Spirit boards, also known as Ouija boards, have long captivated the human imagination, serving as both tools of divination and objects of fear. These enigmatic devices have a rich and fascinating history that spans centuries, intertwining with spiritualism, mysticism, and popular culture. From their humble beginnings as parlor games to their portrayal in horror movies, the journey of spirit boards is one marked by intrigue and controversy.
The origins of spirit boards can be traced back to ancient civilizations where individuals sought to communicate with the spirit world. Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Chinese civilizations all practiced various forms of divination to connect with the deceased or divine the future. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that the precursor to the modern spirit board emerged.
The modern spirit board owes much of its development to the rise of spiritualism in the mid-19th century. Spiritualism, a movement that gained popularity in the United States and Europe, centered around the belief in communication with the spirits of the dead. During this time, mediums held séances to channel spirits, and various tools were used to facilitate communication, including planchettes and talking boards.
One of the earliest examples of a talking board was the “talking table” used by the Fox sisters, who were instrumental in the popularization of spiritualism in the 19th century. This device consisted of a small table with letters and numbers, and participants would place their hands on it, allowing spirits to guide their movements to spell out messages.
The modern spirit board as we know it today gained widespread recognition with the invention of the Ouija board in the late 19th century. The exact origins of the Ouija board are shrouded in mystery and controversy, with multiple individuals claiming credit for its creation.
One popular narrative attributes the invention of the Ouija board to Elijah Bond, a businessman from Baltimore, Maryland, and Charles Kennard, a toy manufacturer. In 1890, Kennard formed the Kennard Novelty Company to manufacture and market the Ouija board, which he claimed to have named after asking the board what it wanted to be called and receiving the response “Ouija,” purportedly a combination of the French and German words for “yes.”
The Ouija board quickly became a cultural phenomenon, marketed as both a parlor game and a tool for communicating with spirits. Its popularity soared, particularly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as spiritualism experienced a surge of interest.
Throughout the 20th century, spirit boards continued to capture the public’s imagination, becoming a staple of popular culture. They appeared in literature, film, and television, often depicted as mysterious and potentially dangerous tools for contacting the supernatural.
One of the most iconic portrayals of the Ouija board in popular culture is in William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel THE EXORCIST and its subsequent film adaptation. In the story, a young girl becomes possessed by a demon after using a Ouija board, leading to a series of terrifying events. This portrayal reinforced the board’s association with the occult and fueled fears surrounding its use.
Despite its reputation for being a conduit to the spirit world, skeptics have dismissed the Ouija board as nothing more than a parlor game fueled by the ideomotor effect, where subconscious movements of the participants guide the planchette’s movements.
The history of spirit boards is a complex tapestry woven with threads of spirituality, mysticism, and popular culture. From ancient divination practices to the modern Ouija board, these devices have fascinated and intrigued generations of individuals, inviting them to explore the mysteries of the unknown. Whether viewed as tools for communication with the spirit world or dismissed as mere curiosities, spirit boards continue to occupy a unique place in our collective consciousness, serving as reminders of humanity’s enduring fascination with the supernatural.
~David Albaugh