Thunee: an SA experience
THE popular calls of Jodie, Khunuck and Four-ball permeate the air at South African Indian gatherings. Loud and raucous at parties and weddings, gentle and respectful at prayers and funerals. Regardless of the gathering, the game of thunee (derived from the Tamil word for water) always seems to make a welcome appearance.
It is a card game which has transcended generations, played today between young and old. At tertiary institutions, Indians students have exposed and taught the game to other race groups, transforming it into a truly South African experience.
As we speak, hundreds of thunee games are being played throughout the country but its origin suggests that was not always the case.
The game, which is a derivative of Bridge, originated among Indian indentured labourers in South Africa and can be traced back to the late 1800s, when playing cards started to arrive in the country by ship from Britain.
“It is part of the indentured legacy,” said the curator of the 1860 Heritage Centre Museum, Selvan Naidoo.
“The reality is that while it may have started in that period, the originators themselves would have not had much time to play because of their long working hours.”
The Easter holiday was the only time in the year in which indentured labourers enjoyed time off and Naidoo believes this would have been the perfect time to indulge in a leisurely game of cards.
“While their colonial bosses went to church, they would have played a bit of thunee and it would have meant a great deal to them. “It would have been like drinking cane, a chance for them to temporarily remove themselves from the harsh reality of their situation they were immersed in.”
It was always more than a card game and its tradition of bringing people together remains true today.
Its simplicity is one of the main reasons for its overwhelming popularity. All you need is a deck of cards and a minimum of two players. Any environment becomes a conducive one, inspiring die-hards to convert car boots and milk crates into playing surfaces.
For those who want to take their skills a bit further, there are plenty of competitive leagues out there, but the heart of the game remains in the community.
“The game has been transformed over the years. Today you see white, Chinese and black people playing the game. We also know of South Africans, who have relocated overseas, who have taken the game to other countries too,” Naidoo said.