''Ka-Bala'' was a
talking board game manufactured and released by
Transogram in 1967. It was marketed under the slogan, "The Mysterious Game that
Tells the Future."
The game was molded out of green plastic that
glowed in the dark. It sat upon a hemispherical rocker, and was operated by the players touching the "solary projectors", which were handles on either side of the game. Unlike most talking boards which are activated by a
planchette
A planchette ( or ), from the French for "little plank", is a small, usually heart-shaped flat piece of wood equipped with two wheeled casters and a pencil-holding aperture pointing downwards, used to facilitate automatic writing. The use of ...
, ''Ka-Bala'' used a large black
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...
as an indicator; the marble ran around a circular track on the surface of the game. In addition to indicating the letters and numbers printed around the track, the marble could also be used to select one of twenty-two
Major Arcana cards of
occult tarot supplied with the game. Each tarot card had the
fortune it predicted printed on the back. The game also had the twelve
zodiac signs marked along the track; these could be used to generate a simple
horoscope. In the center of the rocking board, the "
Eye of Zohar" was mounted; this plastic eyeball would spin as the board was agitated by the players.
The name "Ka-Bala" and the reference to the ''
Zohar'' indicate that the game was supposedly related to
Kabbalah
Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "receiver"). The defin ...
, an esoteric school of thought in
Jewish mysticism. As they operated the game, the players were instructed to chant ''Pax, sax, sarax; hola, noa, nostra!''
See also
*
Fortune teller machine
A fortune teller machine (also known as a genie machine or mechanical genie) is a type of amusement automaton, which upon receiving credit gives out a card with a prediction of the reader's future. This is typically given by an automaton. They ...
*
Magic 8 Ball
The Magic 8 Ball is a plastic sphere, made to look like an oversized , that is used for fortune-telling or seeking advice. It was invented in 1946 by Albert C. Carter and Abe Bookman and is currently manufactured by Mattel. The user asks a yes– ...
External links
''Ka-Bala''at the online Museum of Talking Boards.
Board games introduced in 1967
Divination software and games
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