Korean Traditional Game : Neolttwigi

🍂 Korean Traditional Game Series 3

Neolttwigi
(널뛰기 · Neolttwigi)

🕰️ 1. The Game

Neolttwigi is a traditional Korean seesaw game primarily played by women and young girls during festive holidays such as Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (Harvest Festival).

 

Unlike the Western seesaw, where players sit and push with their legs, Neolttwigi players stand on the ends of a wooden board and jump alternately to send each other into the air.

 

The game was not only a form of entertainment but also a creative way for women, who often stayed indoors in traditional Korean society, to catch a brief glimpse of the outside world by jumping high above walls and fences.

 

🪄 2. Rules & How to Play

• A long wooden board is placed over a central support, usually a log or stone.
• Two players stand at opposite ends of the board.
• One player jumps, causing the other to rise into the air, who then lands as the other player jumps in return.
• The goal is to maintain rhythm, balance, and height while enjoying the playful motion.
• Sometimes, players compete to see who can jump the highest or keep the session going the longest.

👀 3. Example from Life

During Chuseok, girls in hanbok often gathered in the courtyard or village square to play Neolttwigi.
The game was filled with laughter and joy, and for some, it was a rare chance to see beyond the family walls.
Thus, Neolttwigi carried both cultural symbolism and festive fun.

 

🌏 4. Similar Games Around the World

• Western seesaw: Found in playgrounds, though players sit rather than stand and jump.
• China: Certain folk variations of seesaw games during festivals.
• Modern trampolines: These share the same joy of bouncing and aerial movement.

✨ Neolttwigi demonstrates how play can be both joyful entertainment and a meaningful cultural expression.

---

💌 Closing Words

Neolttwigi is more than a simple jumping game.
It reflects the spirit of festivity, freedom, and creativity, especially for women in the past.
Even today, it remains a symbol of joy, tradition, and the beauty of shared play.

---

📌 Note

This is a creative cultural content from the Misojieum Story Blog (kor-telling.com).
Please do not copy without permission.
Sharing is welcome with proper source citation.