Hnefatafl

Hnefatafl, or "Viking chess," was a common pastime in Norse society during the Viking age.  It was used for recreation, bonding, and even strategic practice to help Vikings better understand the battlefield! 

While there are several versions of tafl games, this version consists of an 11x11 board, with 24 attackers around the edges of the board, and 12 defenders circling a King in the center of the board. The rules of hnefatafl are somewhat inconsistent, but each ruleset consists of the same ways to win:

1. Capture the King, and the attackers win

2. Help the King escape, and the defenders win

This game was created as an honors project for a course on the Vikings and Sagas.

Academic Advisor: Scott A. Mellor, Nordic Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison