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Caissa the Goddess of Chess?

Well.... more or less. She may be portrayed as a Goddess of chess due to her involvement in chess. But more or less, she is just a Thracian Dryad depicted to be a Goddess by a painting composed by Hiernoymus Vida and then used inside of a poem by William Jones. Until then.... That is basically about it.

Now you know! And now you can't be tricked by anyone in this subject!! Wink

Comments


  • 2 years ago

    The_Llama_King

    There was suppose to be a picture!!! Bah oh well!

  • 2 years ago

    RikaFurude13

    Sounds cool!

    Tongue out

  • 3 years ago

    The_Llama_King

    Umm yeah that would be a good idea. She will get your rating as low as possible!! Like -50 or something....

  • 3 years ago

    batgirl

    But, basically, you were right. Caïssa was a literary invention that appeared during/after the Renaissance and had no Greek (Thracian) mythological origin. But, to be on the safe side, try not to anger her.

  • 3 years ago

    The_Llama_King

    Huh! Thanks for that! I appreciate it alot!! :)

  • 3 years ago

    batgirl

    Caïssa wasn't depicted in a painting by Vida. Vida wasn't a painter. Vida was a poet and the goddess of chess appeared in his poem Scacchia, Ludus - Chess, a Game in 1513, but not as Caïssa, rather as Scacchis.  In the poem, the gods Apollo and Mercury play a game. In the end Mercury seduces a nymph named Scacchis and teaches her the game and names it after her (Scacchia is Latin for chess). 
        Soon after this, the heavenly victor brought
        The game on earth, and first th' Italians taught.
        For (as they say) fair Scacchis he espied
        Feeding her cygnets in the silver tide,
        (Scacchis, the loveliest Seriad of the place)
        And as she stray'd, took her to his embrace.
        Then, to reward her for her virtue lost,
        Gave her the men and chequer'd board emboss'd
        With gold and silver curiously inlay'd;
        And taught her how the game was to be play'd.
        Ev'n now 'tis honour'd with her happy name;
        And Rome and all the world admire the game.

    Jones wrote an entire poem in 1763 dedicated to Caïssa, but Jones more likely based his poem on Vida's work. In this poem, Mars becomes infatuated with a nymph named Caïssa who is somewhat repulsed by the god.  Mars enlists the help of the god of Sport, Euphron, who invents the game of chess, the board and pieces.
        O'er hills an valleys was her beauty fam'd,
        And fair Caissa was the damsel nam'd.
        Mars saw the maid;
        with deep surprize he gaz'd,
        Admir'd her shape, and every gesture prais'd

    and as they play, Caïssa's resistance diminshes until she is mated.

     


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