New research has cast doubt on traditional theories about the historic Lewis Chessmen.
The 93 pieces – currently split between museums in Edinburgh and London – were discovered on Lewis in 1831.
But the research suggests they may have been used in both chess and Hnefatafl – a similar game that was popular in medieval Scandinavia.
It [...]
Posts Tagged ‘vikings’
14 Nov
The Lewis Chessmen may not have been chessmen at all
29 Jul
Viking execution pit – 51 beheaded victim
Naked, beheaded, and tangled, the bodies of 51 young men—their heads stacked neatly to the side—have been found in a thousand-year-old pit in southern England, according to carbon-dating results released earlier this month.
12 May
“Viking ship” discovered in Sweden’s largest lake
Marine archaeologists in Sweden have discovered what they believe to be the wreck of a Viking ship at the bottom the country’s largest lake.
A team of 50 divers from the Swedish coastguard happened upon the 20-metre long wreck by chance on Wednesday afternoon.
“Never before has a Viking shipwreck been found in Swedish waters,” marine archaeologist [...]
24 Apr
Viking legacy on English language
They’re a firm part of our language and even speak to us of our national culture — but some words aren’t quite as English as we think.
Terms such as ‘law’, ‘ugly’, ‘want’ and ‘take’ are all loanwords from Old Norse, brought to these shores by the Vikings, whose attacks on England started in AD 793. [...]
5 Jan
Fake Viking swords revealed
It must have been an appalling moment when a Viking realised he had paid two cows for a fake designer sword; a clash of blade on blade in battle would have led to his sword, still sharp enough to slice through bone, shattering like glass.
“You really didn’t want to have that happen,” said Dr Alan [...]
