IVORY VIKINGS By Nancy Marie Brown

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Back in 1831 a collection of 92 chessmen was discovered on the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides. Carved from ivory taken from walrus tusks, each piece was individual and idiosyncratic, with differing faces, expressions, clothing, and weaponry. Debate over the Lewis chessmen's creator(s) and place(s) of origin began shortly after their discovery and has carried on without end. In this well written and fascinating volume Nancy Marie Brown tells us what is known or surmised about the chessmen, and in so doing she has revealed the complex civilization centered around the North Atlantic Ocean from which they came.In the 10th and 11th centuries the North Atlantic bustled with an active sea going society. The Northmen or Vikings carried on trade between Scandinavia, Russia, Ireland, Britain, Iceland, and Greenland. Gifted craftsmen created beautiful art work out of stone, wood, and ivory, which was obtained from the large walrus herds to be found in Iceland and Greenland. Kings jostled for power while missionaries carried Christianity throughout the region, leading to the erection of beautifully constructed and decorated churches and cathedrals. It was in this setting that the Lewis chessmen were most likely carved. Debate is ongoing over their place of origin, with strong arguments being made for Norway, but the weight of the evidence seems to point towards Iceland, where there were many talented ivory carvers, including a remarkable artist called Margret the Adroit. The surviving art known to have been produced by her bears strong resemblances to the Lewis chessmen,and it is to her that Brown looks for the most likely creator of the pieces.Brown structured her book by focussing on the principle chess pieces. Chapter One, titled The Rooks, looks to the origins of the game of chess and to the development of the trade in and art of walrus tusk ivory. The second chapter is on The Bishops and covers the spread of Christianity to Iceland and Greenland. In those early days bishops often held temporal powers as rulers in place of kings, maintaining law and order over a society dominated by warring chieftains. Eventually religious and political power separated, but the bishops still held sway over much of the territory throught their great wealth. Chapter Three is on The Queens, and it is here that we learn as much of the story of Margret the Adroit as can be pieced together. Norse women had to be strong, resolute, and determined to survive in their harsh environment, and Brown tells us their stories too, including Queen Gunnhild the Grim,who may well have been the model for the Lewis chess queens. Chapter Four deals with The Kings and gives details on the combative monarchs who strove for power and encouraged exploration and trade. The Knights in the fifth chapter were not the warriors in shining armor the term invokes for us today. These knights rode small horses or ponies and wore a variety of gear and weaponry. The Lewis knights display a wide range of helmets, some with nose and ear guards and others without, while some seem to wear precursors of the modern bowler. It is in this chapter that Brown relates the many stories of how the Lewis chessmen came to be discovered, for as with so much else to do with them, there are disputes as to who found them and where. The Pawns are the least elaborately carved of the chessmen and thus they are relegated to the Acknowledgements.This is a rich and fascinating history which focusses on an often overlooked or neglected region and reveals its complex and wonderful history. We may never know whether Margret the Adroit was indeed the chessmen's carver, but we now know much about her and about the society from which she sprang. IVORY VIKINGS Made after the Viking Era but a wonderful history of Iceland of the proposed time they were carved. I sometimes felt that I read the same passage than once so it was a slow read for me. An interesting angle but certainly not conclusive. IVORY VIKINGS En cuanto vi el libro, supe que quería tenerlo pues trataba un tema que ya conocía anteriormente al haber tenido la oportunidad de ver esas piezas de las cuales quede enamorado desde el primer instante. El libro, escrito de forma brillante nos muestra las hipótesis sobre el origen de las misteriosas piezas de marfil minuciosamente talladas. Mejor leerlo, no adelanto nada más. IVORY VIKINGS Loved the story. A very unique and special chess set made a very long time ago. If you are a chess fan at all you will adore this story! IVORY VIKINGS Nancy Brown's work is thorough and fascinating. She is clearly knowledgeable but also enthusiastic about her topic. Some photos of the existing Lewis chessmen, even in black and white, would have really supported her readers' interests and acted as good reference points for them. IVORY VIKINGS