what is the origin of lacrosse?

Answer 1

I dont think any one person invented lacross. I would geuss it has evolved, probably over centuries, from ancient cultures. Some of the ancient central american cultures, the Maya and Aztek come to mind right away, played games that were extremely similar. Although it would not surprise me to find something like it in Europe back in the day as well.

As for the current form, im sure there is someone who gets credit for it, such as Doubleday in baseball and Niasmith for basketball. While they get the credit some versions of the game had been around before.

Answer 2

Lacrosse is the oldest sport in North America, with its origin dating back to the 1400s. It did not become generally known and talked about however, until the 1600s when a Jesuit missionary named Jean de Brebeuf saw the Huron Indians play it. In a report to his superiors, he stated little about the actual play of the game but seemed to be intrigued by the stick the Indians used while playing. Jean de Brebeuf
likened the stick the Indians competed with, to the "crosier" carried at religious ceremonies by a bishop. Thus, the name la CROSSE evolved, and this later became simply "lacrosse."

and again...

Lacrosse was invented by Native North Americans. Its name was dehuntshigwa'es in Onondaga ("men hit a rounded object"), da-nah-wah'uwsdi in Eastern Cherokee ("little war"), Tewaarathon in Mohawk language ("little brother of war"), and baaga`adowe in Ojibwe ("knocking about of balls").[7]

The game was named lacrosse by early French observers. It is widely and inaccurately believed that the name stems from the French term "crosse", for the shepherd's crooklike crosier carried by bishops as a symbol of office. Jesuit missionary Jean-de-Brébeuf noted the resemblance between the crosier and the shape of the racket stick in the Relation des Jésuites around 1640. In fact, the term crosse is a general word in French for any type of bat or stick used in a ball game. The name lacrosse is simply a reflection of this term, and perhaps a shorthand for a phrase such as "le jeu de la crosse" (the game of the stick).[8]

Early players concentrated on first injuring their opponents with their sticks, and then moving easily to the goal. Games could be played on a pitch over a mile wide and sometimes lasted for days. Often players were gravely injured or even killed. Early balls were made out of the heads of the enemy, deerskin, clay, stone, and sometimes wood. Lacrosse has played a significant role in the community and religious life of tribes across the continent for many years. Early lacrosse was characterized by deep spiritual involvement, befitting the spirit of combat in which it was undertaken. Those who took part did so in the role of warriors, with the goal of bringing glory and honor to themselves and their tribes, and as a religious ritual.[9] The game was said to be played "for the pleasure of the Creator."


"An Indian Ball-Play" by George Catlin, circa 1846-1850.Lacrosse was the first Native American sport. Lacrosse has witnessed great modifications since its origins in the 15th century, but many aspects of the sport remain the same. In the Native North American version, each team consisted of about 100 to 1,000 men on a field that stretched from about 500 yards to a couple of miles long.[10] These lacrosse games lasted from sun up to sun down for two to three days. These games were played to settle inter-tribal disputes, to toughen young braves in preparation for future combat and to give thanks to the Creator. The Alqonquin tribes referred to the sport as "baggatway".[10] The game became known to Westerners when a French Jesuit Missionary, Jean de Brébeuf, saw the Iroquois Natives play it in 1636.[11]