Board-games based on the Roman tabula or ‘board’ were played in northern Europe for centuries. The Vikings played a game, perhaps distantly related to chess, called jnefatafl, in which the object was for one side to capture the opponent’s hnefi or ‘king-piece’. The hnefi had to move from the centre to the edge, or vice versa. Versions of the game were played on 18x18 or 13x13 squared boards. Many of the counters used were relatively plain, but the occasional examples of highly decorated pieces may imply that these were the ‘king-pieces’ in their respective sets.

Customers and site-visitors may have noticed that the Anglo-Saxon site pages have been revised. As part of our ongoing programme of improving the quality and reliability of our site, the ‘Viking’ pages are been amended in the light of further detailed research. We aim to roll this out across the rest of the site in due course. Please check back for updates.