The British Museum claims the chessmen were probably made in Trondheim, Norway, in the 12th century,[3] although some scholars have suggested other Nordic countries.[4]
During that period, the Outer Hebrides, along with other major groups of Scottish islands, were ruled by Norway.[3]
According to Dr. Alex Woolf, director of the University of St Andrews Institute for Medieval Studies, there are reasons for believing the pieces came from Trondheim:
A broken queen piece in a similar style was found in an excavation of the archbishop’s palace – it appeared the piece was broken as it was being made.
The presence of wealthy people in Trondheim able to pay craftsmen for high-quality chess pieces.
Similar carving in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.
The excavation in Trondheim of a kite-shaped shield similar to shields on some of the pieces and a king piece of similar design found on Hitra Island, near the mouth of Trondheim Fjord. Woolf has said that the armour worn by the chess figures includes “perfect” reproductions of armour worn at the time in Norway.[5]
Icelanders Gudmundur Thorarinsson and Einar Einarsson have proposed that the chessmen originated in Iceland, since only in Iceland were the bishops called that at that time, while in other countries they used a name unassociated with the church.[6]
They further claim that the pieces were carved by an artist known as Margret the Adroit.[7][8][9]
However, this is disputed by Woolf, who stated that the use of bishops originated in England,[5] and by Norwegian chess historian and member of the Ken Whyld Association[10] Morten Lilleøren.[11]
Some historians believe that the Lewis chessmen were hidden (or lost) after some mishap occurred during their carriage from Norway to wealthy Norse towns on the east coast of Ireland, such as Dublin.
The large number of pieces and their lack of wear may suggest that they were the stock of a trader or dealer.[3]
Along with the chess pieces, there were 14 plain round tablemen for the game of tables and one belt buckle, all made of ivory, making a total of 93 artifacts.[12]
Description
Almost all of the pieces in the collection are carved from walrus ivory, with a few made instead from whale teeth.
The 78[13] pieces consist of eight kings, eight queens, 16 bishops, 15 knights, 12 rooks and 19 pawns.
The heights of the pawns range from 3.5 to 5.8 cm, while the other pieces are between 7 and 10.2 cm.
Although there are 19 pawns (a complete set requires 16), they have the greatest range of sizes of all the pieces, which has suggested that the 78 pieces might belong to at least five sets.[14]
All the pieces are sculptures of human figures, with the exception of the pawns, which are smaller, geometric shapes.
The knights are mounted on rather diminutive horses and are shown holding spears and shields.
The rooks are standing soldiers or warders holding shields and swords; four of the rooks are shown as wild-eyed berserkers biting their shields with battle fury.[15]
Some pieces bore traces of red stain when found, possibly indicating that red and white were used to distinguish the two sides, rather than the black and white used in modern chess.[5]
Scholars have observed that to the modern eye the figural pieces, with their bulging eyes and glum expressions, have a distinct comical character.[16][17]
This is especially true of the single rook with a worried, sideways glance (front right of first image below, next to queen) and the berserkers biting their shields, which have been called “irresistibly comic to a modern audience.”[18]
It is believed, however, that the comic or sad expressions were not intended or perceived as such by the makers, who instead saw strength, ferocity or, in the case of the queens who hold their heads with a hand and seemingly pensive expression, “contemplation, repose and possibly wisdom.”[16]
Modern discovery
The chessmen were discovered in early 1831 in a sand bank at the head of Camas Uig on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
There are various local stories concerning their arrival and modern discovery on Lewis.
Malcolm “Sprot” MacLeod (Scottish Gaelic: Calum an Sprot) from the nearby township of Pennydonald discovered the trove in a small stone kist in a dune, exhibited them briefly in his byre and sold them on to Captain Roderick Ryrie.[19]
One reported detail, that it was a cow that actually unearthed the stash, is generally discounted in Uig as fabrication.
After the Isle of Lewis was purchased by Sir James Matheson in 1844, Malcolm Macleod and his family were evicted and the district was transformed into sheep farms. ...”
This incident inspired the Rolling Stones to write "Hey, Macleod, get off of my ewe!"