Yunnori, a traditional Korean game, involves tossing four sticks called “yut” and moving horse-shaped pieces on a board. It’s a team game played during lunar new year festivities. Origin theories vary, with references to Goryeo customs or Joseon traditions. The yut board, usually circular, represents the sky’s roundness. Yut sticks’ semi-circular shape affects outcomes. Strategic choices are crucial, especially when deciding whether to merge pieces or not. The “once more” rule allows players to rethrow yut sticks. Yutnori also had a fortune-telling aspect, with 64 possible outcomes predicting fortune on special days.
Yutnori, also known as Yunnori, is a traditional Korean game played from the first day of the lunar new year to Daeboreum. Using four wooden sticks called “yut,” players move horse-shaped pieces on a board based on the outcome of the stick toss. It’s a fun activity where participants split into teams and enjoy the game together. The game involves throwing a stick with four flat sides, resembling a half-moon shape, to move pieces around the board. It requires two or more players, yut sticks, a game board, and one or more horse pieces. The objective is to move all pieces to the finish line first by tossing the sticks alternately between players.
History Regarding the origin of yut, various theories exist. Seong Ho Yi Ik (성호 이익) attributed it to the “customs of Goryeo,” while Yukdang Choi Nam-seon(육당 최남선) referred to it as a “distinctive folk tradition of Joseon.” Danjae Shin Chae-ho(단재 신채호) traced its origins to “Buyeo(부여),” suggesting that Buyeo’s sacrificial rites were reflected in yut. Specifically, the characters for pig (돼지), dog (개), cow (소), and horse (말) are believed to be reflected in the yut symbols Do (도), Gu (구), Wu (우), and Ma (마), respectively, although this remains speculative.
Examining the political system of Ancient Joseon, known as 5 Ga (五加: 마가, 우가, 양가, 구가, 저가), it includes the character for sheep (양), which is considered a symbol of prosperity. This is likely the origin of the yut symbol. Animals like pigs, dogs, sheep, cows, and horses, were associated with various social statuses and sizes, possibly linked to yut’s counting system. Moreover, the names of government positions in Buyeo were derived from animal names, including sheep and camels.
Yunnori Equipment
Yut Sticks
Yut sticks are the props thrown by each participant. Four sticks or half beans with a crescent-shaped cross-section are used. Nowadays, yut sticks commonly used for playing are made of wood, while the use of beans is rare. The round side of the stick or bean is called “deung” (or back), and the flat side is called “bae” (or front). When the round side comes up, it is called “up,” and when the flat side comes up, it is called “kka.”
There are two types of yut sticks: “jangjag yut(장작윷),” also known as “jangjag yut,” and small “bam yut(밤윷)” like chestnuts. However, today, people often buy commercially available sets to enjoy the game. Jangjag yut involves throwing four pairs of sticks, each measuring 15-20cm in length and 3-5cm in diameter, while bam yut involves shaking small sets of four yut sticks, similar to chestnuts, in a small space before throwing them.
Yut Game Board
The yut board is a prop used to place the pieces based on the result of the thrown yut sticks. It is marked with points where the pieces can stay and pathways. Ancient stone carvings and historical documents depicting yut boards invariably show a circular shape, reflecting the ancient belief that the sky is round (天圓地方). The square shape seen in later times is considered a modified version passed down through generations.
The center of the yut board is usually called the North Star, and the remaining 28 positions are known as the Big Dipper (a group of seven stars that revolves around the North Star according to the seasons). (In some ancient carvings, yut boards were found drawn at the position of the Big Dipper, facing the Cassiopeia opposite the North Star.) Additionally, it was also called Dongseongjindo, named after the shape of the fortifications Hangu made at Dongseong, the final battlefield between Han and Wei during the Chinese Han Dynasty.
Describing the yut board as a square, it consists of a grid of five squares horizontally and vertically, with two intersecting diagonals inside. The starting point is at one corner of the square.
