Lewis chessmen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Lewis chessmen
top: king, queen, bishop
middle: knight, rook, pawn
bottom: closeup of queen (resin replicas)

The Lewis chessmen (named after their find-site) belong to some of the few complete medieval chess sets that have survived until today.

The chessmen are believed to have been made in Norway, perhaps by craftsmen in Trondheim (where similar pieces have been found), sometime during the 12th century. During that period the Outer Hebrides, along with other major groups of Scottish islands, were ruled by Norway. Some historians believe that the Lewis chessmen were hidden (or lost) after some mishap occurred during their transportation from Norway to wealthy Norse settlements on the east coast of Ireland.

Almost all of the pieces in the collection are carved from walrus ivory, with a few made instead from whale teeth. The 93 pieces form parts of four or five sets, two of them complete. Altogether there are 8 kings, 8 queens, 16 bishops, 15 knights, 12 rooks, and 19 pawns. All the pieces are sculptures of human figures, except the pawns (which are smaller, simple sculptures resembling carved gravestones). The knights are shown mounted (on rather diminutive horses) holding spears and shields, and all of the human figures have decidedly glum expressions (other than three rooks, which are shown as berserkers, wild-eyed and biting their shields with battle fury). Some were stained red when found, indicating that red and white were used to distinguish the two sides, rather than the black and white used in modern chess.

The chessmen were discovered prior to 1831 in a sand bank at the head of the Bay of Uig on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. No contemporary account describing how or when they were discovered exists, but it is reported that they were found in a small chamber of dry-built stone about 15 feet below the top of the sand bank.

They were exhibited by Roderick Ririe at a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, on April 11, 1831. The chessmen were soon after split up, with 10 being purchased by Kirkpatrick Sharpe and the others (67 chessmen and 14 tablemen) were purchased on behalf of the British Museum.

Kirkpatrick Sharpe later found another Lewis chessman to take his collection up to eleven, all of which were later sold to Lord Londesborough. In 1888 they were again sold, but this time the purchaser was the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, who donated the pieces to the Royal Museum in Edinburgh.

The pieces donated to the British Museum are still located there, and can be found in Room 42 with the registration numbers M&ME 1831,11-1.78-159

Two kings and two queens from the Lewis chessmen at the British Museum.

A selection of some of the other chess pieces, with a row of bishops at the back, then a row of knights.

A resin replica of one of the kings

Lewis chessmen in the Museum of Scotland

[edit] Trivia

The distinctive style of the Lewis cache inspired the animated series Noggin the Nog.

In the 2001 movie Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the wizard's chess set Harry and Ron were playing portrayed a red queen from the Lewis Chessmen.

The song Marching Mystery, written by Dougie MacLean is based on the chessmen.

The song The Game Pieces, written by Chris Leslie and first released on Fairport Convention's 1999 album The Wood And The Wire, is based on the chessmen.

[edit] Bibliography

N. Stratford, The Lewis chessmen and the enigma of the hoard (The British Museum Press, 1997)
Michael Taylor, The Lewis Chessmen (British Museum Publications Limited)
HJR Murray, A History of Chess (Oxford University Press)