Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Part I The History of the Game of the Goose and its Variants, from its earliest appearance to the end of the 19th century
- Part II The Legacy of the Game of the Goose in the Modern Era
- Conclusion
- Glossary of technical terms
- Figures
- Literature quoted with abbreviated titles
- Index of Games
- Index of Subjects
2 - Early history and meaning of the Game of the Goose
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 November 2020
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Part I The History of the Game of the Goose and its Variants, from its earliest appearance to the end of the 19th century
- Part II The Legacy of the Game of the Goose in the Modern Era
- Conclusion
- Glossary of technical terms
- Figures
- Literature quoted with abbreviated titles
- Index of Games
- Index of Subjects
Summary
One of the earliest references to the Game of the Goose appears in an obscure book of sermons for Advent given by the Dominican Gabriele da Barletta in about 1480. He speaks (disapprovingly) of playing games at Christmas and, moreover, of the need for large and small dice, the large ones to overcome the imperfections of vision due to old age.
Si vult venire, in domum meam in istis festis paravi plura. Si voluerit ludere ad triumphos, sunt in domo; si a tavole habeo plura tabuleria; si a locha habeo taxillos grossos et minutos. [If anyone comes to my house in this season, I have prepared several games. If he wishes to play at tarot, there are tarot cards in the house; if at backgammon, I have several boards; for goose I have both large and small dice.]
This text is paraphrased by Rabelais in the Third Book of Pantagruel, published in 1546, which satirically relates the use of dice by Judge Bridoye (literally ‘Bridlegoose’ but meaning, colloquially, ‘nincompoop’) in reaching legal decisions: for difficult cases the judge uses dice too small to see the numbers! In fact much of the Third Book can be interpreted as an ironic Goose game.
Recently, diligent searching by Thierry Depaulis has revealed even earlier references from Italy, among which are:
1463: in Argenta (Emilia–Romagna, near Ferrara), Borso d’Este forbids: ‘a zugare over fare zugare in alcuno luoco publico over privato in ascoxo over in palexe in la terra de Argenta et suo destrecto ad alcuno zuogo de dato como è al sozo, ocha, badalasso bolognexe over altro zuogo de dati’ [to play or cause to be played in any place whether public or private, concealed or openly, in the land of Argenta and its district any game of dice, as at […] goose […] or any other game of dice].
1465 (July): Borso d’Este's jester, Giovan Battista Scocola, receives from Borso two golden ducats: ‘per zugare a l’ocha’ [to play at the goose].
It is clear from these references that the Game of the Goose was well established as a vehicle for gambling in the late 15th century, such that prohibitions and condemnations were issued.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cultural Legacy of the Royal Game of the Goose400 Years of Printed Board Games, pp. 23 - 36Publisher: Amsterdam University PressPrint publication year: 2019