In last weeks reading, there was an emphasis on religion in earlier centuries and the impact it has on games.The Catholic church was explicitaly against the game of chess until they were able to use it as a tool to teach and further instill the social hierarchy in people. In both of the Art of Contest articles the games Weiqi and Liubo were refferred to by Confucius as ‘better than being idle’. He wasn’t a religious leader but certainly a spiritual one who was not enthralled by the games.The game of Liubo even held a very spiritual aspect, there are images of it being played by immortals, constalations and stars on certain game boards. Some thought the game could ward off evil, and one man was said to have very spiritual experiences that were obvious to is audience while playing. Some believed that playing it could ward off evil. It is interesting to see the spiritual aspect of gaming, as up to now I think we’ve only seen it as an opposition from the church.

It is clear to see why religious authorities would be against some games. The article on The Game of Leaves explains several games in which drinking is the main object of the game. But in games where gambling and drinking are not explicitely in the rules, it makes me wonder why the Catholic church, in some cases, would outright forbid a game or be extremely against it. Why not just speak out against those who used it for the purpose of gamling or drinking? Were they afraid that even if the rules didnt imply these actions people would take to them anyway?It is intriguing to see how games, even when not created for the purpose of gambling or drinking, take on these aspects when played. People turn them into vices rather than games of cunning or intellect.

As usual it is interesting to see the importance and elegance of the games and how people save them in their wills. Its very interesting to see the impact games had on women. How they were included in dowrys and given to brides who had to leave home, in the cases of elite girls married off to kings and princes as in Birth of the Chess Queen, so they would have something to do while by themselves in a foreign land.