Photo gallery on the Viking board game Hnefatafl. |
 Photographer: Olga Mudrichenko, Russia. 24/7/2017. An ancient Greek board game 3700 years old! The game pieces are quite like a type of hnefatafl pieces often found. Olga writes: Arrived yesterday from Greece - Cyprus. We were in the capital of Cyprus in the archaeological Museum, a few photos from the Museum. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
 Photographer: Aage Nielsen, Denmark, Elis. Andersen, Denmark. Nyborg Medieval Market July 2nd 2017, Denmark. |
Photographer: Alexander Steiger Dis, Ukraine. 23/6/2017. Alexander Steiger Dis ("Steiger") sent these photos of his hnefatafl set. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
Photographer: Knarresmed, Norway. 3/6/2017. Tønsberg Middelalderfestival, Norway. Medieval board games including tafl. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
Photographer: Olga Mudrichenko, Russia. 17/06/2017. A summer day at the ancient Viking settlement site Staraya Ladoga near Saint Petersburg, Russia. Click on the photo for enlargement. |
The Board Game Studies Colloquium XX in Copenhagen May 17th-20th 2017.
Photographer: Aage Nielsen, Denmark. 21/5/2017. The Board Game Studies Colloquium XX in Copenhagen 2017. The group photo was taken by Marisa Uberti, Italy. Then some glimpses from the lectures. Last photo: the Dutch inventor gave all participants a copy of his game "Metropolis, the battle of the robots, the first real S.F. play" from 1978 as a present. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
Hnefatafl boards designed by Lucho Panchev ("OdinHimself"), Bulgaria.
Photographer: Lucho Panchev ("OdinHimself"), Bulgaria. 15/5/2017. Lucho Panchev ("OdinHimself"), Bulgaria, sent these photos of his tafl boards! Panchev designed all the boards and had them carved by professional carvers. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
| See photos also on World Tafl Federation facebook. |
Photographer: Adam Bartley, Norway. 7/02/2017. Tim Millar and Adam Bartley trying the Alea Berserk 19x19 for the first time. Click on the photo for enlargement. |
Photographer: Steve Lonsdale ("xerxes"), UK. 6/1/2017. Steve Lonsdale writes: The first photo is of the reconstruction of the Viking helmet found at Sutton Hoo (now in the British Museum); the second is of the statue of Leif Ericson at L'Anse Aux Meadows. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
Some events in Denmark July 2015.The Saga Oseberg viking ship.
July 2015 the magnificent replica of the Oseberg Viking Ship visited Roskilde on its first longer voyage from Norway, to do a week of sailing testing and experimenting in the Roskilde Fjord. We took a photo series of this grand ship. Video clip, the Oseberg ship departs from Skagen towards Roskilde. Video clip of the Oseberg ship arrival to Roskilde. A couple of notes about the Oseberg visit on the Roskilde Viking Ship Museum facebook. Article about the ship's voyage.
The ship was built 820 in Norway, put in the burial mound in Tønsberg 834 and was found and excavated 1903-1905. 1987 a replica of the ship was built, which on its very first trial run sailed itself straight to the bottom of the sea after 20 seconds in water! Fortunately all crew survived. After that experience, many scientists were of the opinion that the ship was built for ceremonial use only, and not for real use at sea. However, the original ship found in the mound did show very distinct traces of heavy use, so in 2004 a new project for reviewing the ship all over from scratch was started up with a Norwegian team from Tønsberg in collaboration with a Danish team from the Roskilde Viking Ship Museum. Every piece of wood from the original find, and every piece of documentary note from the excavatation was restudied very carefully, and it turned out that grave errors had been done with the 1987 replica. Each and every centimeter and detail everywhere in the ship counts and can be crucial. A new replica was built, this time extremely carefully, using viking tools only, and everything exactly as found in the original. Planks were even lashed together with baleens as they were in the original. And while they were at it, all carvings and ornamentations were done most accurately; even a Viking sailor's grafitti carving under a board, depicting a wolf, horses and a ship's bow, was done on the replica as found in the original. 2012 the new replica was launched, and this time certainly without sinking. This time it doesn't sail itself down the water but elegantly lifts its bow at some speed. July 2015 the ship went on its first longer voyage, to Roskilde, Denmark, for the scientists to do a week's testing and experimenting in the Roskilde Fjord with the ship and sailing techniques. In the first trial runs it appeared a bit heavy in the beat, but after 500 kg ballast was moved from the back to the middle of the ship, it beat up against the wind like a dream. The captain told a visitor that they beat up to 65 degrees against the wind, and always at full speed. As the ship has no side drift keel, speed is what keeps the course against the wind. This report tells about the Saga Oseberg project. And a lecture about the project. Nyborg Medieval Market.
