Anyone for Hnefatafl ?

[David York]

Hnefatafl11x11.png (21.59 KiB) Viewed 1100 times

A supplier of chess boards emailed me about the UK Games Expo (UKGE) which is taking place from Friday 2 June to Sunday 4 June 2023 at the NEC, Birmingham. Apparently this is the largest Tabletop Games Convention in the UK - where all aspects of the tabletop gaming hobby are represented under one roof. A three day family ticket is 'only' £110.

Having searched for 'chess' on the UKGE website, the only hit was in a section about a Viking Living History Encampment attraction: 'Hnefatafl is the Ancient Viking board game, similar in appearance to chess but having a totally different strategic rule set. All day you will be able to learn this game, but at 4pm on Saturday the Vikings will be having a championship that anyone can take part in to win a prize. Have you got what it takes to out wit a Viking?'

Two thoughts on this, given that a tabletop game cafe has asked me to put on chess events for it: (1) Chess ought to have a better presence here if we are trying to promote it generally and (2) are there any Hnefatafl experts in this forum (because the rules are somewhat hazy per Wikipedia)?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tafl_games

[IM Jack Rudd]

On the subject of Hnefatafl, it has a BoardGameGeek listing; there should be a usable ruleset somewhere in the Files section.

Board/tabletop game conventions don't usually have much in the way of chess, or other classic abstracts, although that isn't to say you couldn't get some interest if you showed up to one with a chess set. You probably wouldn't pick UKGE, though; that's very much aimed at the "displaying the hot new games" market. One of the more laid-back conventions like Manorcon or Baycon would be a better bet.

[David York]

Thanks especially for the info:

One of the more laid-back conventions like Manorcon or Baycon would be a better bet.

I have some more research to do now...

[Chris Goodall]

Geoff Chandler has (had?) a theory that the Lewis chessmen weren't chessmen but Hnefetafl pieces. I thought he had a strong argument that the game they were made for wasn't chess as we know it, and a less strong argument that Big Artifact were lying to us about the history of the bishop to maintain the "chessmen" fiction. Last I checked the Wikipedia article, it referred to them as "game pieces", so perhaps the consensus has evolved.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Chris,

I had that theory since 1979, which was the first time I raised my doubts v the Museum.
Over the years and after further research aided and egged on by other interested parties I made it a minor quest.
There followed a few articles (a bit too much tongue in cheek from me to be taken too seriously but apparently with a grain of accepted fact.) So without any silly jokes.

It appears some of the pieces were first shown to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1826 as part of Bonnie Prince Charlie's treasure found in Roxburghshire. But due to the total absurdity of the claim very little in the way of description is given. White ivory or walrus tusk carved pieces...

In 1830 (due to the publicity of the Edinburgh - London match?) they 're-appeared' and offered for sale by a Mr Forrest with some of the all white pieces recently dyed red and presented as a chess set. Again the Society of Antiquaries knocked them back.

They were then sold at a cheaper rate to Sir Frederic Madden who bought them for the British Museum.
A few more pieces appeared, the Society of Antiquaries, due to some adverse comments about why the first lot were sold to the British Museum, reluctantly bought them adding they expressed severe doubts they came from Lewis. (they did not trust Mr. Forrest. )

The pieces, from which you can make up a chess set are most likely for a, or various Viking/Icelandic games. The Bishop is the clue. There is no Bishop in chess anywhere until around about 1495.

Exactly where they came from is still unknown. I've gone back to saying Lewis because of the priest involved in the tale (making it more plausible than a cow and sandbank.) The tale, or one them regarding where they found, has a Lewis priest selling the pieces in 1822. Building Christian churches on known Pagan sites (A Viking burial ground?) was very common. So they were found during a restoration and the priest sold them to Forrest.

Or something like that. The Museums now acknowledge them as gaming pieces. Whether or not I had anything to do with it I severally doubt, but I did ruffle a few well educated feathers so job done.

[Dan Lambourne]

I was given a set for a relatively recent Christmas or Birthday, and it was accompanied by a book An Introduction to Hnefatafl which has ended up having more time being read, than the game being played.

The main problem I have with these games, is that they seem to be popular present ideas for me, but then they are rarely played, as on Chess nights, you go to a chess club to play chess and nothing else, whilst gaming nights I attend, tend to involve 4 or more player games, and the 2 player games tend to be ignored, or you end up not playing them as if you end up playing a 2 player game, it is usually against a non-chess player, and they tend to avoid playing you at any "chess-like" game, whether it is actually like chess or not.