[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Re: Games of Volhynian Germans

[GVLESS at aol.com]

If my husband, Gary, was reading this on the listserv he would have 
immediately written you all to say that his Dad, Fred Less, and many of the Volhyhian 
relatives (mostly the men) were always playing a game called Schafkopf 
(Sheepshead) when the family got together.  They were all good Lutherans but this 
never seemed to stop them from enjoying this particular game at family reunions, 
picnics and so on.  Whenever the Less-es played we women would always hear loud 
shouts at times when a winner made it - whatever.  At times they didn't even 
take time to come upstairs to eat (they played in a basement when inside).  

You can obtain the rules on a website by calling up Sheepshead.  At least 
that was what Gary did when this discussion was hot and heavy on the Ger-Rus 
website in 1996 about games our ancestors played.  The "Sheepshead"  website 
called this a "very cool card game similar to both pinochle and euchre.  It has a 
challenging rule system, the game rewards those diligent enough to learn it.  
(Gary said he never did learn how to play it so let his immigrant cousins, 
uncle and his Dad enjoy it.  He just watched.  His Dad arrived in the States in 
1903 and cousins later in the 1920's as adults.  So they would have had to know 
all about it when living in Volhynia)

It is a five-player game, using a thirty-two card deck containing the seven, 
eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king and ace in each of the four suits.  One 
needs a pen and paper for scoring purposes.  More details on the website.  
Anyway, I do not know if this was a typical game from Volhynia but the website 
describing the game says it is an old German card game developed by shepherds very 
long ago.  

Look it up and try it.  Maybe it could be iintroduced at our next SGGEE 
convention!?!

Virginia Less