The Game Of Dart

There are different versions of stories that surround the origin of the Game of Dart. Some say that the game originated when the archers at the end of the day entertained themselves by throwing shortened arrows at the bottom of a barrel or at a disk that they had cut from a tree trunk. Much of it is pure speculation however, if rumors hold true the game of Dart actually originated during the reign of King Henry VIII of England.

It is said that the King wanted his archers to be accurate at all times and were asked to practice their archery skills round the year. During practicing outdoors some of the archers started to throw their arrows as an entertainment from the monotony or daily archery to test how best one could hit the target without the help of the bow.  Given the unfavorable climate of England this outdoor game slowly crept inside the warm comfort of the pubs where the soldiers gathered in the evenings. The bottom of an overturned ale barrel was used as a “target”. Interestingly the bottom of the ale barrel was called a “butt” which originated from the French word, “butte” which means “target”. When the ale barrels were not readily available people resorted to cutting a slice of a tree trunk and use it as the target. The news regarding the game spread fast and in no time the upper classes became interested and were all in the game to show off their darting skills. The game did not just remain confined within England, it did not take long for the game to reach others countries as well.

By: Madhuchanda Saxena

Content: http://dartsinfoworld.com/history-of-darts/