Last updated on January 31st, 2023 at 11:40 pm

The Ouija board is one of Americana’s most fascinating and enigmatic artifacts. What began as a harmless parlor game in the late 1800s has become a cultural phenomenon far beyond its original boundaries.

From its early popularity rooted in spiritualism to its later emergence as a common trope in horror films, the story of the Ouija board reveals a unique historical evolution.

What is a Ouija Board?

A Ouija board is a flat surface with letters, numbers, and symbols. Players place their fingers on a planchette, a small tear-drop-shaped piece of wood or plastic, and ask questions. The planchette then moves around the board to spell out answers. The Ouija board first gained popularity in the late 1800s. It was initially seen as a harmless game or a parlor trick.

The game consisted of a board with the alphabet on it and the numbers 0-9; the words “yes” or “no” were in the uppermost corners, and “goodbye” was at the bottom. 

Two or more people would sit around the board, ask it questions, and place their fingers on the planchette. Then, with their hands on the planchette, players would watch as the device moved from letter to letter, spelling out the answers independently.

The History of The Ouija Board

The earliest known reference to the commercialization of the Ouija board is from 1891 when advertisements appeared in the newspapers talking about the: “Ouija, the Wonderful Talking Board.” The game was created by Elijah Bond, who sold the rights to Charles Kennard and his Kennard Novelty Company.

They patented the Ouija board in 1892. The board game promised players that they would receive never-ending amusement and recreation for all the classes. The board’s name comes from an Egyptian phrase, “Good luck.”

The Ouija Board was described as a link between the known and the unknown, the material and the immaterial. A New York newspaper claimed that it was successfully demonstrated at the Patent Office before it was given a patent.

Before its commercialization, the mysterious board was already famous during the Victorian era when spiritualism was all the rage.

The Ouija board, during this time, was seen as a way to contact the dead. It became popular among people looking to contact their deceased loved ones.