Today, Ouija boards can also come with a set of ‘rules.’ These are generally a list of warnings for users. She Brings Bad News: The Scary Slavic Household Spirit Called Kikimora.Be Careful What You Wish For: Ouija Boards Unraveled.The board itself usually has the letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0 – 9, and words such as ‘yes’, ‘no’, and ‘goodbye’. This set the precedence for the planchettes of Ouija boards, which are made of wood or plastic and have a hole or pointer to spell out answers. A medium would place his / her finger on the planchette, a question was asked, and an answer would be written out by a ‘spirit’ who was believed to have moved the device. One method involved the use of planchettes with two wheels at one end, and a pencil at the tip, forming a third leg. Mediums claimed they were intermediaries between the living and the dead and employed a number of techniques in their work. ‘Ouija’ boards weren’t released until Kennard Novelty Company produced them out as parlor games in the late 1800s.Ī Halloween party featuring a Ouija board.

Spirit boards have been in use since at least the 19th century in America and rose in popularity with the interest in spiritualism – the belief that the dead can communicate with the living.

But what’s the real story behind these terrifying tales? Introduction to the Ouija Board Almost everyone has heard stories of someone connecting with malevolent beings or suffering unfortunate events following the use of a Ouija board. Ouija boards, also known as talking boards or spirit boards, are a relatively modern tool/game that strikes fear and wonder in the hearts of many people.

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