Billiards Articles

Its Mysterious Origins

The exact historical origins of pool game could not be pinpointed. And its roots remain anecdotal at best.  It’s commonly believed to have originated as an outdoor game just a bit different from croquet played in 14th century France.  It became quite popular to both royalties and peasants.  And it is said that when the fickle European weather did not permit it to be played outdoors, it evolved into an indoor sport played on a table covered with green felt resembling a manicured  lawn on which the original game was played.

For sure Shakespeare was aware of it in his time.  References to the game did appear in his Anthony and Cleopatra play.  But that was more an anachronism.  While billiards may have been played during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, there certainly was no written or archeological evidence to hint that the game was known to the Egyptians of Cleopatra’s time.

Some historical trivia
It’s interesting to note that the body of Mary, Queen of Scots, half sister of Queen Elizabeth I was wrapped in her billiard cloth when she was buried.

Famous historical figures are known enthusiast of billiards.  They included Mozart, King Louise X1V and wife Marie Antoinette, Napoleon, Abe Lincoln, Mark Twain, George Washington, and Teddy Roosevelt to mention a few.

Billiards was the first sport to have a world championship game in 1873.  A certain William Cook was the winner.

Billiard balls were made from ivory – carved out from the center of an elephant’s tusk.  Each elephant tusk yielded only 3-4 billiard balls. The elephants have the invention of plastic to thank for.

Billiards is claimed to be the safest sport on earth.  That may account for the game, according to research, having the highest average age among its players at 35.6 years.

It’s French
The term “billiard” comes from “billart” a French word for mace.  The mace was a stick with a handle that started to be used with the game called croquet.  Even the term “cue” had its French origins in the word “queue” that now forms part of the English lexicon. “Snooker” on the other hand is a British invention that started in the army of Colonel Neville Chamberlain in occupied India back in 1875. (No relation to the British Prime Minister of the same name.)

It was illegal
Billiards was outlawed for years in a few countries in its earliest known history.  Even the Church in France frowned on it as being immoral and sinful.  In 19th century America, the term “pool” room referred to a parlor room for horse race betting and was illegal in a number of states.  It is said that Thomas Jefferson hid a billiard table in his Monticello home in Virginia.  Today, pool room and billiard room mean the same thing.

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