy. What Sports is this
Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 9:05 pm
by Marques
Istunka was never a sport per se, more of a tribal/regional ritual and as a test of manhood/masculine ability. The sticks they use to use were more painful and a lot of blood use to be spilt. The former military regime franchized it into a sport. The young SYLII group are doing well to bring back a cultural renaissance
Re: Afgooye People are Crazy. What Sports is this
Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 9:09 pm
by Thuganomics
SahanGalbeed wrote:Wow , I think in Sudan they have something like that too . It's for marital purposes or something like that in Sudan I think .{not sure , seen it on tv once }, they wip each other really bad though .
This is unique
Yeah South Sudan and North Ethiopia they're called the Suri .They beat the shit out of each other .It's a mad,mad world
Re: Afgooye People are Crazy. What Sports is this
Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 9:23 pm
by SahanGalbeed
Yeah , yeah there you go
while I was out there searching for this , found out that it's also a right of passage for Fulani boys
Re: Afgooye People are Crazy. What Sports is this
Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 10:28 pm
by SultanOrder
According to my mom,the reason for istuunta was that the people who did it use to believe that if they didn't do it, there wouldn't be any rain, their harvests would be poor. It became a serious problem after people would get seriously injured and fatalities would occur, so the Government told them not to do it anymore. At last the compromise was for them to use smaller (less harmful) sticks to do it. As Ababakar said, they could of possibly turned it into a sport, so as to have more control over it.
