This is an unfinished Tafl board with game pieces. Tafl board games are a family of Germanic and Celtic games, and the boards themselves ranged from 7x7 squares to a board to as many as 19x19 squares. Tafl games were a favorite of the Vikings, and often show up in places they frequented. Our Tafl board is a Scottish variant called Ard-Ri ("High King"). As is typical of these ancient games, the rules we play by today are largely conjecture, but in general the game play involves two sides, one of which is typically outnumbered 2:1. The smaller force, in the case of Ard Ri, is composed of a king (who starts in the center) and eight soldiers. The opposing force surrounds the king's forces and attempt to capture the king. If the king successfuly moves to a corner, then the game is over in favor of the king's player.
Considering the range of Tafl games out there, not to mention my own love of Norse antiquity, we'll definitely be spending quite a bit of time crafting more of these games.
