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Why were successful bowlers in early German religious rites believed to be cleansed of sin?
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Tommy Jones competing in the Professional Bowlers Association Tournament of Champions final in Uncasville, Conn., April 1, 2007.
In early German religious rites, the game of bowling was practiced as a test of faith rather than a sport. Parishioners would place their club, known as a Kegel, at the end of a runway to represent a Heide, or "heathen".12
By successfully toppling the Kegel with a stone, participants were believed to have demonstrated their purity and, consequently, cleansed themselves of sin. This symbolic act of striking down the "heathen" served as a physical manifestation of one's spiritual standing within the church cloisters. Over time, the Kegel evolved into the modern bowling pin, and the term kegler remains in use today to describe a bowler.12