Chess Pieces from the Isle of Lewis
These chessmen and gaming pieces found on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, are a treasure to chess fans but also illustrate several types of archetypical characters.
78 chess pieces from up to four sets, fourteen figures from another game and a buckle probably left over from a bag were discovered in 1831, reportedly in a stone vault beneath a sand dune. They have been dated to the latter half of the twelfth century, and, given their style and the fact that Lewis was part of Norway at the time, were probably of Norse origin; in fact, the National Museum of Scotland even suggests that they were carved in Trondheim and may have been on their way to be sold in Ireland before they were hidden.1 All of the figures were carved from whale or walrus ivory, and accounts from the time of finding indicate that some of them were painted red to distinguish between sides. The pawns were abstract obelisks, but the remaining pieces were well-carved and represented archetypical figures that most people would have recognized on sight.2
The king and queen are matching crowned and throned figures. The king holds a sword on his lap, while the queen bears only a look of consternation perhaps meant to evoke the Virgin Mary.3 Farther outwards, the bishops are dignified figures in fine clerical wear, holding staffs and clutching bibles. Next, the knights are accurate representations of the elite cavalry of the day complete with mail shirts, cone helmets, overhand lances and lozenge shields free of heraldic design. Together, these four units all tie in with post-Christian cultural developments, but the rooks, however, were portrayed as berserkers: historical soldiers that could no longer compete with knights on the battlefield but apparently still figured highly in the Norse imagination.4
As a whole, these chess pieces represent figures that would have been iconic in their time, from legendary warriors to holy fathers. The find's role as a game may also give it a unique value: although it was a high-status item, the fact that it was made for a casual setting rather than as a medium for transmitting knowledge or values may have protected it from some of the subtle biases that can be found in many written sources.
78 chess pieces from up to four sets, fourteen figures from another game and a buckle probably left over from a bag were discovered in 1831, reportedly in a stone vault beneath a sand dune. They have been dated to the latter half of the twelfth century, and, given their style and the fact that Lewis was part of Norway at the time, were probably of Norse origin; in fact, the National Museum of Scotland even suggests that they were carved in Trondheim and may have been on their way to be sold in Ireland before they were hidden.1 All of the figures were carved from whale or walrus ivory, and accounts from the time of finding indicate that some of them were painted red to distinguish between sides. The pawns were abstract obelisks, but the remaining pieces were well-carved and represented archetypical figures that most people would have recognized on sight.2
The king and queen are matching crowned and throned figures. The king holds a sword on his lap, while the queen bears only a look of consternation perhaps meant to evoke the Virgin Mary.3 Farther outwards, the bishops are dignified figures in fine clerical wear, holding staffs and clutching bibles. Next, the knights are accurate representations of the elite cavalry of the day complete with mail shirts, cone helmets, overhand lances and lozenge shields free of heraldic design. Together, these four units all tie in with post-Christian cultural developments, but the rooks, however, were portrayed as berserkers: historical soldiers that could no longer compete with knights on the battlefield but apparently still figured highly in the Norse imagination.4
As a whole, these chess pieces represent figures that would have been iconic in their time, from legendary warriors to holy fathers. The find's role as a game may also give it a unique value: although it was a high-status item, the fact that it was made for a casual setting rather than as a medium for transmitting knowledge or values may have protected it from some of the subtle biases that can be found in many written sources.
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