Fig. 1336.
Chess, backgammon, or draughtsman, of bone, showing hole for peg, found with fragments of a double-edged sword, iron spurs, &c.—Norway. ⅔ real size.
Fig. 1337.—Draught piece of bone.—Ultuna find. Real size.
“In Brattahlid (a farm), in Grœnland, during the winter, they often amused themselves with chess-playing (tafl), and saga-telling, and many things that could improve their homelife” (Thorfinn Karlsefni, c. 7).
It was customary for women, as well as men, to play at the game.
“He (Gunnlaug Ormstunga) and Helga often amused themselves with chess; they soon liked each other well, as was afterwards seen. They were almost of the same age” (Gunnlaug Ormstunga, 4).
“One night in the spring Thorir could not sleep; he walked out and it rained hard; he heard a loud bleating from where the lambs were separated from the ewes; Thorir walked there and saw that two kids and two lambs were lying tied on the wall of the fold, and in the fold sat two women playing at chess; the pieces were made of silver, but all the red ones were gilded. They were much startled. Thorir got hold of them and seated them at his side, and asked why they stole his sheep.... Thorir agreed that they might take the sheep with them, but that he should have the chessboard and what belonged to it; on the strings of the taflpung (chess-bag) was a gold ring set with stones, and a silver ring was in the chessboard. Thorir took all this, and they parted” (Gullthori’s Saga, ch. 14).
The temper of the players did not always remain unruffled.
“It happened that Thorgils Bödvarsson and Sám Magnússon quarrelled over a game of chess; Sám wanted to move back a knight which he had exposed, but Thorgils would not allow it. Markús Mardarson advised them to move the knight back and not quarrel. Thorgils said he would not take his advice, and upset the chess, put (the pieces) into the bag, rose and struck Sám on the ear, so that blood flowed” (Sturlunga Saga viii., vol. ii. c. 1).