Status
Available
Call number
Collections
Publication
St. Martin's Griffin (2016), Edition: Illustrated, 288 pages
Description
In the early 1800's, on a Hebridean beach in Scotland, the sea exposed an ancient treasure cache: 93 chessmen carved from walrus ivory. Norse netsuke, each face individual, each full of quirks, the Lewis Chessmen are probably the most famous chess pieces in the world. Who carved them? Where? Brown explores these mysteries by connecting medieval Icelandic sagas with modern archaeology, art history, forensics, and the history of board games.
User reviews
LibraryThing member japaul22
The Lewis Chessmen were discovered in Northern Scotland in the 1800s and have been fascinating people since. They were most likely crafted between 1100-1200 out of walrus tusk ivory but where, by whom, and for whom remain largely a mystery. Brown obviously likes the Iceland theory and the
Since there really isn't a ton to say about the chessmen themselves, Brown supplements this mystery by using each chesspiece (rook/berserk, bishops, kings, queens, and knights) to talk about the history, politics, and culture of the time. She uses them as a jumping off point to talk about Scandinavian history between 800-1300 (focusing mainly on 1000-1200). There are lots of interesting stories and tidbits of history and culture.
Overall I enjoyed this, but I thought the construction was a bit loose. She sort of lost her thesis and often didn't connect her stories very well to the chessmen. This meant that even though I was enjoying the things she was telling me, part of me was bothered that I couldn't see the over-arching point. As a result, this receives a middling grade from me.
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possibility that they were crafted by Icelander Margret the Adroit who is known to have made a beautiful ivory bishop's crozier during the time period the chessman were crafted. Since there really isn't a ton to say about the chessmen themselves, Brown supplements this mystery by using each chesspiece (rook/berserk, bishops, kings, queens, and knights) to talk about the history, politics, and culture of the time. She uses them as a jumping off point to talk about Scandinavian history between 800-1300 (focusing mainly on 1000-1200). There are lots of interesting stories and tidbits of history and culture.
Overall I enjoyed this, but I thought the construction was a bit loose. She sort of lost her thesis and often didn't connect her stories very well to the chessmen. This meant that even though I was enjoying the things she was telling me, part of me was bothered that I couldn't see the over-arching point. As a result, this receives a middling grade from me.
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LibraryThing member Jaylia3
When ninety-three meticulously carved, 12th century, walrus ivory chessmen were discovered in the decidedly protestant sands of Scotland’s Isle of Lewis in 1831, a haul that included 16 alarmingly Catholic-looking bishops, no one knew where they had come from (Fairies?), and while we still
The chessmen themselves are fantastic looking, with distinct irresistible facial expressions and elaborate garments. The kings and queens sit on ornate thrones, the knights are astride pony-size horses--which were all they had in northern Europe at that time--and the rooks are wild-eyed berserkers biting their shields with crooked teeth. You’ve seen replicas of these chessmen if you watched Ron and Harry play wizard chess in the first Harry Potter movie. My edition of the book, a free advanced review copy supplied by the publisher, had just a few black and white photos. I don’t know if the finished book will have more, but it’s easy (and well worth it) to find images on the internet.
Ancient ‘‘sea roads” have long connected people who lived in what are now the British Isles and Scandinavia, and I greatly enjoyed reading about the interconnections, religious networks, and cultural exchanges this made possible. Origin contenders for the chessmen include Norway, Scotland, and--after extensive research author Nancy Marie Brown's favorite possibility--Iceland, where they may have been created by Margret the Adroit who is said to have carved walrus ivory “so skillfully that none in Iceland had ever seen such artistry before.” That line comes from the Saga of Bishop Pall, possibly written by Pall’s son Loft (friend of Icelandic saga master Snorri Sturluson) which would give it some historical credibility.
In exploring the genesis of the chessmen, Brown delves deeply into the stories, histories, and personalities of the past, both the 12th century when they were created and the 19th century when they were found, and she also reports on debates about the chessmen that continue to this day--some Scottish nationalists believe the The British Museum should return its 82 pieces to Scotland. I don’t have much personal investment in who exactly created the chessman, which meant that some of the more exacting details didn’t hold my attention, but most of the book completely captivated me.
