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What did the Kegel represent in medieval German bowling rituals?
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Tommy Jones competing in the Professional Bowlers Association Tournament of Champions final in Uncasville, Conn., April 1, 2007.
In medieval Germany, the Kegel (bowling pin) represented a Heide, or "heathen," within the context of religious ceremonies held in church cloisters.12
Participants would roll a stone at the Kegel, and successfully toppling it was believed to demonstrate that the individual was free of sin and had cleansed themselves. Originally, the Kegel was a club that parishioners carried for sport and self-protection, which they placed at the end of a runway to serve as the target. This practice eventually evolved into the modern sport of bowling, and the term kegler remains in use today to describe a bowler.12