If Only They Could Talk: The Mystery of The Lewis Chess Pieces

By Jenny O’Gorman

Sometime before 1831, a local man from the Isle of Lewis, Malcolm Macleod, was passing through the machair lining Camas Uig, situated on the rugged West coast of the island, and happened upon a small, drystone chamber a sand dune had blown away to reveal. He was moments away from rediscovering one of our most significant links with the mediaeval world – The Lewis Chessmen. Whilst this is a popular theory, the person or animal who found them along with the location and date of the discovery have been muddied by generations of stories and legends. Some say Macleod fled in terror believing he had unearthed devils, elves, or spirits, others speak of an unwitting grazing cow uncovering the stone kist. The origin of the enigmatic figures themselves is a source of debate – how, why and if they were buried in a sand dune for six-hundred years in the Outer Hebrides remains a mystery. Did they once belong to a Norse leader or were they buried in a shipwreck on their way to a wealthy market town?

By looking closely at the chess pieces, themselves, art historians have estimated their manufacture to have been between 1150 and 1200, most likely in Trondheim, Norway – a significant place for ivory and the craftsmanship of carving. Each figure has been hewn from walrus tusk ivory or whale tooth, animals which were captured in the icy Northern and Atlantic seas and traded extensively. Today, Lewis and the surrounding islands are swathed in areas of rough grass and peat bog but historically the climate was warmer and less wet, making the soil more fertile and providing a secure livelihood for its inhabitants, with plentiful crops and seafood, establishing it as an important trading centre. During this period, the Scottish Islands were under their cultural and political control of the Scandinavians and the Kingdom of Norway.

The influence of Norse art in Scotland can be seen in the intricacy of their garments, expressions and accessories and have given historians an insight into their historical context. Some figures are draped in long leather coats, others wear mail shirts and grip kite shaped shields, whilst the bishop are adorned with mitres and crosiers  - all of these elements of dress are identifiable as belonging to the late-Norse period. The brooding King’s long hair aligns with historical evidence of the supposed appearance of the Vikings with the design of the throne upon which he sits is reminiscent of carving found in mediaeval Norse churches. The Viking mammen style of interlacing animals, snakes and monsters was used on stone, bone, metal, military equipment, inside churches and even the prows of longships such as the Figurehead in the Oseberg Longship and many rune stones. This type of design can be seen on the surface details of many of the figures, indicative of the status afforded to the game of chess, social and military hierarchies, and the prevalence of Norse cultural traditions.

King, Lewis Chess Set, 12th-13th century, Walrus ivory and sperm whale tooth, 60-100mm, National Museums Scotland

Although widely considered to have begun in India in the sixth century, chess soon gained global popularity. The rules, layout and abstract forms of the chess pieces introduced from the Islamic and Byzantine world shifted in meaning and appearance in different cultures. As such, many variations of strategy games such as hnefatafl or ‘The Viking Game’ arose around Scotland. The players of these games would have most likely included the nobility and clergy of Scandinavian society, with fragments of these game boards uncovered in ancient Scottish monasteries such as Inchmarnock. Nowadays we think of Vikings as brutally cruel and cunning but a new perspective can be provided by this chess set. Whilst they were famed for their predilection for landám and incursions and the game would have sharpened their strategy, the Vikings were also engaging in an intellectual pastime which came to be associated with courtliness and chivalry. In fact, the game was considered important to the education of young boys during this time. These anthropomorphised figures, with their enigmatic expressions, would have appealed to all ages in their close observation of humanity and distinct characters, ranging from pensive to furious.

Bishop, Lewis Chess Set, 12th-13th century, Walrus ivory and sperm whale tooth, 60-100mm, National Museums Scotland

The collection contains seventy-nine players; there are eight kings and queens, sixteen bishops, fifteen knights, thirteen rooks and fourteen circular playing pieces. Their individual personality is determined by the size, shape and hue of the tusk or tooth from which they were carved but care has been given to distinguishing each unique figure artistically. Four of the Rooks stand out from the rest of the pieces for their unusual expressions. These pieces have characteristics drawn from the Old Norse legend of frenzied, wild-eyed berserkers who were said to have wound themselves up so much that they ran into battle in a state of trance-like fury. The artist or collection of artisans who made the figures has depicted them with huge teeth clenched over their shields. To the modern viewer it is a cartoonish, satirical representation of anger but we cannot know whether this was the original intent as their ferocity is stressed in many sagas, folklore, and poems of the time. Similarly, the horses on which the knights ride are stocky in stature - whilst its diminutive size might be comical to us, the horse is actually representative of the hardy purebred Icelandic horses which would have been ridden at the time.

Left: Berserker, Lewis Chess Set, 12th-13th century, Walrus ivory and sperm whale tooth, 60-100mm, National Museums Scotland

Right: Knight on horseback, Lewis Chess Set, 12th-13th century, Walrus ivory and sperm whale tooth, 60-100mm, National Museums Scotland

Since their discovery, several figures have come to light in strange ways with the most recent one emerging in 2019. One woman kept a figure wrapped up in a bedside drawer after a relative bought it for five pounds in the 1960s. A spokesperson for the family said that she felt it was ‘special’ and had ‘some magical significance’, often turning the piece over in her hands to ‘appreciate its uniqueness’ before returning to the drawer. Many legends speak of chess being somehow enchanted such as the tales of King Arthur which describe the transformative power of a magic chess board which became colossal in size when touched by a magic ring. This idea has echoed down the centuries, and it is easy to see why - the expressive faces of these figures are bewitching. Many of them look occupied, lost in thought or puzzled and continue to fascinate thousands of visitors at the National Museum of Scotland, the British Museum in London and Museum nan Eilean on the Isle of Lewis.

As it stands, one knight, four warders and forty-four pawns have never been located. So, during the holidays, take a wander along the sands of Uig or even the West Sands and keep an eye out for hidden treasure.

Notes:

Bute Museum, ‘Inchmarnock Collection’ [Accessed 23 March 2023] https://www.butemuseum.org.uk/1061-2/

National Museum Scotland, ‘The Lewis Chess Pieces’ [Accessed 23 March 2023] https://www.nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/stories/scottish-history-and-archaeology/lewis-chess-pieces/

Nikel, David. ‘Viking-Inspired Lewis Chessman Sold For Almost $1 Million’, 4th July 2019. [Accessed 23 March 2023] https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel/2019/07/04/viking-inspired-lewis-chessman-sold-for-1-3-million/?sh=52e365b8233c

Sotheby’s, ‘A Newly Discovered Lewis Chessman Comes to Auction’, 4th June 2019. [Accessed 23 March 2023] https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/a-newly-discovered-lewis-chessman-comes-to-auction