View source for Gnav

{{Short description|Scandinavian card game}}
{{For|the [[sailing]] device|boom vang}}
[[File:Brikker.jpg|thumb|Gnav pieces.]]
'''Gnav''' is a traditional Danish and Norwegian social game that has been played with either special cards or wooden pieces with similar motifs. Gnav packs appeared after 1820 and the game was popular until c. 1920.<ref name=Jensen>Jensen (1980), pp. 128–129.</ref> The game can be played by 20 or more players, and a minimum of two. Today, only the playing card version is available in Norway.<ref name="pagat"/>

Gnav descends from the 18th century Italian [[card game]] of [[Cuccù]], played with bespoke packs, which, in turn is based on a much older French game called [[Mécontent]], the precursor to [[Coucou]].

== History ==
[[File:Hallwylska museet 2012 03.jpg|thumb|Swedish Kille deck from 1897.]]
The origins of Gnav lie in the French children's card game of [[Mécontent]] (''Malcontent'' i.e. "unhappy") whose first references date to the early 16th century.<ref name=Depaulis>Depaulis (1981), pp. 23–24.</ref>{{efn|The game was also known as [[Hère (card game)|Hère]] but eventually the name [[Coucou]] ("Cuckoo") prevailed. Coucou is still played in France today.}} This game had migrated to Italy by the mid-16th century where it was named "Malcontento" {{efn|"Capriccio in laude del Malcontento" by [[Luigi Tansillo]] of Naples.<ref name=Kuromiya>Kuromiya (2011), pp. 232–233.</ref>}} but it was in the early 18th century that the first [[Dedicated deck card game|dedicated decks]] for what became known as [[Cuccù]] (Cuckoo) appeared; the pack consisting of 38 cards.<ref>Smith (1991c), p. 22.</ref> As in the original game, [[Suit (cards)|suits]] were irrelevant but rank was important. The new pack consisted of two identical sequences of 19 cards each, including a Fool. The game was also known to be played with wooden pieces in Venice during the late 18th century, possibly as a way of avoiding the [[stamp duty|stamp tax]].<ref name=Pratesi>Pratesi (1990), pp. 75–76.</ref>

Since the game was popular among sailors and mercenaries in the eighteenth century, it spread rapidly to other parts of Europe, changing its name and generating local variations in the number of cards or images portrayed.<ref name=Muller>Muller (2008), p. 7.</ref> By the time it had reached [[Denmark]] as ''Gniao'' (Italian for [[miaow]]), it had 42 cards; the earliest packs being produced by [[Jacob Holmblad]] in the 1820s or 1830s.<ref name=Jensen/> The game became known as Gnav when the game was taken to [[Norway]] by Danish officials in the days when the two countries were united as [[Denmark-Norway]]. At that time it was played with both cards and men (playing pieces resembling [[chess pawn]]s). The latter probably originated under Christian VI (1730–1746), the Pietist king, during whose reign a ban on card games was introduced to lessen the misery of reckless gambling, but the game's popularity among commoners meant that it was given a new life as a game with pieces,<ref name=":0">{{cite web|author=Marthe Glad Munch-Møller |date=2015|publisher=Institutt for historiske studier, NTNU Trondheim|title=Gnavspill: Hvordan det hele begynte|url=https://landslaget.org/images/lhm/lm315.pdf|work=Lokalhistorisk magasin Nr. 03, 2015. Landslaget for lokalhistorie (LLH), Norsk lokalhistorisk institutt (NLI)}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> the images being glued to the base so they could not be seen when stood up. The men were usually kept in a leather bag.<ref name=Jensen/> Since it was no longer a card game, it was even allowed to be played on Sundays and over Christmas. As a result, it changed from a [[gambling game]] to a [[children's game]] during the 19th century and it is still seen as a game for the Christmas season today.<ref name=Jensen/> In Norway, both the card game and variant using pieces are still played. Gnav was also taken to the Netherlands where it became known as ''Slabberjan''.<ref name="pagat"/>

