Ouija Board...Is This A Harmless Game Or Not...You Decide...

[Carol]

I recently read an article on the background of this game and I'd share some of the things that were included in this article. I, for one, don't think it is merely a harmless game.

It was known at first as "The Wonderful Talking Board" and invented in the 1880's in Maryland. According to the creaters of this, it named itself by repeatedly spelling the word "Ouija" during one session. They claimed that the board told them this meant good luck in Egyptian. But there were a few archeologists who were insistant that this word was not part of an ancient language and even accused those who developed the game of inventing more than the game. As usual...the public wasn't interested in these opinions and so the first of the legends of the Ouija board began.

In 1892, America was in the midst of a "Spiritualism" craze and it was at this time that William Fuld acquired rights to produce the board. Large numbers of people were consulting mediums and holding seances in addition to using a variety of other methods to try to contact loved ones who had died and were on the "Other Side". Fuld realized the public's obsession and thereby marketed the Ouija board as a parlor game that could communicate with the dead. This "Wonderful Talking Board" was such a sensation that he had to expand his Baltimore factory several times to meet the demand.

There were others who tried to copy the huge success of this game and there were companies who produced boards with mystical-sounding names as"Genii", "The Wireless Messenger", and "I Do Psycho Ideograph". These new boards had colorful images of pyramids, camels, turbaned-swamis, and crystal balls...which was unlike the drab black and brown Ouija game. But none of these new games stayed on the market for very long and Fuld would also intimidate his competition by suing those who dared to copy his design. He also extended his marketing efforts and spread wild rumors about "Ouija's" supernatural powers and obtained false testimonials as well as expanding the ancient origins of the Ouija board...he also made up the tale of this being a combination of the French word "oui" for yes and "ja" for the German word for no. So, for the most part, due to the relentless efforts on his part, the popularity of the Ouija did not fade until interest faded in Spiritualism by the early 20th century.

In 1966, Parker Brothers bought the Ouija trademark and patent from the family of Fuld and has produced the game since then. But other than this...Fuld's basic design has remained unchanged.

In addition to the board's reputation as the gateway to the spirit world lasting through all this time, many of the superstitions of the board have become full-fledgded urban legends....some have claimed the Ouija made them commit crimes and others have sworn they have won the lottery by playing the numbers given to them by the board. This Ouija game has been supposed to have reunited lovers,driven some insane, as well as destroying the lives of many young people.

The Parker Brothers boxed sets include the instructions for playing this game but there is a list of unwritten rules that exists. Some of these are....cleanse yourself before consulting the board or the spirits will be offended and if you burn a board, it will scream. And there is the claim that if anyone hears this scream, they will die within 36 hours. Another is that if you are ill and play the game, you will be vulnerable to spirit possession and also , never play alone and especially never, never ask Ouija when you will die....this list goes on and on...so I guess William Fuldd would be proud of these legends. Did he know just how this board would capture the imagination of the public more than a century after it was first introduced? Could he have predicted any of the mania concerning this game? It will never be known but there is one thing for sure...the fact that this game is still played and the rumors continue, is a testiment to Fuld's marketing genius and his ability to spin a timeless tale.

Again...I want to add...no matter what the story behind this game is...I will not have one and don't ever care to play the Ouija board. Sometimes, as the saying goes..."where there's smoke there's fire"...meaning some of the things I have heard about those who have had experiences with this board....no way would I ever have one!!....you can decide for yourselves if this is yet another yarn to make the game appear harmless or not.