Warfare and Spirituality: Forgotten Aspects of Sport

Commerciality and Entertainment of Current Sport

Many modern competitive sports and professional leagues (e.g. NHL) are a significant branch of business. Spectacular sporting events are basically good entertainment and essential part of social media (e.g. fitness and bodybuilding).

While sport has become commercialized and entertained at a dizzying pace over the past hundred years, we may have lost a bigger and ancient perspective on sports. For millennia, sport has been closely linked to both religion, rituals and warfare. These ancient aspects are still present in some cases also in current sport: e.g. in military training and martial arts of buddhist Shaolin monks. In spite of this, ancient sport differed often from current sport regarding its meaning, purpose and form. 

Ancient Sport as Warfare and Ritual

The earliest sources of sports may go as far back in history as Younger Stone Age in China (c. 8000–2000 BC). At that time, the Chinese were engaged in Wushua, a kind of primordial form of kung fu, to be able to fight dangerous animals. In China, sport was also associated with philosophical and moral aspects (e.g. yin and yang) at an early stage. Sports were also closely linked to military training later in Chinese culture.

In Europe, too, we have very early signs of sport. In Crete, for example, developed the Minoan culture (c. 3300–1050 BC). The Minoans possibly developed sport into a form of competition with rules. One form of religious ritual was bull jumping, which required great courage. In this early ritual sport, athlete took an attacking bull by the horns. When the bull naturally raised its head, the athlete jumped on its back and finally behind the bull (see picture of this essay).

Sports in Bible

Other common ancient sports included boxing and running. Interestingly, Apostle Paul used these two types of sports as a metaphor for Christian struggle in the New Testament. In addition, especially in the Old Testament strength of a man is highly appreciated.

A good example is Samson, depicted in the Book of Judges, who became known for his superhuman powers. Among other things, he killed a lion with his bare hands, tore off the doors and columns of the city gate and carried these presumably massive doors to the top of the mountain, and killed hundreds of Philistines. The source of Samson´s power and strength was the God of the Jews (or "the spirit of the Lord") and his long hair.

Sport as Mental Exercise?

In spite of the difference between ancient and current sport, there seems to be at least one connection between these two: sport as some sort of mental exercise. At different points in history, for example, sport has had a very close relationship specifically with the development of mental and spiritual qualities. In addition, according to current research, physical well-being and good physical performance (including, for example, muscle mass) also have a positive effect on mental well-being.

Therefore, both ancient sport and the results of the current research on human abilities agree that the strict black-and-white division between physical sport and deeper mental qualities is artificial. There is, however, also a difference between these two: ancient sport emphasizes more on the spiritual or religious aspect of sport and current research focuses e.g. on more mundane physical and mental well-being.

Used as a source e.g. Sport in Ancient Times (2007); Nigel B. Crowther; Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.