Hnefatafl: The Viking Game

From the Publisher:

The Hnefatafl Game was popular in the Viking homelands in Scandinavia as early as AD400 and was carried by the Vikings to the lands they conquered. Over the centuries the game developed and different versions of the board have been found by archaeologists in sites from Ireland to Ukraine.
Occasionally referred to in manuscripts, the game was known as Hnefatafl which means literally ‘King’s table’. The study of these manuscripts and examination of the various types of board and pieces has enabled researchers to work out how the game was probably played. There is no doubt, however, that many versions of the rules existed at different places and at different times.

Like so much of the Dark Ages, our knowledge of Hnefatafl (sometimes abbreviated to tafl) is patchy; a mystery now half solved as a result of archaeological research. Our Hnefatafl game pieces are based on designs inspired by the famous Lewis chess pieces. There are 39 Viking game pieces in the set, made of resin and designed to replicate hand carved walrus ivory in Viking style. The Viking game board is made of thick linen fabric with a printed played area.