. Social Scandinavia in the Viking age. For small gatherings and also for quiet family enter-tainment a table game, played upon speciallydesigned boards, with sculptured figures of TableGames painted wood, bone, ivory, or silver was verypopular (Figs. 38, 40). nn ,vThis game was very i. Illold in the North, and inits original form prob-ably resembled check-ers, but during theViking Age it wasmodified through theinfluence of the Southand East and becamemore similar to ^ TTTi^.i . Fig. 40. Pieces of Boards for a Table Whether prizes were Game. (From Bugges Gorges Historie.) i8Danz, in Cle
. Social Scandinavia in the Viking age. For small gatherings and also for quiet family enter-tainment a table game, played upon speciallydesigned boards, with sculptured figures of TableGames painted wood, bone, ivory, or silver was verypopular (Figs. 38, 40). nn ,vThis game was very i. Illold in the North, and inits original form prob-ably resembled check-ers, but during theViking Age it wasmodified through theinfluence of the Southand East and becamemore similar to ^ TTTi^.i . Fig. 40. Pieces of Boards for a Table Whether prizes were Game. (From Bugges Gorges Historie.) i8Danz, in Cleasby and Vigfussons Dictionary; Weinhold, Altnor-disches Leben, 464-466; Hildebrand, Hans, Sveriges Medeltid, II, , Private Life of the Old Northmen, 163-164. 20 Origines Islandicae, II, 478, 612. 21 See above pp. 404-410. ^?^ Origines Islandicae, II, 557, 618; Montelius, Civilization of Sweden inHeathen Times, 138, 177-178; Bugge, Nordboernes Indflydelse, 242; Fiske,Willard, Chess in Iceland and Icelandic 326 SOCIAL SCANDINAVIA IN THE VIKING AGE awarded to the winners of this game is not apparent; butthere is no doubt that dice-shaking, which was also com-mon in the North, was played for definite stakes; for thepeople of classical lands were notorious gamblers withdice, as were also the Germans of Tacitus time, and itseems likely that the pastime reached Scandinavia at avery early date. Judging from the finds in the tombs ofthe North, the cubes used in the game were generallymade of bone, though at times of ivory, and they werevery similar in pattern to the modern dice. The bestowal of presents upon at least the most promi-nent of the guests by the host or hostess was a very im-portant part of every elaborate house-partyThe Pre- qj. banquet. In fact, the presentation of sentation of .«, • j. n i,t i. • i. Gifts to gilts was Virtually obligatory in most cases, Guests if friendship was to be secured and pre- served; for peace and good will lay i
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