The Ouija board is a board that allegedly allows communication with the spirit world. On the board there are two curved rows of letters. The top row consist of the letters A-M, while the bottom row has N-Z. Beneath the letters are the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 in a straight line.
In the top left corner is the word "yes" and in the top right corner is the word "no." At the bottom of the board is the word "goodbye." The Ouija board is also known as the talking board or the witch board. To accompany the board is a heart shaped pointer, also known as a planchette, which rests on three legs.
How to Use a Ouija Board
To use the Ouija board, a minimum of two people are needed. Each person places their fingertips lightly on the pointer and one person asks a question. If it is a yes or no question, the pointer will move to either the word "yes" or "no." If the question involves more than a yes or no answer, the pointer will move to the letters on the board to spell out the answer. If a numeric answer is required, the pointer will go to the numbers on the board.
First Talking Board Patent
In 1854, the first known patent of a talking board was given to Adolphus Theodore Wagner in London, England. Wagner described his board as a "psychograph, or apparatus indicating persons thoughts by the agent of nervous electricity."
Who Coined the Name Ouija Board?
It is up in the air as to who actually named the board Ouija. Some believe it was Charles Kennard when a patent was granted to Elija J. Bond in 1891. Other sources claim it was William Fuld, who allegedly took the French and German words for "yes" and put them together to form the word "Ouija."
William Fuld
The Kennard Novelty Company had a version of the talking board. In 1892, when William Fuld took over as owner and president, is supposedly when he changed the name to Ouija and became known as the Father of the Ouija board.
Parker Brothers and the Ouija Board
In 1966, Parker Brothers purchased the rights to the Ouija board. In 1999 they stopped manufacturing the classic Ouija board and introduced a new, glow-in-the-dark version. Claiming that the new board summons the paranormal, the current version of the Ouija board sells for $19.95. People have been fascinated with talking boards since their invention and continue to enjoy them to this day.
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