Dice have been known since antiquity. For many centuries they have been used as an attribute of gambling and magic rituals. They have survived hundreds of modifications and have come to modern times in the form of plastic cubes with chiseled edges.
Initially, the cubes were called "bones", and this was due solely to the material of manufacture. For ritual purposes, cubes were made from soft metals, but more often from human bones. However, with the advent of monotheistic religions and the rejection of sacrificial cults, the tradition of throwing the dice on the altar died.
Bone material
Game cubes were made from animal bones, which were the strongest and most durable material. Cubes made of wood quickly deteriorated, worn out, cracked. Most often, the bones of lamb were used, the so-called "grandmothers", which represented the joint of the animal's leg above its hoof. Such attributes often served as a symbol of prosperity in the house, while the poor used various materials to make bones, up to peach or plum pits.
In later times, dice were made from elephant tusks, and wealthy people could afford bones from semiprecious stones - onyx, agate or amber.
With the advent of plastic, cubes began to be made from it. The material is inexpensive and very durable, which is important, considering how many times a cube, thrown up, falls on a hard surface.
For a long time, cubes have been used not only for gambling, they are very often used in children's board games. Depending on the combination of dots on the sides of the dice, the chips move on the game field.
Play as a ritual
In ancient Rome, the excitement of dice reached such proportions that the authorities issued a decree prohibiting dice. The Inquisition, which saw demonic temptation in the bones, also played its role. Only in 1396 the ban was lifted.
Among the Slavs, the game of dice was called a game of crutches or goats. The essence of the game was that the players agreed on which sides of the dice were considered winning. After that, the dice were thrown onto the table, and the winner was the one who guessed the combination of colors on the edges of the dice. The fact is that in Russia the edges of the bones were painted black and red. There could be another combination.
Much later, marks began to be made on the faces of the cube, which are notches in the form of one, two, three, four, five or six points on the plane of one face. For home games, cubes are purchased industrially. They are usually black in color with white dotted markings.
Only hand-made cubes are allowed in gambling houses. They must be of the same weight, exact edges, the permissible manufacturing error is no more than 0.013 mm. This accuracy plays a big role in the landing of the dice, which means the chance of winning. Before each game, the dealer is obliged to get new cubes and show them to the players. At the slightest doubt about the quality of the cubes' manufacturing, they are replaced.
