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The Celtic History Newsletter
Brought to you by
The Celtic Croft (Formerly The Shetland Piper)
http://www.kilts-n-stuff.com/=
&
MacGregor Historic Games
http://historicgames.com
Greetings!
I would like to introduce myself; my name is Charles Knutson, the owner
of MacGregor Historic Games. I am working with the Celtic Croft to start
bringing the Celtic History Newsletter to you on a more regular basis.
If you have questions on any of my up-coming articles you can reach me
at charles@historicgames.com
The Isle of Lewis Chessmen
With the next Harry Potter movie coming out I thought it might be fun
to mention a Scottish historical connection that made a cameo appearance
in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." The chess set used fo=
r
"wizard's chess" (The scene where the queen's chess piece picks up
her
throne and uses it to smash one of the other pieces) is actually based
on a set of historic chess pieces.
Legend has it that in 1831 a storm swept away a sandbank on the
seashore near Uig on the Isle of Lewis, and the next day a local man
discovered the newly exposed ruins of a building. While exploring the
site the superstitious Highlander is said to have stumbled upon a group
of elves, or gnomes, whereupon he threw down his spade and ran away in
fear of the "little people." Later, when his wife convinced him t=
o
return to the spot, he discovered what are now often said to be the most
important early chess pieces in Europe. Had they all been complete,
there were enough pieces for what would have been 8 Chess sets carved in
elaborately worked walrus ivory, and whale teeth. Also included in the
hoard was a carved ivory belt buckle, and 14 ivory Backgammon pieces. Of
the 93 pieces surviving today, eleven are housed in the National Museum
of Scotland, and the remaining 82 are at the British Museum. They are
sometimes a little confusing to modern players since the rooks are
portrayed as warriors instead of castles. Early chess sets did not use
castles as rooks. A board large enough to use the pieces played by
modern rules would have measured about 82 cm across with squares 10.3 cm
on a side. The tallest piece is about 10.3 centimeters. The clothing and
weapons portrayed indicate they were probably made in the 12th century.
The bishops also provide a convenient clue to their age. The style of
hats, or miters worn by bishops changed in the mid-12th century, and the
miters on the Lewis bishops suggest that the pieces are most likely to
have been carved after the 1150's.
There are actually several legends telling how the Lewis Chess pieces
were found. These range from the humorous story above, to a tale about a
cow accidentally bumping open a hidden dry-stone chamber in a hillock.
The most dramatic version connects the pieces to a 17th century
murderer. Prior to execution he is said to have confessed to the murder
of a seaman he observed jumping ship off the Isle of Lewis with a bundle
the murderer hoped was some treasure. When he saw the unique nature of
the loot, the murderer was afraid it would be too hard to sell and might
connect him to the missing sailor, and so he left the hoard buried near
the seashore.
Whatever the true story, it is clear that the pieces were buried at some
point. Several have worm-like channels in their surface, which may be
the tracks of burrowing organisms, or the effect of acid etching from
contact with plant roots. Some of the pieces also show deterioration
from being in a damp location. All that is truly known about them is
that they were found some time before April 11, 1831, when they were
first exhibited at the Society of Antiquaries at Scotland.
The manufacture of the Lewis Chessmen has been attributed either to
Scandinavia, or possibly a Norse craftsman in the British Isles. More
recently, a possible Swedish connection has been confirmed. A fragment
of a knight's piece bearing a very close resemblance to the Lewis
knights has been found in Lund, Sweden. It has been suggested that they
may have belonged to a merchant traveling through the area. This seems
possible, since there are enough different pieces - although with some
missing - for perhaps four slightly different styles of Chess set. Some
of the pieces do appear to be unfinished in minor respects, and these
areas may have been intended to be filled with additional decoration.
In the Harry Potter movie, one side of the "Wizard" Chess set is =
red,
and although all of the original Lewis pieces are of uncolored walrus
ivory or whale teeth, there is some historic justification for this
portrayal. Eight of the pieces were reported in 1832 to have evidence of
red pigment. A modern examination by the British Museum also discovered
green flecks on four of the pieces. These green flecks seemed to
fluoresce under X-ray, suggesting the possibility of a lead-based
pigment. But these flecks appeared on portions where they would be most
likely to wear off, or get rubbed-on from contact with other objects, as
opposed to appearing in the nooks and crannies of carved details where
pigment should have been protected from wear. The Museum report was
unable to confirm whether the red tint to some pieces was an artificial
application, or staining due to contact with plant, or mineral deposits
while they were buried. There is also a form of red or brown iron oxide
on some of the Lewis pieces, which is common to museum artifacts, which
have been in storage for a length of time. In general, the report
accepted the possibility of the early report of red pigment, but after
160 years of fading, handling, possible unrecorded cleanings, and
contact with other museum artifacts, the truth remains subject to opinion.<=
br>
Regardless of the mysteries surrounding them, the Isle of Lewis Chessmen
are tiny masterpieces of what Walter Scott and his fellow Victorians
first termed "Romanesque" art. But beyond their importance in ter=
ms
of
artwork, they also mark a significant point in the European history of
Chess. Even though Arabian-style Chess pieces have been found in Central
Europe dating from the 11th and 12th centuries, the Lewis pieces show
that Chess had been assimilated into Northern Europe long enough by the
late 1100's that the local peoples had begun to create their own motifs
for the artwork of the game.
There are reproductions of the Lewis chess pieces that are available to
the modern chess player. They come in a small version that often sells
for around $100.00. In order to make the the pieces more like a modern
chess set some makers of the small version have added square towers as
rooks, and use the "rooks" as pawns. The larger versions that are=
available are more accurate in that they preserve the "warders" in
their
original role as rooks. The large versions use 3.5-inch tall kings
(requiring a chess board with at least 2-inch squares) and range in
price from around $125 to $150.
Hope you enjoy our articles, we'll "E" you again in December!
Charles
The Celtic Croft
All stock tartan kilts ordered by December 21st can still be shipped in
time for Christmas! Please see our website for details.
http://www.kilts-n-stuff.com/=
MacGregor Historic Games, Reproductions of board, dice and card games of
the past. Pre-Holiday Sale! Buy our two most popular strategy games as a
single set, and we'll pay the postage!
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