> Does anyone have knowledge of the game 'gwyddbwyll' mentioned in The > Mabinogion? e.g. in 'The Dream of Macsen Wledig'. Gwyn Jones and Thomas Jones > in their translation have a footnote that it is not chess, but a hunt-game > like the Icelandic 'hnefatafl'. hnefatafl is a common medieval game played on a board of odd numbered squares. The pieces all move like rooks (orthoganally), and they capture opponent's pieces by moving on two or more sides of the opponent. A piece, however, can move between to opponents pieces without being captured. The pieces are always set up with the 'attacker' having twice the number of pieces of the defender, and the 'king' the central piece of the defenders' arsenal. Lord, I'm not writing this well - sorry. The layout is something like this: _ _ _ _ * * * _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ * _ _ _ _ _ This is only one version of the game - a number exist. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ More details can be found in "The History of Chess", * _ _ _ _ x _ _ _ _ * by H. J. R. Murray. * _ _ _ x x x _ _ _ * * * _ x x K x x _ * * * _ _ _ x x x _ _ _ * * _ _ _ _ x _ _ _ _ * _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ * _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ * * * _ _ _ _ as a side note, there's also an article: Lewis, Frank, Gwerin Ffistial a Thawlbwrdd, Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, Session 1941, London, 1943. Well - at least some references. -- joe (314) 882-5000 ccjoe@showme.missouri.edu University of Missouri - Columbia "with a little practice, writing can be an intimidating and imprenetrable fog!" -- Calvin