Bowling is quite a popular past time and is even a sport. A player rolls the bowling ball towards a set of pins and attempts to knock as many pins in one go.
If you play bowling and wonder how it got invented, this article will help you understand it more. It has been a sport or a ceremony way back than most people think. However, it could not be determined how long the sport or recreational activity has been around.
The first form of history regarding bowling is believed to be traced back to the Stone Age in Egypt. An anthropologist from Britain named Flinders Petrie found evidence of bowling around that time in Egypt. Petrie and a team of archeologists wanted to believe this finding because they unearthed the remains of a child in primitive form, which resembled how bowling ball players positioned themselves when playing. So, this was the logical reason that led the anthropologist and his team to assume that the Egyptians were the ones who invented bowling.
Another possible origin pertains to a German historian’s finding. The historian named William Pehle, claims that the first game of bowling began in Germany. Accordingly, he thinks it started in the year 300 AD. Pehle explains that Germans could be the inventors of bowling because it could have been one of their religious ceremonies. Pehle claims that such a tradition could get linked to where the ceremony can determine whether a person has no sin. German monks reportedly introduced bowling to the populace as a way to test a person’s faith.
One more origin point to the English as the inventors of bowling. Reportedly, bowling began during the year 1100s. It became a popular game in England that there are so many variations of bowling. Records show that King Edward III even proclaimed bowling in the year 1366 because it was so popular. He banned the game because it became a distraction to his soldiers during his ruling.
The game later made its way to the United States during the 17th century. Dutch, English, and German settlers later made their versions of the game, so bowling is played under various terms. Since the game came to the United States, the first-ever mention of bowling in American literature was made by Washington Irving. Later, the first permanent bowling location in the United States was at the New York’s Battery area. Bowling was likewise banned in Connecticut in the year 1841 because gambling stemmed from it. Many private individuals then turned to install bowling alleys in their homes.
The technicalities surrounding bowling got finalized on September 9, 1985. The American Bowling Congress got established. After that, national competitions concerning bowling got held. The first games only allowed men to play bowling. It was only in the year 1917 when the Women’s International Bowling Congress started in St. Louis. Later, the Women’s National Bowling Association was likewise established.
So really, who invented bowling? With so many possible origins and variations, no one will probably ever pinpoint when and who invented this sport and recreational activity.
