The earliest mention of this game was made at the court of the Medici in Florence, circa 1580. It was then referred to as “ the renewed noble game from the Greeks ”, and served as the basis for many educational and moral games.
Symbolically, the goose announces danger. The French for goose, “oie”, has the same roots as “oreille” (ear) and “entendre” (to hear). The theme of the game is to understand life. Its spiral form represents the maze all must pass through to gain such understanding. Bridge, well, prison, death: these are all mythological figures along the path, some of which correspond to esoteric tarot images.
