When in Edinburgh a visit to the Lewis chess pieces on display in the National Museum of Scotland is a must. The majority of the members of this famous chess clan are to be seen in the British Museum in London. However, Scotland is rightfully their home as they were originally found on the Island of Lewis (go figure!) at Uig.
They are believed to be from a Viking hoard and it's believed were were made in Scandinavia, probably Norway. Although it has been argued they could easily be Icelandic. The characters are clearly influenced by Norse culture and the strongest evidence for this is in the figurines of the warders which take the form of berserkers (which is where the term to 'go berserk' originated). These are the incredibly brave and fierce mythical warriors of the Sagas. (One of the most famous sagas is Njal's saga which tells the story of the terrible consequences of blood feuds.)
Whatever their origins they are beautifully crafted with the most amazingly comical faces.
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