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Ouija Board Examples:

Ghost Hunting and Paranormal Investigations

There are many names for the Ouija board, devils message board, Egyptian message board, word board just to mention a few.

Some people believe that the Ouija boards are ancient and go back as far as 500 BC. The Ouija board as we know it is young compared to older methods of contacting the spirit world. Similar devices may have existed, but the Ouija board, being a flat surface with the alphabet and numerals on it, with a planchette for choosing letters and numbers, didn't come along until much later.

The Victorians used to use a table and cards or paper with the letters and number 0 to 9 written on them, and a wine glass used as a pointer. They called it the parlour game.

No one seems to know just who invented the Ouija board but it’s thought to be Elijah Bond, since his name is on the original patent documents. It may have been Charles Kennard, but regardless of who actually invented the Ouija board, Kennard Novelty Company patented the Ouija board which became very popular at the turn of the twentieth century. He received the patent on February 10, 1891. He called the new creation "Ouija" because he claims the board told him that Ouija was Egyptian for "Good Luck."

He began producing the Ouija boards (also called Egyptian Luck boards) in 1890. They sold for around $1.50 and they were made of solid wood. The boards were huge and so were the planchette.

After only a year, Charles Kennard was out of the Ouija board business. A man who worked for Kennard Novelty Company ended up taking over. He is probably the best known name in Ouija history, he was William Fuld. His name is on every genuine Ouija board made for over 100 years until Parker Brothers took over in the 1990s. William Fuld along with his brother and business partner Isaac, changed the name from Kennard Novelty Company to the Ouija Novelty Company, and continued selling boards in large numbers. When Isaac was fired and set up his own shop, the company name was changed again to the William Fuld Company.

William Fuld then owned all rights to the Ouija board. He claimed that he invented the Ouija board. He also said that the name Ouija was a mixture of the French and German words for "yes" Oui and Ja, hence Ouija.

After his death in 1927. His children took over the business and continued selling the boards through the great depression up until 1966 when they retired. This is when the Ouija board rights were credited to the Parker Brothers. The first wooden boards Parker brothers produced were well made. But then the boards went to hardboard, then to tightly-pressed paper, to cardboard.

In the 1960’s the Waddington group produced the board as a child’s game, and it was sold widely in toy shops around the UK. After allot opposition from various Religious groups it was taken of the shelves.

It is still one of the best selling boards, second only to Monopoly.

If you have any comments about this subject please go to our forum and leave a comment.

John