London - Merry-go-round in Coven Garden - The history of carousels dates back to the 12th century. In order to test a rider's skill, scented clay balls were thrown from one Arabian horseman to another. If there were riders that were untouched by the scent of the clay, they were considered to be superior riders. The French in the 17th century were able to change the ancient clay. A wheel which had wooden arms and suspended horses was used in place of the ancient clay. A pole was placed in the center of a circle, along with a wooden horse, which rotated around the pole. The object of the game was for the rider to attempt to spear a small brass ring on the outside section of the machine. In a tournament-type game during the late 1700's or early 1800's, this machine was given the name of "carousel". With the reign of Henry IV, the carousel was used as the entertainment. The entertainment consisted of pageants, drills, and contests with participating troops of costumed horsemen. Located between the Tuileries Garden and the Louvre in Paris, is The Place du Carrousel. This was named after a carousel given by Louis XIV in 1662. A make believe carousel was created with hobbyhorses by an inventive Parisian toy maker. He wanted to give everyone an opportunity to enjoy these spectacular carousels because normally only those of nobility could enjoy. Yes, you guessed it! The platform did turn very slowly so that everyone, children and adults, could enjoy this event. The Parisian children were in awe! Soon the ride was spreading to America. (Source: http://jandingo.com/index78/index78.html)
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