Abstract
Like other cultural forms, traditional games—also known as folk games or popular games—have always been associated with the ethnicity, locality, and heritage of myriad cultures throughout Europe. These characteristics are also critical to the principles of counter-modernity inherent to right-wing populism, which relies on a romanticized ethnonationalist rhetoric promulgating a nostalgic recollection of the past and an imagined heartland. As the “games of the people,” traditional games present a salient lens through which to understand our contemporary populist age. By investigating the ethno-symbolic value of the Volk (folk), delving into the motivations of the gymnastics movement, and critically reviewing Hungarian heritage populism, this article explores the historical relationship between traditional games and populism in Europe.
