The timber used in our 12 Men's Morris (from nine mens morris - Morabaraba) board games from Malawi are one of either Ebony, Mwanga Blackood, Mahogony or white Sylinga. Expect some variation in the natural colour.

The wood is selecetd and shaped in the bush so as to retain its moisture. From there it is carved and grooved (a process known as"Kutikita") and finally hand polished using beeswax and other local polishing techniques giving it a soft, smooth finish.

2 Players. Ages 10 to adult.

Morabaraba (also known as Umlabalaba, and by many other names!) is an ancient and traditional African board game, which has been played for at least thousands of years.

 Traditionally taught to young herdboys, the game is played by millions in Malawi. Its educational, fun and highly strategic.

 While it is very easy to learn to play, the game is rich in depth and sophistication, and is definitely not simplistic or trivial. As part of Africa's cultural heritage, Morabaraba is a profound game which has much to offer the world of strategy board games. 

Morabaraba is a simple, yet addictive traditional African board game somewhat similar to Nine Men's Morris. It is played on a board with 24 nodes joined by lines; each player has twelve pieces (called cows). The game proceeds in three phases:

1. Players alternately place one piece on a node in each move.
   If a player makes three in a row, he or she can "eat" one of the opponent's cows.
2. Once all the cows are placed, players take turns moving the cows to adjacent nodes. Again, whenever a player forms three in a row, one of the opponent's cows may be eaten.
3. When one player is down to just three cows, the remaining cows may "fly" to anywhere on the board (not just adjacent nodes).

You win when you reduce your opponent to two cows, or when he or she can't move.

Download the rules on your left for free!