Ouija boards seem to have always been a mysterious item lining the same shelves as other toys and board games in our stores.
But how much do you really know about the classic, supposedly spiritual board game? In fact, do you even count it as a board game?
Legends and myths have surrounded the product since its invention back in the late 1800s, but that was of course part of its allure. Over the years, it has transformed from a haunting look into the "other world" to a silly past time no one really took seriously — and back and forth again between those two ideas.
No matter which side you believe about Ouija boards, chances are you'll be surprised by more than a few of the facts listed below regarding its history.
Do you remember playing with an Ouija board back in the day?
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[H/T: Smithsonian Magazine, Robert Murch]
1. The Board We Know Was Invented By A Toy Shop In 1891
A Pittsburgh toy and novelty shop called Danziger's & Company first advertised "the wonderful talking board" and described it as "without a doubt, the most interesting, remarkable, and mysterious production of the nineteenth century," according to a newspaper from the time.
They offered it for the low, low price of $1.49.
2. Similar Products Date Back To Ancient Times
All the way back in 1100 AD, the "spirit writing" was known as "fu chi."
It involved using a sieve with ashes to spell out the characters seemingly given to a pair of users from the beyond, according to reports from Nanzan University.
3. The Name Isn’t French Or German
Inventor Elijah Bond claims that he and his sister in law, so-called “strong medium” Helen Peters, sat down with the board to figure out what to name it. According to him, the planchette spelled out “ouija,” which it then defined itself as “good luck.”
4. The Board Supposedly Predicted Its Own Patent
As legend has it, Elijah convinced the patent board that the game was legit by having it predict the name of the chief patent officer working his case. Whether that’s true or not, there’s no denying they got the man to sign off on the board.
5. There Are Very Specific Instructions
Though most people just jump right into asking questions with abandon, the rules actually have a specific set of parameters:
Place the board upon the knees of two persons, lady and gentleman preferred, with the small table upon the board. Place the fingers lightly but firmly, without pressure, upon the table so as to allow it to move easily and freely. In from one to five minutes, the table will commence to move, at first slowly, then faster, and will then be able to talk or answer questions. The letters and numerals forming words and sentences will appear in the glass opening lens of small table.
6. It Was The Original “Dating Game”
The instructions' mention of “lady and gentlemen preferred” was done to entice young couples to purchase a board so they could cozy up and ask questions together.
7. It Used To Outsell Monopoly
In 1922, pretty much every household had a Ouija board stashed away for what they believed at the time was just some lighthearted fun — so much so that by the time Parker Brothers purchased the board's rights in 1967, it outsold perhaps the most popular American board game, Monopoly.
8. It Was Featured On I Love Lucy
In a season one episode, Lucy becomes interested in horoscopes and numerology. After accidentally tanking a business deal for Ricky, she, Ethel, and Fred go along with one of her wacky schemes to convince the businessman, Mr. Merriweather, that he has made contact with "the other side."
They end up confused when they assume he was attempting to contact Mrs. Merriweather, but it turned out he was actually looking to converse with his beloved pet dog, Tillie.
9. A Horror Movie Made Its Popularity Tank
The 1973 film The Exorcist infamously centers on the plot of a young girl being possessed by evil while playing the game.
The performance was apparently quite convincing, since sales for the game suddenly went downhill fast.
10. There’s Real Science Behind It
Known as the “ideomotor effect,” or automatic writing, the subconscious of those playing the game will shift the planchette toward answers to their questions without even realizing it.
11. Psychologists Have Studied It
Research has been done on the game over the years, but recent studies from the University of British Columbia’s Visual Cognition Lab specifically focused on how the board revealed layers of conscious and subconscious thought.
In one case, they asked participants a series of yes or no questions both verbally on their own and non-verbally through the board. The results were surprising: they answered only 50% of the questions correctly on their own, but when they believed a higher power was guiding them through the board, the stat jumped to 65%.
12. There Was A Predecessor To The Ouija Board In The White House
Mary Todd Lincoln, Abraham's wife, was known for being particularly interested in spiritualism. She would often consult her own "talking board" with questions about their son, who had passed away at a young age.
13. They Used The Design For The Inventor's Grave Stone
Elijah Bond was buried in an unmarked grave, but Ouija historian Robert Murch tracked down his remains in Baltimore back in 2007 and finally gave the game's inventor a proper burial — including a tombstone replica of the board.
Were you surprised by any of these Ouija board facts?
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