Category: English
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Recensie: Norse Mythology
Norse Mythology, Neil Gaiman, W.W. Norton, februari 2017. Neil Gaiman is zijn carrière begonnen als journalist en schrijver van ‘graphic novels’. De 75-delige reeks Sandman is zijn bekendste en meest geroemde ‘graphic novel’. Deze serie gaat over Morpheus, of ‘Dream’, heerser van de droomwereld, die door een occult ritueel gevangen wordt gezet en na 70…
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A question concerning Alea Evangelii
cgrn asked: Hi. I am not a professor or anything, but I would like to learn more about Alea Evangelii and your link came up. Do you know if the original manuscript has been translated into English by anyone? and is it possible to get a copy of the translation? I am interested to find…
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Has Hnefatafl been introduced in Ireland?
Considering the extensive and intense contact between the Vikings and the people of the British Isles, it is not unlikely that some form of the Old Norse hnefatafl game has been introduced in Ireland. As we’ve seen in my previous post, fidchell seems an unlikely candidate. In the case of Brandub, which means ‘raven black’,…
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13th Century Shipwreck Found Near Gothenburg
According to a press release from the County Museum of Bohuslän in Uddevalla, western Sweden, the museum’s maritime archaeologists are studying a well-preserved shipwreck whose construction date lies in the AD 1210s or 1220s. Source: Aardvarchaeology
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Coming soon
– How to make your own boardgame. – An article comparing the Irish games Fidchell and Brandub with Old Norse games. – A review of the program Det Brente Skipet from the Norwegian NRK.
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The Chessmen Unmasked exhibition
The Lewis Chessmen (or, more correctly: gaming pieces) are currently on tour for the Exhibition “The Lewis Chessmen Unmasked. Currently they are in The National Museum of Scotland. On their website you can find loads of interesting information concerning the pieces and current research. Exhibition: The Lewis Chessmen Unmasked On the website you can also…
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Celtic and Old Norse boardgames vs the omnipresent Chess
In both Celtic and Old Norse texts board-games are mentioned and described.In translations all these different games, the Irish fidchell, the Welsh tawlbwrdd, the Old Norse hnefatafl or other tafl games, are often identified as chess. In the case of fidchell this preoccupation with presumably chess already started in the 15th century, as is shown…
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Hnefatafl
hnefatafl, originally uploaded by Christel Franken. A picture of my souvenir version of the Viking Hnefatafl boardgame.
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Alea evangelii
The gameboard depicted in the eleventh century Irish manuscript CCC Oxford MS. 122 is probably a variant of Hnefatafl. The board shown is eighteen-by-eighteen cells. Hnefatafl is a game that originated in Scandinavia, in the game two players battle for domination. The parties are of unequal size. On a board of this side, Hnefatafl would…