Information AboutFidchell |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT FIDCHELL | |
| abstract strategy games | |
| irish mythology | |
| ancient ireland | |
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''Fidchell'', or Celtic chess, is a game played in ancient Ireland at least 2,000 and perhaps 2,500 years ago. It is very similar to the Welsh game of '' Gwyddbwyll ''. Both names translate as “wooden wisdom” or something similar. ''Fidchell'' is mentioned quite often in ancient Celtic legends and lore, but the exact form of the game is open to speculation, due to the lack of detail on the rules, playing pieces, and even the board, to some extent. This much is clear, it was played on a board, with opposing sets of pieces, and unlike modern chess, involved a King in the center, with his defensive pieces protecting him from attacks by his opponent. The legends describe ''fidchell'' as a game played by royalty, and even the gods, as it was supposed to have been invented by Lugh , the Irish god of light,Macalister, R. A. Stewart. '' Lebor Gabála Érenn .'' Part IV. Irish Texts Society, Dublin, 1941. § VII, First Redaction, ¶ 316. and was played very skillfully by his son, the hero Cuchullainn . A series of ''fidchell'' games also forms an important episode in '' Tochmarc Étaíne ''. As often as ''fidchell'' is mentioned in legend and myth, however, we are still largely in the dark about exactly how it was played. There are two main theories regarding the rules and board layout of ''fidchell''. The first, and most common, is that ''fidchell'' is a variant of the Welsh game ''tawlbwrdd'', itself descended from the Norse ''tafl'' Games . These games, along with the Irish ''brandub'', are played on a grid, often seven squares by seven, with the king in the middle. The king has a number of defending pieces around him at the beginning of the game, and they are surrounded by twice as many attackers. The object is to make a clear path for the king to the edge of the board, while the attackers must attempt to surround, and there capture, the king. In a Scottish variant, the king must get through the attackers to one of the corner spots in order to win. This theory is supported by an artifact found in Balinderry, Ireland, consisting of a wooden board with a seven by seven grid, marked off by holes similar to those found in a cribbage board, which has Celtic symbols on it. This artifact is almost certainly a ''tafl'' variant, and perhaps even a Brandub board, and most commentators assume that it is the type of board upon which one would have played ''fidchell''. Reconstructions of probable rules proceed from there. However, there are a few difficulties with this commonly accepted view. First, the ''tafl'' variants are usually played with unequal numbers of pieces, the attackers being twice as numerous as the defenders. ''Fidchell'' seems almost certainly to have been played with equal numbers on both sides. Secondly, the ''tafl'' games, especially '' Tawlbwrdd '', were often played with a die, made of a sheep’s knucklebone, and this feature seems conspicuously absent in ''fidchell''. In fact, in Wales, there is a clear distinction between ''tawlbwrdd'' and ''gwyddbwyll'', which, if carried across to Ireland, would tend to indicate a similar distinction between ''fidchell'' and ''brandub''. In addition, ''fidchell'', as described in the legends, often has a mystical or divinatory aspect to it. Battles ebb and flow as a result of the ebb and flow of a game of ''fidchell'', games play themselves, great events are decided on the outcome of a ''fidchell'' match, and so on. This supernatural aspect is not as clearly reflected in the ''tafl'' games. There is clear archaeological and textual evidence that a ''tafl'' variant was played in Ireland in ancient times. What is not quite as certain is that this game was ''fidchell'', as mentioned so often in myth and legend. BIBLIOGRAPHY Web Sites:
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