Hnefatafl

Lesson plan for teaching the game of hnefatafl.

Java version with quick instructions and full rules.

Although mention of this game abounds in the sagas, and many finds are known, no complete set of the rules of this once popular game exist. An experimental reconstruction of this game was undertaken in an attempt to understand further the culture that produced it by understanding how at least part of their leisure time was spent.

Overview of rules and variations of the game.

Before the introduction of chess in the 11th and 12th centuries, Scandinavians sharpened their wits by playing a game known as Tafl. This article discusses the game and various regional variants, as well as medieval descriptions of the game.

The Norse people delighted in games and sports. Both indoor board games and outdoor sporting competitions appear to have been regular leisure time activities. The saga literature and archaeological evidence support this view.

Games of the Middle Ages, specifical ly focusing on board games popular in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Dice and dice games, gaming pieces and board games (including hnefatafl, duodecim scripta, merels, halatafl, chess, and draughts), knucklebones, and riddles.

A video showing a game board found in an archaeolog ical dig in York and explaining how it could have been used to play hnefatafl.

In spite of a large body of literature on the Norse world during the Viking era the topic of Norse pastimes is poorly represented. This paper is an attempt to provide a survey of what is currently known about the topic. A listing of available articles, archaeological artifacts, references from some of the sagas, books, and web pages will all be given space here.

Waterford is Ireland&#3 9;s oldest city, founded by Viking raiders in 914 A.D. The city centre was extensivel y excavated between 1986 and 1992 and the range, quantity and quality of what was found from Waterford& #39;s Viking and Medieval past, surpassed all expectatio ns. Waterford Museum of Treasures brings together for the first time the excavated objects and the historic municipal collection and displays them in optimum conditions . The exhibition celebrates the ethnic, cultural and religious diversity of all who contribute d to the making of Waterford.