Fitchneal and Brandubh - two Irish tafl games

Supplied as one board, with pieces in a leather pouch, which can be used to play either game.

Fitchneal and Brandubh are two games of the tafl family known from Irish literary references, and associated with the find of a board of 7 x 7 squares recovered from Balinderry bog in 1932, now kept in the National Museum of Ireland.

Reconstructions of the rules of Fitchneal has a starting arrangement of men similar to Hnefatafl, with a king surrounded by eight of his men, and an attacking army of four base camps of four men each. This small board has little room for manouevre and men can move only one square orthogonally at each turn. Otherwise the game follows the standard tafl rules.

Brandubh is played with fewer pieces (eight attackers versus four king's men) and therefore greater room for movement.

The 7 x 7 board is best known from finds in Ireland but has been found in Western Scotland; and tafl on boards of this size is also thought to have been played in Wales.

Quarter-sawn oak board, with wooden pieces, which are supplied in a leather pouch. Comes with rules and historical notes to the full range of tafl games.

• Oak board 8" x 8"
• Playing pieces of beech wood (7/8"/22mm diameter)
• One king; 8 white pieces; 16 black pieces
• White pieces are the natural wood colour; coloured pieces stained
• Pieces supplied in a leather pouch

Historic Period or Date:

• c.9th to 15th century

Materials and Special Features:

• Board of 3/4" quarter-sawn oak
• Beech wood pieces
• Leather pouch

Dimensions:

• Board: 8" x 8" (20x20cm); squares 1" (25mm) diameter
  
• Playing pieces: 7/8" (22mm) diameter