The Online Guide to Traditional Games |
||||
Board Games |
Moksha-Patamu (Snakes and Ladders) |
|||
Pub Games | ||||
Table Games | ||||
Lawn Games | ||||
Game Index | ||||
About | ||||
This ancient race game, like Pachisi, originated in India although the author isn't sure when. It is a game of morality with the bases of the ladders being located on squares representing various types of good and the more numerous snakes coming from squares representing various forms of evil. The squares of virtue on the original game are Faith (12), Reliability (51), Generosity (57), Knowledge (76), Asceticism (78); the squares of evil are Disobedience (41), Vanity (44), Vulgarity (49), Theft (52), Lying (58), Drunkenness (62), Debt (69), Rage (84), Greed (92), Pride (95), Murder (73) and Lust (99). The game is Hindu and was used to teach children about the religion in that the good squares allow a player to ascend higher in the league of life whereas evil will reduce a player back through reincarnation to lower tiers of life. Presumably the last square, 100, represents Nirvana.
The game still exists in the West (and in India?) but in the West the moral overtones have disappeared and many versions are a lot easier because the ladders outnumber the snakes. BuyingSnakes and Ladders is available in almost all game shops. I don't know of a version that includes the morality words. Masters Traditional Games sells a Giant Snakes and Ladders game for the garden. |
|
jm at tradgames.org.uk |