Game of the Goose
[2] All spaces on the game board are numbered, with some depicting an illustration of either a goose or a hazard indicating a specified action.
The game is thought to have originated in Italy during the 15th century,[3] being given by Francesco de Medici as a gift to King Philip of Spain.
[5] A version of the game was given as a gift by Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici of Tuscany to King Philip II of Spain sometime between 1574 and 1587.
[10] Another theory links the game to the Pilgrims' Way to Santiago, or the Road to Saint James of Compostela, in Galicia.
According to this hypothesis, the game was invented by the Knights Templar, who were in charge of protecting those on pilgrimage to the main holy cities: Compostela, Rome and Jerusalem.
[11] The oldest board for Game of the Goose can be found today in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
According to Christine Damste, he game was created with the intent to symbolize the fate humans experience in life.
[2] A standard set of the Game of the Goose includes one gameboard, four goose-shaped pieces of different colours and two six-sided dice.
The earliest known adaptation is Pierre Marriette's "Jeu Chronologique"[15] dated 1638, with the purpose of teaching History.
[16] Successive versions taught geography, the arts of war, and heraldry, produced from expensively engraved copper plates as opposed to the provincial productions of games from woodcut blocks.
However, modifications had the purpose of attracting diverse audiences, such as children, travellers, or those interested in specific activities such as horse racing or hunting.
[17] A century later, England joined the trend of educational race games with John Jeffreys’ 1759 "A Journey through Europe, or the Play of Geography,"[18] printed by Carington Bowles.
If a player of the opposite sex lands on the same space, it simulates a "Fleet marriage," resulting in an immediate win and a division of the pot.
This rule plays on the historical context of rapid marriages that took place in London's Fleet Prison.
[15] The 19th century British variation called "The New Royal Game of the Goose"[19] offers a distinct rule at space 57, where a depicted man with a pipe suggests a gendered activity.
Any player, unless they are female, are sent back to space 47, hinting at the societal views on smoking as an exclusively masculine activity.
The adaptation was designed by Anne Abbott, a clergyman's daughter from Beverly, with the purpose of instilling ethical values based on Christian morality.
An introductory verse in the instructions makes this clear: At this amusement each will find A moral to improve the mind.
At first glance, it mirrored Swiss games designed in the late 19th century to promote tourism, but its purpose was evidently more profound.
[15] A Dutch variation published in 1858 called "Sint Nicolaas," involves the initial dice throw to affect the gameplay differently based on the player's gender.
