BACKGAMMON DICE

Backgammon is a game played with two dice that is a statement of fact. This does not however allude to the historical background of a device that has over the centuries been the catalyst to riches and rags.

Throughout civilization Dice or die (to use the plural) have been the toy of fortune, Lady luck herself rides on them with every throw, so it is no surprise that wizards, soothsayers and fortune tellers have used dice to predict and forecast the fortunes of those who frequent them and still do.

Astrology owes much to the runes and the stones of prehistoric man who cast them to the Gods of the Sun and Moon to bring them fortune or to warn off potential bad spirits. In some cases three dice were thrown, to ensure that luck was not just two fold but three fold.

The basic elements may have changed over the years from stones, bones, and gems to today’s plastic and man made materials, but the thrill and anticipation of the answer has never diminished.

In today’s idiosyncratic world of fake predictions and false prophets,' they even use 'Love Dice to forecast your love life. Sad!

But even if the astrologers and priests started the use of dice, it wasn’t until Royalty gave them the royal seal of approval across the dynasties that dice became acceptable as the Game of Kings. Proof of this comes with the finds of the archaeologists whose discoveries in the tombs of the Pharaohs and Kings in Egypt and Samaria provide incontrovertible evidence of Royal board games that used dice. These ancient links can be traced through to today’s game as the Egyptians used a form of equipment called the ‘dice box’, which was used for shaking the dice before casting them, not unlike our own dice cup of today.

The culture of the dice game was not just a western hemisphere product, although Roman history can date dice gambling games back to well over 900 BC, then latterly in the Christian era the Passion of Christ was the backdrop for one of the more significant of all dice games, when the Soldiers at the crucifixion threw lots for the robe of Christ.

Could this be why the image of dice is that of the Devil’s toy, or is this just another excuse why dice get such bad press?

It would be too easy too blame one single event on a throw wouldn’t it?

Yes, why because the appeal of the throw has captured the imagination of the world, with the chance to change your luck on the roll of a dice.

It is this more so than any other motive that has enthused and excited the nations from India, China, the Americas, and across the cultural divide to the Native American Indians and Eskimos of the frozen North who play similar games using dice.

In the game of backgammon you need two dice; backgammon like the dice themselves is a game that is steeped in mystery and history. Claim to its origins can be traced to the Ancient Greeks or perhaps the Aztec or Mayan civilization, India can also say it originated a form of backgammon in its Parcheesi game, played again on a board with dice. No one has copyright.

Even in this the 21st century, the game has not changed, only the method of what to play becomes the question, in that the popularity of the game has now reached an audience that has the capacity to play globally 24 hours a day for fun or for money via the world wide web.

Online backgammon is the continuation of a game that began with the roll of a stone a million years ago. It has never lost its magic.