The game is first mentioned in [[Sweden]] in 1741, as [[Cambio (card game)|Cambio]] (Italian for "[[Wiktionary:exchange|exchange]]"), also called Campio, Camphio, Camfio or Kamfio.  In 1833 this became [[Kille (card game)|Kille]] (probably a distortion of "[[Harlequin]]", given the special rules for that card in the Swedish version of the game), which became the common form of the game around 1850.<ref>Kastner & Folkvord (2005), p. 30.</ref>

In 1979, a new Gnav pack, designed by Astrid Pilegaard Larsen, was produced to coincide with a games exhibition, with the intention of rescuing the game from obscurity.<ref name=Jensen/> Gnav packs are still available in Norway today.

== Equipment ==
The wooden pieces, in the piece version of the game, resemble the [[pawn (chess)|pawn]]s in [[chess]], with the identity of the piece being written on the base and thus invisible during play. In the card version of the game, the pack comprises 42 cards consisting of two sets of 21 distinct cards ranking, from highest to lowest, as follows:<ref name="pagat"/>

{| class="wikitable"
|- align="center"
| style="background: #FFB6C1 ;" colspan="3" | '''Card names and actions in Gnav'''
|-
! Card/piece name
! Danish/<br/>Norwegian
! Action on being challenged
|-
| Cuckoo 
| ''Gøgen/Gjöken''&nbsp;{{efn|Intentionally, old-fashioned spelling of ''Gjøken'' (in ([[Bokmål]]) or ''Gauken'' (in  [[Nynorsk]]).}}
| Holder says "Stop, Cuckoo!" and the round ends
|-
| [[Dragoon]] 
| ''Dragonen''
| Holder says "Chop!", exchanger pays a counter
|-
| Cat
| ''Katten''
| Holder says "Miaow", the exchanger pays a counter and all swaps are reversed
|-
| Horse
| ''Hesten''
| Holder says "Pass the horse!" and exchanger challenges the next in line
|-
| House
| ''Huset''
| Holder says "Pass the house!" and exchanger challenges the next in line
|-
|   '''I''' – '''XII''' or '''1''' – '''12'''
|  ''1 – 12''
| Cards exchanged
|-
|  '''0''' 
|  ''0''
| Cards exchanged
|-
| Flowerpot 
| ''Potten''
| Cards exchanged
|-
|  Owl
| ''Uglen''
| Cards exchanged
|-
| The Fool
| ''Narren''
| Cards exchanged
|}

== Rules ==
Each player receives a single card (or take a wooden piece from a bag) at random, and examines its value. If a player is dealt the Fool, they must knock the table to alert other players to this fact.<ref name="pagat">{{cite web | url=http://www.pagat.com/cuckoo/gnav.html | title=Gnav | publisher=[[Pagat.com]] | access-date=17 December 2015}}</ref> Players also receive equal supplies of [[counter (cards)|counters]]. Play then proceeds by turns, starting to the left of the [[dealer (card player)|dealer]]. In turn, a player may either choose to keep the card dealt, by saying "stand" (''"jeg står"''), or swap it with the left-hand neighbour by saying "change" (''"jeg byte"'').<ref name="pagat"/> Play continues until reaching the dealer, who has the choice of keeping the card dealt or exchanging it with the top card of the [[stock (cards)|stock]], [[draw (cards)|drawing]] another card if a Horse or House is drawn.<ref name="pagat"/> The dealer's turn ends the round.<ref name="pagat"/>

If a player attempts to swap the card held with one of the five highest cards in the pack (picture cards known as [[matador (cards)|matador]]), the exchange is prevented and another action ensues, depending on the matador held by the opponent:

