IS THE OUIJA BOARD DANGEROUS?

Sold at toy stores for over a century, Ouija, the infamous "talking board" has been a source of mystery and wonder ever since it first landed on parlor tables in 1890. Now owned by Hasbro, it was originally trademarked by Kennard Novelty Company in 1891. William Fuld is credited with creating the game, but it was Kennard's manager's wife that came up with the name, who asked the board what it should be called. When asked what "Ouija" meant, the answer came back as "Good Luck". It wasn't long before spiritualists (including charlatans) adopted the board as a mysterious gateway to "the other side". Paying customers were not scarce.

The Ouija board is also maligned, especially by fundamental Christians, for being a pathway to demonic forces, including the Devil himself. Indeed, there have numerous stories of people who have experienced catastrophic results after using one. Whether coincidence or truth, it is still recommended caution be advised, even if sold as a toy. The two films, OUIJA (2014) and OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL (2016), written and directed by the now hot horror commodity, Mike Flanagan, perpetuated the dark side of the board.

This article from the November issue of ANTIQUE TRADER, explains the details of this unique product and includes comments from Robert Murch, the current chairman and president of the Talking Board Historical Society, who himself has a collection of over 1,000 talking boards! You might call him the "Chairman of the Boards" . . .

THIS HAUNTED WORLD

It should be no surprise to know that the world is full of strange wonders. Monsters, ghosts, demons and other supernatural beings are part of the fabric of human culture. These articles from ANCIENT ORIGINS magazine (October 2019) discuss the world-wide phenomenon of the paranormal and unexplained. Included are features on the legendary Ouija "talking board" and the walking dead.

OUIJA BOARDS BANNED IN BRITAIN!

AS REPORTED BY COAST 2 COAST AM, an inexpensive line of Ouija Boards has been pulled from the shelves of a chain of UK stores equivalent to our Dollar Stores here in the US. The concerns, including those raised by a member of Parliament (!) and a minister claim that marketed this way, the Talking boards are too accessible to children who may be the unwilling agents of open up the Gates of Hell! The stigma of the board has persisted since the 1800's, when they were used widely by spiritualists for "communicating with the other side" and the public for entertainment.

COAST 2 COAST news editor Tim Binall explains:

In response to a growing furor surrounding their decision to sell Ouija Boards at an incredibly low price, a chain of discount stores in England have pulled the controversial items from shelves. The British equivalent to an American dollar store, Poundland made headlines last week when it was discovered that their seasonal offerings for Halloween included a Ouija Board. The problematic product priced at merely a pound quickly sparked concerns among people online who feared that children could easily get their hands on the cheap Ouija Boards.

While it would seem that the Ouija Board backlash simply served as some good publicity for Poundland this Halloween season, the company was finally forced to take action when the issue went beyond the world of social media and a number of prominent figures, including a high profile religious figure and a member of Parliament, spoke out against the spirit boards. Announcing that they would no longer sell the items in stores, a spokesperson for the chain reportedly explained that "we had a message from the spirits to make the handful that were left vanish."

As one might imagine, the company's critics applauded their decision to no longer sell Ouija Boards. Specifically, well-known Free Presbyterian minister Rev David McIlveen opined that the 'game' is "an introduction to a world that is very satanic and takes control of a person's mind." Meanwhile, Parliament member Gregory Campbell, who had once actually argued that there needed to be regulations surrounding the sale of Ouija Boards, mused that the kerfuffle is "a lesson for retailers to examine the product they put on their shelves before they have actually made it for sale."

The news will also likely lead to a sigh of relief from members of the British ghost hunting community, who have been sounding the alarm ever since the story broke last week. One particularly perturbed paranormalist, Paul Marsters, warned that the spirit boards could unleash demons upon the world and, as such, declared that he was "profoundly shocked and just fuming really" when he learned that Poundland was selling the 'game.' Fortunately, it would seem that the collective fears of Ouija-wielding children inadvertently opening a doorway to Hell has been averted for now.