The Lewis Chessmen Unmasked

Walking through the Living Room on any of the majestic Viking Ocean cruise ships, you will see several larger-than-life Lewis Chessmen, replicas of a Viking treasure trove discovered in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

Regarded as the most famous chess pieces to have survived from the medieval world, the Lewis Chessmen unquestionably secured their place in history when they were found. This remarkable hoard of ivory and bone pieces - considered the greatest ever discovery of medieval chess pieces – have, from the moment they were unearthed, evoked their own mysterious world, steeped in folklore, legend, and the rich tradition of storytelling.

The Lewis Chessmen comprise seated kings and queens, bishops, knights, standing warders and pawns. Eighty two pieces are now in the British Museum and eleven pieces are held by the National Museum of Scotland. When found, some of the pieces were stained red, suggesting that the original colour combination of the pieces was red and white.

Experts speculate that they were carved from walrus ivory and whale tooth between 1150 and 1200 in Trondheim, former capital of Norway, a centre for walrus ivory carving in the Middle Ages. At that time, the Isle of Lewis was also part of the kingdom of Norway and the decoration on the Chessmen’s thrones resemble carvings in medieval Norwegian churches. However, other specialists ascribe the pieces to an Icelandic Viking artisan.

Since the hoard of four combined chess sets was uncovered, one knight and four warders have been missing. However, a Lewis chess piece made from walrus ivory - a warder with helmet, shield and sword, the equivalent of a rook on a modern chess board - was recently discovered in a drawer by an Edinburgh family.

Purchased in 1969 for just a ￡5 note and subsequently forgotten, it sold at a Sotheby’s auction in 2019 for ￡735,000, despite being a damaged piece with a missing left eye. Nonetheless, recognising the importance of the find, Sotheby’s wasted no opportunity in hyping up this missing Lewis Chessman with a haunting description that you can see at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6IYe5EE120

Researching the history of the Lewis Chessmen, I was soon riveted by their story, and I particularly loved an animated account by Irving Finkel (curator at the British Museum) about the Chamber of Lewis Chessmen which you can see at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZBXTy5KK3I&t=507s.

I also enjoyed the British Museum recreation of a scene later in the clip about the Lewis Chessmen featured in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. For those who may not have seen the original movie, check out the accuracy of that recreation at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwjZ1J2b8UY

Finally, shortly after the sale of the missing Chessman by Sotheby’s, the release of the Queen’s Gambit on Netflix sparked a global interest in chess, prompting a British Museum Blog which contains some fascinating facts about these miniature Lewis masterpieces. It can be seen at: https://blog.britishmuseum.org/the-queens-gambit-how-the-lewis-chessmen-won-the-world-over/

 So next time you cruise with Viking Ocean, be sure to look out for the replica Lewis Chessmen and see them with a new appreciation and with a new story with which to enthral your fellow guests.