* '''Cuckoo''': its holder says "Cuckoo!" or "Stop! Cuckoo!" and the round ends immediately.
* '''Dragoon''': its holder says "Chop!" (''"hugg av"''), and the player who tried to swap cards must pay a counter to the [[pool (cards)|pool]]. Play then proceeds with the player to the holder's left.
* '''Cat''': its holder says "Miaow!" or hisses like a cat and says "Change back!" (''"kiss, bytt om"''), the challenger pays a counter to the pool, and the game is reset so that every player has the card they started with.
* '''Horse''' or '''House''': its holder says "Pass the horse!" (''"hest vorbi"'') or "Pass the house!" (''"hus vorbi"''), and the exchanger must now swap with the player to the left of the holder (or with the top card of the deck, if the holder is also the dealer).

When the round ends, all the players reveal their cards and the one with the lowest loses the round. If two tie, they both lose. If the lowest card was the Fool, then both its holder and the player with the next lowest card lose. A losing player pays one counter to the pool and is eliminated if they have no counters left. The last player remaining is the winner.<ref name="pagat"/>

Instead of using counters, players may keep score using a chalk and slate. Players receive strokes (////) on the slate instead of paying counters to the pool and a player is eliminated on scoring an agreed number of strokes.

== Related games ==
{{anchor|Hypp}}
=== Hypp ===
'''Hypp''' packs were made in Norway until the 1980s and the game is known as early as 1859 in Denmark (as '''Hyp'''). They were the same as Gnav packs but consisted of only 1 set of the 21 distinct cards. One set of rules accompanying the cards switches the order of the Owl and the Fool. The cards were formerly [[single-ended (cards)|single-ended]], but the most recent packs by Saga Kunstforlag were [[double-ended (cards)|double-ended]].<ref name=Smithb>Smith (1991b), p. 118.</ref>

Hypp is a game of chance in which cards are dealt in 'heaps' (hence the name) and players bet on the cards at the bottom of each heap. It appears related to the French game of Petits Paquets, the game of Bankafalet described by [[Charles Cotton]] in 1674<ref>Cotton (1674), p. 152.</ref> and the old Czech game of Hromadky which is known as far back as 1609.<ref name=Smithb/><ref>Honl (1947), p. 30.</ref>

=== Slabberjan ===
Similar to Gnav but with a different ranking (highest to lowest): Cavalier (''Kap-af'') > Bird (''Vogel'') > Cat (''Poesje'') > Tavern (''Herberge'') > Numerals 12 to 1 > 0 (zero) > Blank (''Blind'', a blank card) > Pot (''Pot'') > Mask (''Smoel'') > Fool (''Nar'').

=== Kille ===
{{main|Kille (card game)}}
The deck comprises 42 cards of a single suit, comprising two copies of 21 distinct cards, in the ranking (highest to lowest):

{| class="wikitable"
|- align="center"
| style="background: #FBEC5D;" colspan="3" | '''Card names and actions in Kille'''
|-
! Card name
! Swedish
! Action on being challenged
|-
| Cuckoo 
| ''Kuku''
| Holder says "Cuckoo stands!", the round ends and all reveal their cards
|-
| [[Hussar]] 
| ''Husar''
| Holder says "Hussar strikes!", the exchanger is out
|-
| Pig
| ''Husu, Gris''
| Holder says "The pig bites back!", there is no swap and all the earlier swaps are reversed
|-
| Cavalier
| ''Kavall''
| Holder says "Pass the cavalier!" and exchanger challenges the next in line
|-
| Inn or Tavern
| ''Värdshus''
| Holder says "Pass the tavern!" and exchanger challenges the next in line
|-
|   '''1''' – '''12'''
|  ''1 – 12''
| Cards exchanged
|-
|  Wreath
|  ''Kransen''
| Cards exchanged

|-
| Flowerpot 
| ''Blompotten''
| Cards exchanged
|-
|  Mask
| ''Blaren''
| Cards exchanged
|-
| [[Harlequin]]
| ''Harlekin''
| Depends on situation
|}