Nyborg Medieval Market photos. Trelleborg Viking Market.
Trelleborg Viking Market photos. Land of Legends, Viking Market.
Land of Legends photos.
Many legends tell of Danish kings in prehistoric times seated in a location called Hleithr, the prehistoric capital of Denmark from before year 500 until about year 1000 when the town Roskilde was founded as the king's new seat. (About 1450 the king's seat moved on to Copenhagen). In addition to Danish prehistoric legends, Lejre is also mentioned in historical sources abroad.
The legends point towards a location 9 km from Roskilde today called Lejre, and as it happens, in Lejre is found one of Scandinavia's largest ship settings, 83 metres long. Yet it was for a long time fashion among Danish archaeologists to write off the legends and Lejre as pure myths. Until 1997, that is, when a 48 x 11 metres king's hall from about year 550 was found in Lejre, and later it turned out to be one in a complex of several large buildings. 2009 also a fine silver figurine made about year 900 and depicting Odin on his throne with his two ravens was found in Lejre.
In Lejre continued to be a magnate's seat with names like Lejregård, today Ledreborg and looking like this:
In the very landscape of the legendary kings was 1964 founded the Centre for Historical-Archaeological Research, today called Land of Legends. There you find fx. an authentically reconstructed iron age village, inhabited by volunteers, and a reconstruction of the Lejre ship setting, built authentically by manual power. In near future also a reconstruction of the found Lejre king's hall will be built there.
Year 500-1000; so Hleithr has seen a lot of Hnefatafl played!
By the way, experimental historical research has much to do with the work the tafl players' community does on this site, besides enjoying the games. I once wrote a forum note about that: Køge Medieval Market.
Køge Medieval Market photos. |
Roskilde, Denmark, 1998.
Photographer: Aage Nielsen, Denmark. Celebration of 1000 years anniversary of Roskilde 1998. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
Land of Legends, Lejre, Denmark, 1997.
Photographer: Aage Nielsen, Denmark. The Iron Age village. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
Anniversary of Alexander Nevsky's victory against the Swedes 1240.
Sent by Olga Mudrichenko, Russia. Olga writes: July 18th 2015 the anniversary of Alexander Nevsky's victory against the Swedes was celebrated on the picturesque bank of the river Tosna near Sct. Peterburg at a memorial. Here the prayer took place before the forthcoming battle 775 years ago, in 1240. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
Fornebei Herfolk's Viking Festival, Formby, UK, September 2015
Photographer: Tim Millar ("crust"), UK. Tony took two photos. Thor's hammer inscription: Fornibir Miolnir k?alini. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
Fornebei Herfolk's Viking Festival, Formby, UK, 04.10.2014
Photographer: first two photos Tim Millar ("crust"), UK, last two photos Formby Times. Article in Formby Times Click on the photos for enlargement. |
English Hnefatafl Championship 2014
Photographer: Tim Millar ("crust"), UK. 14/08/2014. Millar writes: Enclosing some pictures of the English Championship; sorry they are not better quality, I only had my phone which is a little scratched. 1: Trophies for senior and junior tournament. 2: Shane Wilson (junior champion 2014), Pete Jennings (senior champion 2013), Guy Lown. 3: Tim Bullen (senior champion 2014) vs. Ian Kirkbride. 4: Tim Bullen vs. Tony Higginson. 5: Shane Wilson vs. Pete Jennings. 6: Hnefatafl hall. Also this article appeared in the local newspaper: Sutton Hoo: Cut-throat competition for Anglo-Saxon chess champs Click on the photos for enlargement. |
 Viking Still lives, Adam Bartley, Norway. |
 Go team tafl, Canada. |
 Hnefatafl paper board, see more at: Paper Modelers. |
Who know the craft of good Viking- and other ancient art? The Russians do!