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aren’t sure of their origins today there are some passionately held theories, a subject that this book explores in fascinating detail. The chessmen themselves are fantastic looking, with distinct irresistible facial expressions and elaborate garments. The kings and queens sit on ornate thrones, the knights are astride pony-size horses--which were all they had in northern Europe at that time--and the rooks are wild-eyed berserkers biting their shields with crooked teeth. You’ve seen replicas of these chessmen if you watched Ron and Harry play wizard chess in the first Harry Potter movie. My edition of the book, a free advanced review copy supplied by the publisher, had just a few black and white photos. I don’t know if the finished book will have more, but it’s easy (and well worth it) to find images on the internet.
Ancient ‘‘sea roads” have long connected people who lived in what are now the British Isles and Scandinavia, and I greatly enjoyed reading about the interconnections, religious networks, and cultural exchanges this made possible. Origin contenders for the chessmen include Norway, Scotland, and--after extensive research author Nancy Marie Brown's favorite possibility--Iceland, where they may have been created by Margret the Adroit who is said to have carved walrus ivory “so skillfully that none in Iceland had ever seen such artistry before.” That line comes from the Saga of Bishop Pall, possibly written by Pall’s son Loft (friend of Icelandic saga master Snorri Sturluson) which would give it some historical credibility.
In exploring the genesis of the chessmen, Brown delves deeply into the stories, histories, and personalities of the past, both the 12th century when they were created and the 19th century when they were found, and she also reports on debates about the chessmen that continue to this day--some Scottish nationalists believe the The British Museum should return its 82 pieces to Scotland. I don’t have much personal investment in who exactly created the chessman, which meant that some of the more exacting details didn’t hold my attention, but most of the book completely captivated me.
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LibraryThing member Gwendydd
This is a fascinating account of everything we currently know about the famous Lewis Chessmen. The book also makes it clear that we actually know far less than we would like to think we do.
The title is a bit of a red herring: it turns out that the book contains very little information about "the
The book sometimes gets bogged down in political details, most of which were more or less lost on me, partly because they were often recounted out of order. I think the book could have been about half as long and still have been really interesting.
Nonetheless, this was a very interesting read, and very clearly written.
The title is a bit of a red herring: it turns out that the book contains very little information about "the
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woman who made them," mostly because we have no idea who made them. All we know is that there was a woman who carved walrus ivory who lived roughly when and where the chessmen might have been made. That's as close as we can get to saying a woman made them. And we frankly know nothing about her, other than the fact that her name is mentioned tangentially in a document.The book sometimes gets bogged down in political details, most of which were more or less lost on me, partly because they were often recounted out of order. I think the book could have been about half as long and still have been really interesting.
Nonetheless, this was a very interesting read, and very clearly written.
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LibraryThing member Shrike58
While it kind of peters out in the end what Brown does in this book is examine how Iceland fit into the wider world at the time when the Lewis Chessmen were likely made, which was also the same time that the great Icelandic sagas were created. It is from one of the historical sagas that we know of
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Margret the Adroit, a local artistic prodigy who could possibly have had a hand in creating the famous chessmen; very speculative stuff, but fascinating all the same. Show Less
LibraryThing member Medievalgirl
I listened to the audio book of a previous title by this author, and the synopsis and reviews piqued my interest in her new book.
In some ways, I was a little disappointed. There wasn't a great deal of information about the wider world and Viking relations to it. I also didn't much appreciate the
Its even implied that Charlemagne caused the Viking raids by attacking the Saxons, and the claim that they weren't so bad because everyone attacked and raided churches at that time seemed like a pretty lame excuse.
Why did the Norsemen attack England if it was all Charlemagne's fault, and why did Lindisfarne last until that time if everyone attacked churches? There were also some assumptions and historical generalisations. For instance, its claimed (with perhaps a palpable hint of wide-eyed admiration) that Viking women had more freedom than virtually all other European women, as they could inherit land, and were entitled to certain rights in marriage as well as divorce, run households and hold notable positions, and even fight.
Yet this was not so unique. Women in England even under primogeniture could and did I inherit land- and they were alsdo entitled to one third of their husband's property when he died. In England and many other states, women ran businesses and their households. There are even illustrations apparently showing female stonemasons etc. Furthermore, Alfred the Great's daughter led armies and defended her kingdom against the Danes, and she was admired. So what was so special about Viking women?