=== Cuccù ===
{{main|Cuccù}}
The modern deck comprises 40 cards, comprising two copies of 20 distinct cards, in the ranking (highest to lowest):

{| class="wikitable"
|- align="center"
| style="background: #90EE90;" colspan="3" | '''Card names and actions in Cuccù'''
|-
! Card name
! Italian
! Action on being challenged
|-
| Cuckoo 
| ''Cucco'' (XV)
| Holder says "Cuckoo!" and no exchange takes place
|-
| Hunter (XIIII)&nbsp;{{efn|Inscription: ''Hai pigliato bragon''.}}
| ''Bum, Tuff''&nbsp;{{efn|''Bum'' and ''Tuff'' mean "bang", simulating the hunter's gun.}}
| Holder says "Bang!", no exchange takes place and the exchanger loses a counter
|-
| Horse (XIII)
| ''Salta, Cavallo''&nbsp;{{efn|Inscription: ''Salta'', a horse [[rampant]].}}
| Holder neighs and exchanger must try and swap with the next in line
|-
| Cat (XII)
| ''Gnaf''&nbsp;{{efn|Inscription: ''Gnao''.}}
| Holder miaows; exchanger loses a counter. Earlier exchanges may be reversed
|-
| Tavern (XI)
| ''Taverna''&nbsp;{{efn|Inscription: ''Fermatevi alquanto''.}}
| Holder says "Will you stay a while?" Exchanger may try to encourage a swap
|-
|   '''I''' – '''X'''
|  ''I – X''
| Cards exchanged
|-
|  Nulla
|  ''Nulla''
| Cards exchanged
|-
| Pail&nbsp;{{efn|Inscription: ''Secchia meno di nulla''.}}
| ''Secchio''
| Cards exchanged
|-
|  Mask&nbsp;{{efn|Inscription: ''Mascherone manco di secchia''.}}
| ''Maschera''
| Cards exchanged
|-
|  Lion&nbsp;{{efn|No inscription, a [[lion rampant]] ''added in the early 19th-century''.}}
| ''Leone''
| Cards exchanged
|-
| The Fool&nbsp;{{efn|The Fool has no fixed place in the sequence.}}
| ''Matto''
| Depends on situation
|}

In modern Italy, the game is played with original rules only in the small [[Abruzzi]] towns of [[Campli]] and [[Montorio al Vomano]], both in the [[Teramo]] province. The same cards are also used in [[Brescia]] and [[Bergamo]] provinces but for a completely different, trick-taking game.

=== Vogelspiel or Hexenspiel ===
{{main|Vogelspiel}}
The pack comprises 32 cards with 10 pairs of non-identical picture cards but only one set of 12 numeral cards. They rank from highest to lowest as follows:
{| class="wikitable"
|- align="center"
| style="background: #B9D9EB;" colspan="3" | '''Card names and actions in Hexenspiel or Vogelspiel'''
|-
! Card name
!  Austrian/Bavarian
! Action on being challenged
|-
| Bird
| ''Pfeiff''
| No exchange takes place and the exchanger loses two of three lives
|-
| Guard
| ''Werda''
| No exchange takes place and the exchanger loses a life
|-
| Cat
| ''Miau''
| No exchange takes place and the exchanger loses a life
|-
| Horse
| ''Hott''
| No exchange takes place and the exchanger loses a life
|-
| Tavern
| ''Einkerth''
| No exchange takes place and the exchanger loses a life
|-
|   '''I''' – '''X'''
|  ''I – X''
| Cards exchanged. Note: some packs have XI and XII instead of two ''Nullas''.
|-
|  Nulla
|  ''Nulla''
| Cards exchanged. Note: some packs have XI and XII instead of two ''Nullas''.
|-
| Plate
| ''Deller, Teller''
| Cards exchanged
|-
| Sausages
| ''Wurst''
| Cards exchanged
|-
|  Glass
| ''Glas''
| Cards exchanged
|-
| The Fool
| ''Narr''
| Cards exchanged
|-
| Witch
| ''Hex''
| Cards exchanged
|}

