Long before the modern game of football was established, ball games that echoed the sport existed in a variety of eras and regions around the world. One forefather of football comes from ancient Greece and is known as episkyros. Another variant called calcio fiorentino was played in Italy during the Middle Ages. And in China, the world’s earliest recorded form of football is known as cuju. This variation of football influenced the development of kemari, one of Japan’s earliest forms of the sport.
CUJU
History
Originating in China, the first historical references of date back to the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), where the game is mentioned in the Strategies of the Warring States and the Records of the Grand Historian – two major texts covering ancient Chinese history. During the Han dynasty, was incorporated into military training and was played by many in the declined greatly following the end of the Han dynasty, it was revived during the Tang dynasty when China was united once more. Furthermore, was now played amongst Chinese citizens as opposed to being confined to the nobility, and was also played during the Hanshi and Qingming festivals (or the Cold Food festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day, respectively). peaked during the Song dynasty, a period during which China achieved immense economic, social and cultural advancements. The sport established itself as a popular recreational activity and cultural element, and was even played by the dynasty’s first emperor, Emperor Taizu.
