Games Britannia Part One: Dicing with Destiny
Presented by Benjamin Woolley.
Duration: 59 minutes.
First broadcast on BBC4 in December 2009 as part of the Game On season.
He explains how Ancient and Medieval games weren't just about having fun, they were of prophetic significance. This, however, was lost through the middle ages as gaming went from it's spiritual element to being associated to gambling.Both dice and card games flourished, but in the Victorian Ear, these games received a moral backlash and transformed games in general into moral educational tools.
At the same time, Britain created the first commercial games industry, creating games such as the Staunton Chess Set, Ludo and Snakes and Ladders, all adaptations of original games from other countries.
Lastly, Woolley delves deeper into the meaning of Snakes and Ladders, which the original representation was that of a Hindu journey to enlightenment. This meaning was lost to commercialism and transformed the game into a popular but banal family favorite.
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