9 November: Snakes and Ladders

In Mirano, Italy on this date, the town holds its annual human-scale Snakes and Ladders game. 10 things you might not know about snakes and ladders:

1. The game originated in ancient India, where it was known as Mokshapat or Moksha Patamu. The game is thought to have been played as early as the second century B.C. Back then it was more than just a game. It was a moral guide for children: the squares that included Ladders represented virtues (ie. Faith, Reliability, Generosity, Knowledge and Asceticism) while the squares that featured Snakes represented evils (ie. Disobedience, Vanity, Vulgarity, Theft, Lying, Drunkenness, Debt, Murder, Rage, Greed, Pride and Lust). Progression up the board represented a life journey.

2. The message of the game was that salvation is attainable through righteous deeds, while evil deeds lead to rebirth in lower forms of life. The top of the boards might be decorated with gods, Angels and other majestic beings, while the bottom featured humans, animals and Flowers, to help illustrate this concept. Snakes outnumbered ladders, signifying that a moral path is more difficult than a life of bad deeds.

3. There’s also a 16^th century Muslim version based on sufi philosophy, in which the game represents the dervish's quest to leave behind the trappings of worldly life and achieve union with God.

4. The game reached Britain in the 19^th century when colonial rulers modified it to suit Victorian values and the messages people of that time wanted to instil in their children: Ladders of thrift, penitence and industry led to squares of fulfilment, grace and success, while illness, disgrace and poverty were found at the bottom of snakes on indulgence, disobedience and indolence.

5. The English version featured an equal number of snakes and ladders, symbolising the idea that for each sin, there exists an opportunity for redemption.

6. An American version was created by Milton Bradley in 1943. This was called Chutes and Ladders and had more of a playground theme, with slides replacing snakes. Some Canadian editions featured toboggan runs instead of snakes.

7. The size of the grid varies, but is most commonly 8×8, 10×10 or 12×12 squares. The largest Snakes and Ladders game ever was created in India in 2011, with a board measuring 60 feet.

8. The phrase ‘back to square one’ originates from snakes and ladders.

9. It’s purely a matter of luck who wins and who loses. The player that moves first in the 100-square Milton Bradley version has a 50.9% chance of winning if two players are playing, while a game is completed, on average, after 48 turns.

10. In SpongeBob SquarePants, the episode "Sailor Mouth" features a board game called Eels and Escalators, clearly based on Snakes and Ladders.

Character birthday

Jordan Petros, a Galorvian republican activist, responsible for many of the attempts on the lives of members of the Galorvian royal family.