96 photos of ancient style works. 79 photos of ancient style works. 312 photos of ancient style works. 2131 photos of ancient style works. Besides: 28 photos of boards. 10 photos of boards. 9 photos of boards. 508 photos from Russian Viking life. |
Photographer: Altti Piirsoo, USA. 26/12/2013. altti writes: Two new boards. It came to me one day "the field is green!" so I made them using tulip poplar heartwood. altti Click on the photos for enlargement. |
 Photographer: Joachim Lissner, "Neues Deutschland", Germany. Hnefatafl in Berlin. 28th of November 2013 in Berlin there was a hnefatafl demonstration match between a Norwegian chess player and a German hnefatafl player. See Rene Gralla's report from the day with photos! |
Photographer: Olga Mudrichenko, Russia. Izborsk at the Estonian-Russian border is the site of an ancient Viking settlement. June 26th 2011. |
Photographer: Tim Millar ("crust"), UK. 28/09/2013. Millar writes: It's an open-air hnefatafl set at Shave Farm, Somerset, UK. I made it for today's arts festival there; I hope later to get some pics of people playing on this set. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
Photographer: Tim Millar ("crust"), UK. 31/08/2013. Millar writes: It's a hand-made 9x9 hnefatafl set by Sven Mattes, a saxon re-enactor in the Ealdfaeder group whom I met at the English Hnefatafl Championship at Sutton Hoo recently. He was kind enough to alter the board for me, so that its markings show the "cross" starting position as well as the "square" which I had never seen before but is usual among the Ealdfaeder Saxons. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
English National Hnefatafl Championship 2013
Photographer: Tim Millar ("crust"), UK. 19/08/2013. 1: hnefatafl room 2: "Logs of War" hnefatafl set (made by Millar) 3: semi-final 4: Pete Jennings (winner) with trophy 5: Pete Jennings and the Ealdfaeder Saxons demonstrate the shieldwall Click on the photos for enlargement. |
Photographer: "conanlibrarian", Germany (except first one from newspaper). 16/7/2013. conanlibrarian writes: I was in Karlskoga this summer, and I took the opportunity to check out the public Hnefatafl board. The game is right in the center of the town, and any one can borrow the game pieces for free in the Tourist Information, right next to the game board. So if anyone visits Karlskoga, just ask in the tourist info office, and they will show you were the game is. Regrettably I did not get a chance to play but I made a couple of photos of the board game and pieces. Last in the photo series are two pictures of my new Tablut board. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
Photographer: Adam Bartley, Norway. 02/06/2013. Adam writes: well thats the Tønsberg middelages festival over. Plenty of interested people and new players. Here are a couple of photos of the new boards as promised. the big one is 120cmx120cm. The little one about 50x50cm. Slices of birch as the pieces. You'll notice I decided to invert the colours. I believe there is a viking source that indicates the colours may have been this way. It doesn't really matter of course, but it fits in with my theory about the kings side being the 'bad guys' or dishonourable cowards. So the vikings are the attackers, representing the good guys, while the king is a scumbag, running away to save his own skin! Click on the photos for enlargement. |
Photographer: "Epoc", Italy. 28/5/2013. A new tafl set made by Sybil. In the photo: Sybil and Epoc. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
Photographer: Olga Mudrichenko, Russia. Spring atmosphere May 2nd 2013 on the site of the ancient Viking settlement Staraya Ladoga near St. Petersburg, Russia. And here a photocollage from Staraya Ladoga 2010. Click on the collage for full size (Photographer: Olga Mudrichenko, Russia). 
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Photographer: Ryan Olson, USA ("Rynoknight"). 02/05/2013. Tafl set made by Ryan Olson, USA ("Rynoknight"). Click on the photos for enlargement. |
 Photographer: Tim Millar, UK ("crust"). 24/03/2013. Tafl set made by Tim Millar, UK ("crust"). Millar writes: It's a tafl set I have just made, for the Longships or Sea-Battle version. The pieces and board are hand-carved wood, and the "treasure ship" (King piece) is based on the Malmo Cog Ship. I used a peg-and-hole system so that the pieces won't fall off if it's played on board a real ship.... p.s. I just had a very friendly e-mail from someone in Portsmouth, says they have started up a hnefatafl club and they meet once a month to play and drink ale! Click on the photos for enlargement. |
 Photographer: Fairland, USA. 2/1/2013. Hnefatafl game set made by "Fairland", USA. Fairland writes: Here are some pictures of my home-made hnefatafl board. While it is still a work in progress, all of the pieces will be carved like the one I hold in the third picture, and the board will be stained when I am done. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
17/12/2012. Multi board game set made by Altti Piirsoo, New York, USA. 
 06/01/2013. New board. Altti writes: Throne, corners and borders are of red mahogany, center 7x7 are birch heartwood, tablut bases are of birch sapwood crossgrain, edge 11x11 is of birch sapwood. tablut edges are of oak (not much different in appearance from birch heartwood, unfortunately). flip side is red mahogany and birch chess board. 
 25/01/2013. New board. Altti writes: 9x9 boarder is copper, tablut bases - oak, 11x11 bases - tulip poplar (green), throne and corners - mahogany, field - tulip poplar (white). Chess board is of red cedar and weathered poplar. Photographer: Altti Piirsoo, New York, USA. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
 Photographer: Phil Lacher, USA. Carved Hnefatafl game set, se more photos here. |
 Photographer: Aage Nielsen, Denmark. Photos from Yule Market at Roskilde Viking Ship Museum December 8th 2012. |
18/12/2012. Hnefatafl set made by "arne64", Germany. Notice that the game pieces can be used for the Berserk Hnefatafl variant also! Click on the photos for enlargement. |
 Photographer: Elisabeth Andersen, Denmark. Photos from a visit to Roskilde Viking Ship Museum September 14th 2012. |
16/05/2012. Adam Bartley writes: Some photos of the hnefatafl sets I had made for the Vikinger i krig exhibition at Midgard Historisk Senter, Borre, Norway. There is a 9x9 Longship Tafl, and the 11x11 superimposed onto a trelleborg using lewis chess men as the pieces. The mix of old and new is a reflection of the museum itself, which is a very modern piece of architecture next to the burial mounds. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
15/05/2012. The making of two Hnefatafl sets. Made by Epoc and Sybil. Italy. Next time the two hnefatafl finished... Click on the photos for enlargement. |
07/05/2012. Barba, Netherlands, writes: I discovered the game Hnefatafl a month ago and shortly after that I discovered your site. I made some pictures of my little homemade tafl. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
Tim Millar says: The photo is of the hnefatafl sets made by Shaun Nelson in Burnsall, Yorkshire U.K ("shaunyman"). They started a hnefatafl club which played regularly in the village pub. Click on the photo for enlargement. |
02/03/2012. The Hnefatafl game of chuck ward, USA: The first two photos show an oak plywood board that I cut and woodburned. The board on the last photo is a gift I got from a friend. He made it out of poplar wood with oak trim and metal tacks. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
It's the beach hnefatafl set I made on Tresta Beach, Fetlar, Shetland, in 2009. I doubt very much that it is still there... I used it for a bit of practice before the competition. Materials: Sand, pebbles. Click on the photo for enlargement. |
Tim Millar says: This picture was sent to me by a sculptor named Belinda Rush Jansen who lives in Wiltshire, UK. It's really aesthetic. I think the board is an old wooden tray - good idea. Click on the photo for enlargement. |
Tim Millar says: This is Adam Bartley's hnefatafl set, which he made back in the early 1990's I think. Adam knew the game as "Vikings". The board is etched steel, and the pieces are made from plastic model kit sprue and string, and I love the fact that each side has a little "prison" to keep the captured warriors in. Click on the photo for enlargement. |
I made the board with plywood, marked it with a pencil, and sprayed a transparent gloss coating over it to protect it. The glass pieces are taken from a commercial "3 Stones" game that I never played very much (I like Hnefatafl more, after all).
It looks a lot like a "Go" board. This is an intentional strategy reference, as both games have a common element of "surrounding" to win.
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Here the leather bag with the pieces is also the game board! Click on the photo for enlargement. |
It's the vertical "wall of hnefatafl" I made as a teaching aid for the Burnsall Viking Festival (Yorkshire, UK) in 2010. I got the idea from a vertical wall-mounted magnetic chess set I saw once. Materials: wooden curtain rings, wooden planks and 121 steel hooks. Click on the photo for enlargement. |
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One of webmaster's hnefatafl games. Necktie with the viking Hagbard. Viking post stamp 16.3.2012; surely the drawing is not fair to the vikings! Click on the photos for enlargement. |
Notice the two holes in the game table - for the beer horns! |
| Tønsberg Middelalderfestival June 4th-6th 2010, Norway.
In the first photo medieval children are playing hnefetafl at the festival. The set has now been donated to Midgard Historisk Senter in Borre, Vestfold, where people can play on it in the Viking play area. Bartley also made the indoor board inspired by the Gokstad board fragment (second photo) which people play in the activity room. Click on the photos for enlargement. |
| Burnsall Viking Festival September 3rd-5th 2010, England.
Millar took this photos series from the festival which is also mentioned in newspaper articles in Craven Herald and Yorkshire Post. |