== Footnotes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* Bauer, Günther G.: "Das Salzburger Hexenspiel", in: Homo Ludens. Der Spielende Mensch II (1992), G.G. Bauer (ed.). Munich & Salzburg: Katzbichler, {{ISBN|3-87397-334-0}}, pp.&nbsp;239–282 {{in lang|de}}.
* {{cite journal|last1=Depaulis|first1=Thierry |author-link1=Thierry Depaulis|title=Quand le Cuccu est Mécontent|journal=L'As de Trèfle|date=1981|volume=11|pages=23–24}}
* Jensen, K. Frank (1980). "Playing-cards in Denmark" in ''[[The Journal of the Playing-Card Society]]'', Vol. 8, No. 4 (May 1980), pp. 118ff. Describes Gnav cards and pieces at pp. 128–129.
* Kastner, Hugo [https://books.google.com/books?id=lWqSVnyS8RIC&dq=Die+gro%C3%9Fe+Humboldt-enzyklop%C3%A4die+der+Kartenspiele+Sedma&pg=PA9 Die große Humboldt-enzyklopädie der Kartenspiele] pg. 30 Humboldt (2205) {{ISBN|3-89994-058-X}} {{in lang|de}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Kuromiya|first1=Kimihiko|title=A Note on the History of Cuccù|journal=[[The Playing-Card]]|date=2011|volume=39|issue=4|pages=232–233}}
* Kuromiya, Kimihiko (2015). "Playing the Game: Gnav in Germany", in ''[[The Playing-Card]]'', Vol. 43, No. 4 (Apr–June 2015). pp. 237–238.
* {{cite journal|last1=Muller|first1=Alexandra|title=A Curious Reunion of Italian Collectors|journal=[[The Playing-Card]]|date=2008|volume=37|issue=1|page=7}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Pratesi|first1=Franco |author-link1=Franco Pratesi|title=Italian Cards-New Discoveries 13: Cards and Men for Cucu|journal=[[The Playing-Card]]|date=1990|volume=19|issue=2|pages=75–76}}
* Smith, A. G. (1991a). "The 'Cambio' Packs and the Games Played with Them. I. Hexenspiel and Quittli" in ''[[The Playing-Card]]'', Vol. XIX, No. 3 (February 1991), pp. 93ff.
* {{cite journal| last1=Smith| first1=A.G. | title=The Cambio Packs and the Games played with them II - Hypp, Gnav and Kille| volume=XIX| issue =  4| year = 1991b | journal=[[The Playing-Card]]| pages=118–127}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Smith|first1=Anthony|title=The 'Cambio' Packs and the Games played with them: III Cuccu|journal=[[The Playing-Card]]|date=1991c|volume=20|issue=1|page=22}}

== External links ==
* {{cite web|access-date=1 July 2005 | url=http://kjellhoglund.com/manadsmed45.html| title=Lugnare Vatten - Kjell Höglund}} 
* {{cite web|access-date=1 July 2005 | url=http://pagat.com/national/sweden.html| title=Card games in Sweden}}
* {{cite web|access-date=1 July 2005 | url=http://pagat.com/class/single.html| title=Games played with single suited cards}}
* {{cite web|access-date=1 July 2005 | url=http://pagat.com/cuckoo/index.html| title=Card Games: Cuckoo Group}}
* {{cite web|access-date=1 July 2005 | url=http://spotlightongames.com/interview/rehder.html| title=Remo Rehder Plays Board Games in Norway}}
* {{bgg|15617|Damm/Egmont version of Gnav}}
* [http://cards.old.no/c/ Regional comparisons] at old.no

{{Playing card decks}}
{{Non trick-taking card games}}
[[Category:Dedicated deck card games]]
[[Category:Cuckoo group]]
[[Category:Norwegian card games]]
[[Category:Danish card games]]