'Norse-ing around’ Viking Fun and Games

Through reading and preparing for the exhibit here and for Educational programmes to go along with the exhibit an interesting view of the Norse has developed. These people were so much more than just the violent hairy raiders that History remembers them as. They loved games and contested. There are numerous references in the historic record of ship races, wrestling or ‘glima’ word games like riddles and often of Hneftafl- or ‘Kings Table’ a 1000 + year old board game.
This is a game played on a grid with 2 players. The ‘Attacker’ side is set up with his men clustered some on each side of the board. The ‘Defenders’ are clustered around the King which starts on the centre square. The Attackers are trying to capture the King, and the Defenders are trying to get the King off the battle field – to one of the corners of the board. All the pieces move like rooks in chess- in straight lines as far as is clear front to back or side to side but not diagonally. Each piece is thought of as a ‘Viking Warrior’ equipped with a Shield and Axe, they are evenly matched. You can not capture a piece one on one, but if you sandwich an opponents piece between two of yours it is as one of your soldiers ran up behind the enemies warrior and hit him from behind. The king is not captured this way. The King is naturally the best warrior on the field. To capture him he must be surrounded on all four sides. This is not an easy task.
This game seems to give us a lot of insight in to how these people thought, and played. It is interesting how connected you can feel to people who lived over a thousand years ago.
We have had a version of this game out for people to try and we have enjoyed watching people play it. Be they kids at camp, parents with kids or adults together, everyone I have seen try it really enjoys this game.
It isn’t exactly x-box but ….. Wait a weird thought just occurred to me. The example we have in the exhibit is, well carved in the top of a box sea chest and the grid on top has the centre square marked with an ‘x’- so you could call it the original x- box. Regardless it has proven to be a lot of fun for or visitors to ‘play like a Viking’.


If you are interested in more information about Viking games check out the exhibit, or come to this months Thor’s Day Thursday “Viking Pastimes’ By Neil Peterson May 26th 7 pm to 9pm
Thanks for Reading
D.