Nice subject ! The first name that crossed my mind is Saint Theresa of Avila, (1515-1582) a Spanish Carmelite nun who wrote a devotional work, The Way of Perfection, using chess in allegory. In Spain she is considered to be the Patron saint of chess players. ( I hope I will find more info on this subject...)
Who are the Gods/Goddesses of Chess?
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RomyGer wrote:
Nice subject ! The first name that crossed my mind is Saint Theresa of Avila, (1515-1582) a Spanish Carmelite nun who wrote a devotional work, The Way of Perfection, using chess in allegory. In Spain she is considered to be the Patron saint of chess players. ( I hope I will find more info on this subject...)
How interesting! I had not read about her before. Chess has a Patron Saint, I like it :)
Like I said, I think Siduri makes sense specifically for inebraited chess, being the goddess of wisdom, merrymaking and beer. She is even represented on beer glasses.
Caïssa is typically associated with a tree and wooden chess sets.
Inlay'd with squares of silver and of gold;
Then of two metals form'd the warlike band,
That here compact in show of battle stand;
He taught the rules that guide the pensive game,
And call'd it Caissa from the dryad's name:
Whence Albion's sons, who most its praise confess,
Approv'd the play, and nam'd it thoughtful Chess.
Then of two metals form'd the warlike band,
That here compact in show of battle stand;
He taught the rules that guide the pensive game,
And call'd it Caissa from the dryad's name:
Whence Albion's sons, who most its praise confess,
Approv'd the play, and nam'd it thoughtful Chess.
(Sir William Jones "Caïssa" - 1763)
A somewhat esoteric subject I know. But I thought it would be fun to perform a little research and look into the various chess deities...
By far the most well-known Goddess of chess (or at least sober chess) is Caïssa, who it has been claimed was created in a poem called Caïssa written in 1763 by English poet and philologist Sir William Jones. Source: http://www.caissa.com/about/who-is-caissa.php
Although Caïssa's creation has also been traced further back to the a 658-line poem called "Scacchia, Ludus" published in 1527 by Italian poet Hieronymus Vida. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ca%C3%AFssa
While not traditionally recognized as a chess goddess, I would suggest that Siduri is a most deserving deity, at least for inebriated chess. She was the ancient Babylonian Goddess of wisdom, merrymaking and beer, and for me at least merrymaking often equals playing chess while drinking beer! Source: http://sidurianfoundation.webs.com
There is perhaps one other chess deity, Macheide, proposed by Lasker, who I have been unable to find much else on. Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110414211008AAsryCj
Does anyone know of any other putative Chess Deities or any other information on Macheide?