
Schanzeln or Schanz'ln is a variation of the European skittles game of
Kegeln, at which very high wagers were often placed, which is why it ended up on the
list of games prohibited in Austria-Hungary in 1904. One enthusiastic fan of this game was
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
.
Meaning
''Schanze'' described the
skittles game whereby all the money wagered was won by the player who knocked over the most skittles.
''Schanze'' derives from the French word ''chance''. ''Schanzel'' is the diminutive form and ''schanzeln'' the verb that derives from it.
Sources
*
Matthias Lexer: ''Kärntisches Wörterbuch. Weihnacht-Spiele und Lieder aus Kärntea''
ic 1862
digitalised
* Hugo Mareta: ''Proben eines Wörterbuchs der österreichischen Volkssprache. Zweyter Versuch''. In: ''Jahresbericht des
k.k. Ober-Gymnasiums zu den Schotten in Wien am Schlusse des Schuljahres 1865''. Vienna, 1865, pp. I–XII und 1–67.
* Leopold Ziller: ''Was nicht im Duden steht. Ein Salzburger Mundart-Wörterbuch''. 2nd edn. St. Gilgen am Wolfgangsee 1995 (EA 1979).
See also
*
Table skittles
Historical games
Gambling games
Bowling