Dice, Divination and the Silk Road
January 7, 2024 5:45 AM Subscribe
The authors found that each numerical code from rolls of the dice would indicate a different god, one from a mixed pantheon of Hindu, Buddhist, Daoist, or other local deities.
The book referenced in the article; preview on Google Books. See also: Mo, a Tibetan form of divination using dice.
The Silk Road was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Sometimes referred to as the Silk Roads. This network was not referred to as such until the late 19th century, and the nomenclature has been variously contested and embraced, along with broader concerns about colonization and Orientalism.
The book referenced in the article; preview on Google Books. See also: Mo, a Tibetan form of divination using dice.
The Silk Road was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Sometimes referred to as the Silk Roads. This network was not referred to as such until the late 19th century, and the nomenclature has been variously contested and embraced, along with broader concerns about colonization and Orientalism.
3d4 is only 6 bits of entropy, in case your first thought was also that this would be an interesting diceword generator.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:12 AM on January 7 [2 favorites]
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:12 AM on January 7 [2 favorites]
42
posted by Miko at 9:28 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
posted by Miko at 9:28 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
I've been thinking about the Silk Road lately, as I'd like to start a D&D game based around a long-distance travel caravan group. Obvs it would be fantasy, but if anyone knows any good books or documentaries about what life was like in such a caravan; how order was kept, how daily life went, logistics and issues of caravan travel etc ... I'd be very grateful for reccs!
posted by The otter lady at 9:33 AM on January 7 [6 favorites]
posted by The otter lady at 9:33 AM on January 7 [6 favorites]
The otter lady, I think about that question sometimes. For gaming you might enjoy some of the Silk Road-related offerings on DriveThruRPG. At some point I will probably buy this one. I've read things on Silk Road art history, trade, archaeology, etc., but not the mechanics of running a caravan there. A number of the books on this Wikipedia page are on my long-term Silk Road reading list, as I've found travelogues (even modern ones) often more conducive to imagination than reading primary sources, which often tend to reveal the kind of info you seek in fragments. Or at least, that's been my experience generally reading primary sources, unless some very specific historical how-to guide survives, like ancient cookbooks or seduction manuals have.
posted by cupcakeninja at 9:47 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
posted by cupcakeninja at 9:47 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
The Otter Lady, you might find this article interesting. It is a Dungeons & Dragons story using the Silk Road.
posted by Nyrath at 11:14 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
posted by Nyrath at 11:14 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
The Otter Lady, a friend of mine wrote this gaming supplement on the silk road. It's specifically for GURPS, but is meant to be a general-purpose gaming supplement for role playing.
posted by indexy at 11:44 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
posted by indexy at 11:44 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
Wow! Thank you all so much!! Sorry to derail with what prolly shoulda been an AskMe but thank you!!
posted by The otter lady at 4:35 PM on January 7 [2 favorites]
posted by The otter lady at 4:35 PM on January 7 [2 favorites]
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