Caissa

If you ever felt lucky to win a chess game, that could be a sign that Caissa was on your side. Learn everything about this mythological figure and why she's so famous among chess players!

• Who Is Caissa?
• Why Is Caissa Considered The Goddess Of Chess?
• Earlier Mentions Of Chess As A Divine Gift
• Conclusion

Who Is Caissa?

Caissa is a mythological figure who is portrayed as the goddess of chess. She is a dryad, an oak tree nymph in Greek mythology. 

Why Is Caissa Considered The Goddess Of Chess?

The term "Caissa" was first introduced as the name of a poem by the English writer Sir William Jones in 1763. The poem describes, among other things, the love story between the god Apollo and the nymph Caissa. 

When Apollo first sees Caissa, he falls in love with her, but she does not love him in return. While lamenting his torment, Apollo meets a water nymph who advises him to create a game to charm Caissa with the help of the god Euphron.

Euphron, the god of games and leisure, creates chess and teaches it to Apollo. In the poem, Euphron first calls the game "Caissa" to honor the nymph, and only later is the game renamed as "chess."

Apollo then disguises himself as a faun and meets Caissa to teach her the new game. Chess enchants Caissa, who starts to grow fond of Apollo. The god then reveals his true form, and Caissa falls in love with him.

In summary, the poem describes chess as a gift given to humanity by the gods. It is also only because of Caissa that humans get to enjoy the divine game of chess.

Earlier Mentions Of Chess As A Divine Gift

Though Jones was the first author to use the name Caissa, an earlier poem by the Italian poet Hieronymus Vida inspired his work. In Vida's poem, published in the 1520s, the gods Apollo and Hermes played a chess game in the presence of other gods. 

Hermes, who won the game, then meets Scacchis, the "loveliest nymph" of them all. After their "union," Hermes gifts Scacchis with the chessboard and teaches her the rules of chess.

Much like in Jones's poem, chess is portrayed as a gift given to humanity by the gods. 

Conclusion

You now know who Caissa is and why she is considered to be the goddess of chess. Celebrate Caissa and go to our Play page to enjoy the gift of chess!