Historian Robert Merch has been studying "vijay" (ouija) boards for years, which appear in films such as "The Devil's Exorcist".
The mysterious board that speaks is an integral part of American popular culture and has long attracted people as a means of connecting with the dead. Despite that, little was known about her origins, and Merch says that her history is as mysterious as her alleged powers.
As a consequence of the mass victims of the American civil war, people had a need to communicate with the dead, so the media began to advertise services in big cities across the country, writes the British "Guardian".
- Everyone has lost someone: father, son, uncle, grandfather ... In an unprecedented way in the United States, death has affected everyone - says Merch
Many families had to come to terms with the fact that the bodies of their loved ones had not been found, and spiritual devices such as "vijay" boards provided answers to questions that no one else could answer.
"Those plates helped people find inner peace," says Merch.
The very name "vidja" (ouija) is today used as a universal name for all boards of this type. The name comes from the medium Helen Peters from Baltimore, who together with her son-in-law used the board to establish a connection with the deceased. One night in 1890, she asked the board what to call her and received the answer "vidja", explaining that the word meant "good luck".
Today, there is a grocery store in that building in Baltimore, and a memorial plaque on the wall reminds of the christening of a ghost board.
Peters patented the board, but the business was soon taken over by the American entrepreneur William Fold, who is credited with popularizing it.
“Vija - a magical game. Wonderful, interesting and mystical. Extremely fun and ideal for celebrations. It answers questions related to the past, present and future ", it was written in the advertisement in the" Sirs "catalog.
As her popularity grew, but so did her earnings, the first investors wanted to emphasize the role of Helen Peters in the creation of a means of communicating with the deceased. However, she did not want to deal with the record, because she allegedly caused serious damage to her family.
When the precious pieces of inheritance disappeared from the house, Helen asked the board who took them. Her grandson claims that the board pointed to one family member. "Half the family believed, and half said it was 'nonsense,' including Helen," Merch said. A quarrel broke out in the family and there was an irreparable rift. After that, Helen said until her death that "the board is lying".
William Fold also had family problems because of the board. After he excluded his brother from business in 1919, they never talked again. Due to the war and the outbreak of the flu epidemic, that year favored sales. The Baltimore Dream wrote in 1927 that Fold had made a million dollars from sales.
He continued to open new factories, and the largest - a three-story building in Baltimore - was created after the "vidja" told him to "get ready for a big job".
In early 1927, he climbed to the roof of the building to oversee the replacement of the flagpole.
- He was standing on the edge of the roof, holding on to the iron support of the bar, which suddenly detached, and Fold fell - wrote "Baltimore Dream".
He managed to grab the sims of the open window, but he suddenly closed, so he fell on the sidewalk. He broke several ribs, but was not life-threatening. However, he was not destined to survive: they ran into a ledge on the way to the hospital, as a result of which one of the broken bones hit his heart and killed him.
The family continued to run the company until 1966, when it was sold to Parker Brothers. Later, it passed into the hands of the company "Hasbro", whose website warns: "Handle the board with respect and it will not disappoint you!".