There were some good points. For instance the book made some fascinating points about the sagas which make me want to dig into them, and the parts covering Norwegian history in the 11 th to 13th centuries.
Worth a read, but one to take with a pinch of salt.
I received an eBook edition of this title from Netgalley for review. I was not required to write a positive one, and all opinions expressed are my own.
In some ways, I was a little disappointed. There wasn't a great deal of information about the wider world and Viking relations to it. I also didn't much appreciate the
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fashionable revisionist approach of trying to downplay the violent aspects of Viking culture, and making them out to have been peaceful traders. Its even implied that Charlemagne caused the Viking raids by attacking the Saxons, and the claim that they weren't so bad because everyone attacked and raided churches at that time seemed like a pretty lame excuse.
Why did the Norsemen attack England if it was all Charlemagne's fault, and why did Lindisfarne last until that time if everyone attacked churches? There were also some assumptions and historical generalisations. For instance, its claimed (with perhaps a palpable hint of wide-eyed admiration) that Viking women had more freedom than virtually all other European women, as they could inherit land, and were entitled to certain rights in marriage as well as divorce, run households and hold notable positions, and even fight.
Yet this was not so unique. Women in England even under primogeniture could and did I inherit land- and they were alsdo entitled to one third of their husband's property when he died. In England and many other states, women ran businesses and their households. There are even illustrations apparently showing female stonemasons etc. Furthermore, Alfred the Great's daughter led armies and defended her kingdom against the Danes, and she was admired. So what was so special about Viking women?
There were some good points. For instance the book made some fascinating points about the sagas which make me want to dig into them, and the parts covering Norwegian history in the 11 th to 13th centuries.
Worth a read, but one to take with a pinch of salt.
I received an eBook edition of this title from Netgalley for review. I was not required to write a positive one, and all opinions expressed are my own.
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LibraryThing member JBD1
Really enjoyed this look at the Lewis Chessmen and their cultural context. There's a bit of speculation and a small amount of padding here (see the subtitle), but overall I was completely drawn into Brown's wide-ranging narrative, and even the speculation is carefully done and well explained.
LibraryThing member siri51
Fascinating story and I saw some of the pieces in a Canberra exhibition - still attributed to being from Norway
Some of the writing was rather dense with too much historical detail but skimming through the sections gave the gist.
Good to know archaeologists are still working on these dilemmas - the
Some of the writing was rather dense with too much historical detail but skimming through the sections gave the gist.
Good to know archaeologists are still working on these dilemmas - the
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case for the Icelandic origin made here is strong. Show Less
LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
Nancy Brown has created an interesting take on the history of Norway and the North of the Scandinavian world. The stem of the work is a description of the various chessmen discovered in 1832 on the Isle of Lewis. These are, aside from the ships and the horned helmets, the most widely displayed
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artifacts of the Scandinavian world of the Middle ages. The reader of course gets a description of the ivory and bone trade of the period, and a description of Norse and Icelandic churchmen and kings of the most likely period of the chess sets ' creation. The book reads well overall, and though it could use a more detailed map of the Hebrides and the Orkneys, a good time was had by this reader. Show Less
LibraryThing member jennybeast
I'm sort of parking this one here for later -- it's pretty fascinating, in the icelandic connection, in the viking history, in the incredible story of these remarkable works of art -- I love a great sense of humor, and whoever carved these chessmen clearly had that. I've dipped into the book a
However, all that being said I had no idea these existed (they're gorgeous) or that there was a person named Margaret the Adroit, or anything about the political mechanations of Icelandic bishops, or the furious debate of chess scholars. Cool stuff.
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couple of times now, but haven't really been in a scholarly mood lately. Also, while I love ancient things, you're just never going to lose the ambiguity -- there's almost never a definitive answer on anything, and I'm in the mood for some satisfying conclusions.However, all that being said I had no idea these existed (they're gorgeous) or that there was a person named Margaret the Adroit, or anything about the political mechanations of Icelandic bishops, or the furious debate of chess scholars. Cool stuff.
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Awards
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Non-Fiction — 2015)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
8.3 inches
ISBN
1250108594 / 9781250108593
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