Statues game presentation made for "Playing Europe" Erasmus+ KA229 project

1. ΑΓΑΛΜΑΤΑΚΙΑ
STATUES (in Greek)
ENGLISH CHICK (in English)
Chrysi Noti
Konstantina Oikonomou
Evangeliki Model High School Of Smyrna
Erasmus +KA229 ‘’Playing Europe’’- School year:2020-21

2. ROLE &
SIGNIFICANCE
OF TRADITIONAL
GAMES
In general, games have played an important role in
the Greek society. From ancient times to our days
they have helped the children to overcome many
difficulties and to abide until today.
The game is not only a way for children to have
fun but also helps them significantly in their
development.Through play children enhance social
interaction, expression and communication, thus
structuring the image of themselves, others and
the world. Its role is essential in the mental
development and learning of children because it
offers stimuli for observation, experimentation,
exploration, prediction, planning, interpretation,
hypothesis, question generation, understanding,
fulfilling goals and solving problems. In addition,
via playing, kids perceive their body, their limits
and possibilities, develop skills of orienting and
adapting their body to their movement needs but
also to the objects and persons surrounding it.

3. TRADITIONAL GAMES THROUGH THE
AGES
➢ The ancient Greeks gave great importance to the role of the game. It was thought to
be a way of self-education. They were the first to understand the value of team games
and believed that through them human perfection takes place. That's why they included
them in their children’s education program.They also considered them important for the
adults so the elder started devoting much of their free time to team games and races.
➢ The years of the German occupation of Greece (1940-44) were very difficult for
everyone. Shortage in clothes and food, poverty and misery prevailed throughout the
country. The children were thin, cachectic, and lived in fear of death. They managed to
survive thanks to the meager food they were provided by their parents and to the
game.The game made them feel alive, free and carefree from problems, it filled them
with courage, confidence, and joy. On the other hand, through movement they ensured,
as much as possible, their good health and the smooth development of their body.

4. TRADITIONAL GAMES THROUGH
THE AGES
➢ Later, after the war, the living conditions were very difficult and children from a very
young age were forced to work in order to contribute to the family. But despite all the
difficulties they faced, they often managed to break free from slavery and play with their
peers on the street. So, even for a while, they lived and expressed themselves as children.
With the game they forgot for a while the problems and difficulties, they relaxed, they had
fun and thus they managed not to lose their courage and their optimism for life and a better
tomorrow.
➢ Today, although the fields, especially in the cities, have been reduced to extinction, the
children are happy when they find space to play, to run, to move. Unfortunately, finding space
is not feasible in modern cities. Buildings and roads do not help the child and the game. The
problem of non-existence of play areas has as a result the children to become addicted to
electronic games and to be stuck at home, not to move as much as they would like and would
have to, to become lazy, lonely, with weight problems, to a large extent, and lack of
sociability.

5. THE HISTORY OF THE “STATUES” GAME
In the ancient times the game was called “Agouts”, then it took the name of
“Akinitinda” and finally “Statues”, as we call it today.
We do not know when this game started being played. However, it comes from
ancient times, it is improvised and can more or less be played by school
children.
It was and it still is a team game and does not require special training. By this
game children could practice their body and their mind. Children of 8 years
old and over, both girls and boys, used to play this game on the street or in
the central square of the village when they could find the opportunity.
The game and its rules haven’t changed much through the years because it is
well known that the physical games can hardly undergo alterations in the way
they are being played.