Pieces (말)
Pieces are the props that indicate the position of participants on the yut board (or horse board), with typically four pieces given to each participant (or side). Traditionally, pieces were made of carved wood, either round or angular chunks, or small stones. However, in modern times, small items like coins or stones resembling chess pieces are commonly used to represent participants (or sides). Pieces move according to the result of the thrown yut sticks and the layout of the board. The term “말코 (malko)” is used to indicate the use of pieces. The objective of the game is to start from “도” (the starting point), complete one lap, and return to “참먹이 (chammeok)” (the finishing point), which is referred to as “났다 (natta)” or “펐다 (pyeotda).” However, it’s crucial to note that passing through the finishing point does not guarantee victory; the piece must pass through the finishing point. If an opponent’s piece stops at the finishing point, it can be captured.
Characteristics of the Game
Existence of Throwing Technique
The result of yut sticks can be categorized into five outcomes (excluding “back do”), namely “도 (do),” “개 (gae),” “걸 (geol),” “윷 (yut),” and “모 (mo).” Therefore, the game can be seen as probabilistic. However, unlike dice games with a six-faced cube, yut gameplay yields uneven probabilistic outcomes depending on how the sticks are thrown. This is because the sticks have a semi-circular cross-section, with one side being flat (“배 (bae)”) and the other side being round (“등 (deung)”). Thus, the probability of the flat side facing up versus the round side facing up varies depending on how the sticks are thrown.
Due to the semi-circular shape of the stick, techniques for throwing are required, especially for outcomes where many sticks land with their flat sides up, such as “모 (mo)” and “도 (do),” or “back do.” Conversely, when most sticks need to land with their round sides up, like “걸 (geol)” and “윷 (yut),” it’s preferable to employ techniques to prevent the sticks from rolling on the floor.
To increase the probability of “모 (mo),” it’s advisable to prevent excessive rolling of the sticks. This can be achieved by using straw mats or thick carpets on the floor to enhance elasticity during yut throwing. Additionally, the use of mats, blankets, or carpets also helps reduce noise when playing yut in residential settings like apartments. To negate the advantages of rolling the sticks, methods such as not counting the result if the sticks roll outside the mat (blanket, carpet) are sometimes applied.
Strategic Choices Are Necessary
In yutnori, there are often multiple options for placing the result of a single throw on the yut board (i.e., how to move the pieces), for several reasons: 1. the use of multiple pieces, 2. the existence of the “once more” rule, and 3. the option to choose the paths of multiple pieces.
To Capture or Not to Capture the Pieces
For instance, when using three pieces, if one piece is positioned at “geol” (the third space from the start) and the result of the yut stick is “geol,” the player can either move the existing piece at “geol” three spaces forward using that piece, or they can use a new piece to merge with the existing piece (this is called “up”). When pieces are “up,” they move together simultaneously, allowing for faster movement, but there’s a strategic choice to make as once captured, all “up” pieces are vulnerable to elimination.
Placement Strategy for Yut and Mo with the “Once More” Rule
When the result of throwing the yut stick is “yut” or “mo,” the player gets another chance to throw the yut stick. According to the game rules, (1) before throwing again, the player can move the pieces on the yut board, or (2) they can place the pieces after seeing the result of the second throw. If “yut” or “mo” appears again, or if “do,” “gae,” or “geol” captures another piece, the player can either move the pieces based on the previous results or throw the yut stick again before placing the remaining pieces.
Judging Ambiguous Yut States
There are occasions when uncertainty arises after throwing the yut stick. According to traditional yutnori rules, when a yut is ambiguously placed, the stick is thrown again for clarification.
Fortune-telling
According to the Dongguk Sesigi, there was a game where people threw yut sticks on New Year’s Day or the first day of the lunar new year to predict good or bad fortune. The possible combinations of yut sticks are “do,” “gae,” “geol,” “yut,” and “mo,” but “yut” and “mo” are considered the same. Therefore, there are a total of 64 possible outcomes, each with predetermined meanings regarding matters to be mindful of or interpretations of one’s fortune for that year.