CHESS AND PLAYING-CARDS. 857 



44. Edris a Jin. Edris of the Genii, a game like Pachisi. Druses 



of Lebauon, Syria. Cloth and cowrie shells used as dice 



and men." 

 The board is much more complicated than the preceding, consisting 

 of a large square cotton cloth marked with a i^arti-colored diagram 

 witli four arms each having four rows of eight squares, each connected 

 at the ends by a diagonal row of eight squares, the whole forming an 

 octagonal figure. The inner square, composed of sixteen small squares, 

 is called the seroi. The moves are made according to the throws with 

 four cowries. Each player has three men, other shells, one of which 

 is called the "chief," and the others "soldiers." The former are filled 

 with red sealing wax, to which colored paper is pasted, distinguishing 

 them as red, green, yellow, and black. The name of the game, Edris, 

 which is applied in Syria to simple games played with men upon 

 boards, among which is Merrels, is the same as that of Enoch,^ the 

 prophet of the Druses. 



In this game, which, from its terminology, is possibly of Persian 

 origin, the pieces are differentiated. It appears to be a step in the 

 direction of the game of chess, although not in the direct line. 



45. Chaturanga. Dice chess. Ancient India. Board, men ^ (repro- 



dnctions) and die. 



The game of Ghaturanga, now apparently extinct, is described in 

 detail in the Bhavisliya Pnrana, of which translations have been given 

 by several writers. It was i^layed upon au ordinary chessboard of 

 sixty-four squares by four players, each of whom had eight men, dis- 

 tinguished \iY the colors red, green, yellow, and black. The men con- 

 sisted of four foot soldiers or pawns, and a Eajah, Elephant, Horse, and 

 Ship, which are placed in the order of Ship, Horse, Elei)hant, and Eajah, 

 beginning from the left corner, with the four foot soldiers in front. The 

 partners' pie(;es occupy the opposite diagonals. The Eajah, Elephant, 

 and Horse move as the King, Eook, or Castle and Knight in modern 

 chess; the Ship always two squares diagonally, hopping over au inter- 

 mediate iiiece if necessary; the foot soldier like the pawn in our own 

 game. The players play alternately in the order of the sun. The 

 moves were made according to the throws with a die marked 2, 3, 4, 5. 

 On throwing T), the Eajah or a foot soldier was moved; if 4 was 

 thrown, the Elephant; 3, the Horse, and 2, the Ship. It is not cer- 

 tain from the account referred to that the die was employed after the 

 opening move. 



The liajah was not checkmated in this early game, but is taken like 



' Cat. No. 18262, Mus. Arch., Univ. Penn. 



= p]nocli is the reputed inventor of a kind of divinatory table divided into squares, 

 in eacli of which is written an Arabic letter, which is described by Lane nuder tlie 

 nami^ of Zair'yeh. Hence, it may be, his name is applied to the games above described. 



"Cat. No. 7578, Mus. Arch., Univ. Penn. 