6. A GREEK POEM REFERRING TO THIS
TRADITIONAL GAME
Μέρα ή νύχτα;
είπε και έφτυσε
Μάνα δεν υπήρχε στην αυλή
μονάχα χορταριασμένα αγάλματα
με τη γλώσσα κολλημένη στον ουρανό
Κάποιο παιχνίδι έπαιζαν
αυτές οι πέτρες πίσω από την πλάτη σου
ένα παιχνίδι που έλεγε πως η κίνηση
πρέπει να πνίγεται στη γέννησή της
και πως το χέρι πρέπει να μένει
μπροστά από τα χείλη για να διαλύει
το γέλιο στον ψίθυρο και αντίστροφα.
Μέσα στα αγάλματα το κάθε ερώτημα
έμοιαζε με απελπισμένη πιθανότητα.
Κούνησες; Μίλησες; Γέλασες; Έχασες;
πάμε ξανά αλλη μια φορά
Μέρα ή νύχτα;

7. THE TRANSLATION OF THE POEM IN
ENGLISH
Day or night?
he said and spat
The mother wasn’t in the yard
only grassy statues
with the tongue stuck in the sky
They were playing a game
these stones behind your back
a game that said how the move
must be drowned at her birth
and how the hand should stay
in front of the lips to dissolve
laughter in the whisper and vice versa.
Inside the statues every question
seemed like a desperate possibility.
Did you move? Did you speak? Did you laugh? Υou lost;
let's go again one more time
Day or night?

8. HOW TO PLAY THE “STATUES”:
RULES
➔ In the statues, all except one of the children are in line.
➔ This child is far from the other children and with his back turned. At a distance of about 20 meters, the other
children are either in a line or as a group, without defined positions. The one who ‘’guards’’ them is turned away
with his eyes closed.
➔ All the other children are behind him and trying to find a pose.
➔ The child ‘’guarding’’ them asks: "Statues motionless, speechless, smileless, day or night?" When the child counting
asks "day or night?" the rest answer "day" or "night", depending on when they are ready. If they answer "night", it
means that they have not found a pose yet. If they answer, "day", the one who “guards” can turn.
➔ During the time that the child is “guarding”, the other children move forward, scatter and take various poses,
alone or in groups. But the moment the child that “is guarding” turns his head, the others remain motionless, in
their pose, like statues.
➔ Children take poses to look like statues and when the child that “is guarding” turns around and sees someone
moving or talking or laughing, this one loses, he goes out and he ‘’guards’’ them next.
➔ The “guarding” child chooses to examine the statue that makes the biggest impression on him, which is more
beautiful, more successful, funnier, etc.
➔ This game requires speed, self-discipline (so that the player can remain completely still while the other child
examines the spectacle), but, above all, elegance.

9. AKINITINDA-
A VARIANT OF
STATUES:
RULES
The ancient game Akinitinda (“Motionless”) is still
played today under the name of statues, except
that there are some differences. In akinitinda,
the players, as soon as the signal is given (in
ancient Greek), must remain still in whatever
position they are. The one who moves will leave
the game. In the statues, all the children are in
the line except one. This child is about five
meters away from the other children and with his
back turned he says: "Statues motionless,
speechless, smileless, day or night?’’.The other
children move when he speaks, but when he asks,
they answer either "day" or "night". If they say
"night", the movement continues and if they say
"day", the kid turns and everyone stays motionless
like statues. Then whoever moves, takes the
“guarding” child's place and the game starts all
over again.

10. VIDEO OF “STATUES”

11. SOURCES
★ http://nikidelikanaki.yolasite.com/resources/ergsh/%CE%A0%CE%B1%CE%B9%CF%87%CE%BD%CE%AF%CE
%B4%CE%B9%CE%B1%20%CF%87%CE%B8%CE%B5%CF%82%20&%20%CF%83%CE%AE%CE%BC%CE%
B5%CF%81%CE%B1.%2063%CE%BF%20%CE%9D%CE%B7%CF%80.%CE%97%CF%81%CE%B1%CE%BA%
CE%BB..pdf
★ https://apothetirio.lib.uoi.gr/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/950/psa_2013014.pdf?sequence=1
★ Ακινητίνδα (Αγαλματάκια).pptx
★ ΑΓΑΛΜΑΤΑΚΙΑ.doc
★ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TbIl9EBehi-wn1UjP5o6xRpwRlb56TXw/view?usp=sharing
★ https://teflon.wordpress.com/2020/04/11/τώνια-τζιρίτα-ζαχαράτου-αγαλματάκια/