Isle of Lewis Chess Set - see below to purchase online:
 Isle of Lewis Chess Set photograph to the left is courtesy of John Maclean Photography . There are several stories of how these Norse figures ended up on a remote beach at Uig, Isle of Lewis. One of the most interesting Isle of Lewis Chess Set Stories is in the Morrison Manuscripts, which tells of murder and greed and the contrasting hospitality shown to some unfortunate sailors.The Isle of Lewis Chess Set was found in 1831 when, after an exceptionally high tide, a crofter took off in pursuit of a cow across a beach near Ardroil in Uig, Lewis.
The crofter discovered that the tide had eroded the sandbanks and had uncovered what appeared to be a small stone-built cairn or chamber. Upon further investigation he discovered that inside the chamber lay seventy eight chessmen carved from Walrus ivory. The crofter sold the chess men to the British Museum for a princely sum of £80, being a poor crofter he would have found this amount of money a virtual fortune as it would have taken him several years of hard labour to accumulate such funds. Of course the Isle of Lewis Chess Set is priceless being 12th century Norse. The chessmen depict various figures such as church dignaitaries and Norse warriors of the period but sadly the collection came from a total of eight incomplete sets and the "missing" pieces have never been found. The skilled craftsmanship (see photo above) shows us some of the culture of the Vikings that often gets overlooked in favour of the "more appealing" stories of rape and pillage. Indeed, in the past, the Hebrides were ruled by the Vikings and the area was rich in natural resources providing both an area for settlement and the Hebrides were an important part of the extensive trade routes that th Vikings developed (which some argue stretched as far as Canada). [The Isle of Lewis Chess Set is now housed in Edinburgh but many lay claim to them including the Isle of Lewis (as the place of discovery) where they were displayed for a short time in 1995.]
Buy The Isle of Lewis Chess Set Online
 These chess pieces are replicas of the originals which were discovered on the Isle of Lewis off the West Coast of Scotland. The originals are now housed securely in museums in London and Edinburgh. The King height is 3.75 inches (9.5 centimetres). The set is suited to a board with a square size of approximately 2 inches.
Price £ 81.32 inc. V.A.T. ($110.75 USD)
Click Here to purchase online or see Mini Isle of Lewis Chess Set below.
Buy The Mini - Isle of Lewis Chess Set Online:
Miniature replicas of the pieces found on the Isle of Lewis off the West Coast of Scotland. The originals are now housed securely in museums in London and Edinburgh.
Price £ 54.90 inc. V.A.T. ($74.77 USD)
Click Here to purchase online or see Full Size Isle of Lewis Chess Set above.
Back
| 
