This chapter brings together some notes on countries where the Game of the Goose was known but where its influence appears to have been of only minor significance. These countries have not been fully researched and more investigation is certainly warranted. Nevertheless, these brief notes may serve to illustrate that the spread of the Game of the Goose was not strictly limited by the boundaries of the countries treated in previous chapters.

The Game of the Goose in Scandinavia

The Game of the Goose was certainly known in Scandinavian countries. An interesting reference is contained in an 18th century account of travels written by William Richardson:

This will no doubt have been an elaborate goose board, rather than a simple printed sheet. Nevertheless, Richardson evidently did not hold the game in high regard.

The oldest surviving printed game of the Goose type from Denmark appears to be the Abespil [Game of the Monkey] published by J. R. Thiele, dated 1787 on the sheet (Figure 12.1). It is a classic Game of the Goose, except that the geese are replaced by satirical figures of monkeys in human guise.

Evidently a range of printed games was available in 19th-century Denmark. The Nordisk boghandlertidende [Nordic Bookseller Gazette], Volume 9 lists the stock of the bookdealer F. Chr. Pio, of Copenhagen. There are several entries which are race games of the Goose type, including: