Play Hnefatafl Online. The Viking board game.

05-12/11:54 gulo: The Friðþjófs saga “hásæti” is not in the context of tafl at all, so the AI likely made that up. As far as I’m aware the central square only has a term in Carl Linnaeus’ tablut descriptin where it’s called “arx regia”, i.e. “king’s castle”. Though in brandub it may have been poetically referred to as both a hill and a castle.

05-12/11:52 gulo: The AI is very unreliable!

In Hervarar saga the defending pieces are dark (or red/brown depending on the source text) and the attackers white. However in Old Irish brandub the pieces might have been the other way around (poem says “My famed brandub ... five voiceless men of white silver and eight of red gold”).

We do have a name for pieces, “húnn”, but the meaning is unclear and it might only refer to the defending pieces.

The king is named ”hnefinn” (definite singular) in Hervarar saga, which means ”the fist”, check wiktionary’s article on ”hnefi” for declension.

For source texts I recommend Heimskringla.no, where you can search for the terms in most of the sagas.

The Sàmi/Latin, Irish, and Welsh sources all have their own terms too of course.

05-11/09:18 Hagbard: Brave-frog added to the x10 list

05-11/04:04 Jrton80: we really need to allow Brave-frog extended time - he is in the trenches - things need to be adjusted, assuming he is still breathing

05-08/14:42 Draganov: @Topps, I answered your email. Sorry for answering late but I didn't often check my email.

05-08/10:46 Hagbard: Colors and Symbolism

Colors are not always mentioned explicitly in Old Norse texts, but:

* The pieces were likely **dark vs. light** (black/white or natural and colored wood, stone, or glass).
* In archaeological finds (e.g., Birka and Gokstad), some pieces are made of glass—some clear, some dark.
* It's generally assumed that **attackers were dark (black)** and **defenders were light (white)**.

05-08/10:43 Hagbard: References from the Sagas

* The word *hnefi* appears in several sagas (e.g., *Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks*) and literally means “fist,” but in the context of the game it refers to the king piece.

* In *Fridthjófs saga ins frœkna*, the expression *konungr í hásæti* ("the king in the high seat") is used, alluding to the king's central position on the board.

* In *Orms Þórólfssonar saga*, there's a scene where two people are playing *tafl*, and one captures the other's *hnefi*, likely meaning the king was captured or killed.

05-08/10:39 Hagbard: Vocabulary from Old Norse

English     Old Norse                     Meaning                                                        
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Board game  *tafl*                        General word for board games; also the board itself
King        *hnefi*                       The central piece (hence *Hnefatafl*, "King's board")
Game piece  *taflmenn* (pl.)              Playing pieces, typically divided into attackers and defenders
Attackers   *svertingar* (reconstructed)  Dark-colored or "black" pieces, often described as enemies
Defenders   *hvítir menn* / *hvítingar*   "White men" or white pieces - protectors of the king

05-08/10:28 Hagbard: The words are mentioned in Nordic sagas. I don't have a certain overview there, so I tried and ask ChatGPT to find it. ChatGPT sometimes just invents some answer (luckily rarely), so this answer might or might not be accurate.
...
In the Old Norse sagas and related sources, *Hnefatafl* (and other *tafl* games) are mentioned several times, and some terminology for the game's components - pieces, roles, and colors - can be traced. Here's an overview of the terms the Vikings likely used:

05-07/21:00 Topps: @Hagbard Thanks very much for linking the recorded champion games! I hadn't thought of that! I'll definitely incorporate those into my research!
@Draganov I sent you a message on e-mail :) I think I got it to the right email, but if not can you write me?

Also, this might be a rather general question, but do any of you know if the attackers or defenders pieces is called something specific? I see the 'King' mostly described as the king, but the other pieces are usually described as "the attackers", "the defenders", "black" or "white". Do any of you know if they have an actual name?