historical-boardgames - Historische Brettspiele

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Chess - probably the most successful board game in the world.
Today's chess historians agree that chess itself - with some differences to today's rules - began in north-west India around 500 AD and spread from there to all corners of the globe. This is also supported by the fact that the basic position of the chess pieces corresponded to the Indian army of the time.
It can be assumed that the game also received its name ‘chess’ in Persia. This is because the Persian word for king is ‘shah’.
Chess also found its way into literature. The art of love and the art of chess were closely linked. A game of chess between a man and a woman often ended in bed. The art of love probably took precedence over the art of chess, just as love chess became a leitmotif of Minne in the Middle Ages.
When the crusaders returned from the Orient to Central Europe in the 10th/11th century after more or less successful battles, they brought chess with them. As a result, this game also spread to our regions. Unfortunately, another game was almost forgotten in the process: hnefatafl, also known as tablut.

You receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding chess pieces. These are safely stored separately in a cotton bag. Should you ever lose a piece or be injured in one of the battles, please let us know and we will send you the desired chess pieces. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

28,00 EUR

Huzzle Cast Delta

Difficulty level 3
The triangles of this puzzle must be "unhooked" and then reassembled.

15,00 EUR

Huzzle Cast Radix

Difficulty level 5
In the Cast Puzzle Radix, two beautifully curved parts, if correctly assembled, are in a third part, which also serves as a base.

15,00 EUR

Twelve Men`s Morris or Armenian Morris

This ancient game has probably been known in Europe for over 4000 years. Finds have been documented from around 2000 BC in Ireland, for example. This makes the mill game not only one of the oldest known board games, but also older than the world-famous game of chess. However, many people don't realise this: There are numerous variations of the mill game, e.g. this Armenian mill has additional diagonals and each of the two players is given 12 pieces at the start of the game.

You receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding tiles in the desired colours. In addition, we add one tile per colour as a replacement. If several tiles have been lost, please let us know and we will send you the desired tiles. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

15,00 EUR

Huzzle Cast Laby

Difficulty level 5
This is not just one labyrinth, no, there are two of them. On either side of the ring you have another labyrinth and the little ones
"Noses" of the second ring now have to find the right paths.

15,00 EUR

Latrunculi, ludus latrunculorum

As we know from war reports, the battlefield is empty at the beginning. The soldiers on both sides stand and wait for the signal to attack. The signal is given. The two players now take it in turns to place a piece on the board. By placing your own pieces skilfully and carefully, you can also capture your opponent's pieces in this phase of the game. Once all the soldiers (pieces) are on the board, one soldier goes and each player tries to capture the other's pieces by skilfully placing them in order to emerge victorious.
The ludus latrunculorum, or latrunculi for short, is often referred to as a soldier's game, as the name is derived from latro for soldier.
Ovid( born 22 March 43 BC in Sulmo; died probably 17 AD in Tomis), a Roman poet who was also a war correspondent, frequently mentioned this game in his works, for example in ‘Art of Love III’.
It is also possible to play the large version of the game ‘Kono’ on this board. The instructions for this are of course included.

You will receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding game pieces in the desired colours. In addition, we will add one game piece per colour as a replacement. If you have lost several tiles, please let us know and we will send you the desired tiles. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

15,00 EUR

Backgammon

Much is still unknown about the origin, age and spread of this game. There are some oriental games that are thousands of years old and parallels to backgammon are often sought, but whether this proves a relationship is questionable. Probably the first close relative of modern backgammon is the Roman Ludus duodecim scriptorum. It was widespread throughout the Roman Empire and was first mentioned by Ovid in the 8th century BC. However, the first discovery is dated to around 125 AD. The game was then further developed by the Romans into alea or tabula, which could have been played as early as the 1st century AD. From the 11th century onwards, the game spread throughout Europe and became known in Germany in the 12th century under the name Wurfzabel or Puff. The name Puff is derived from the word Pasch. The vulgar term for the brothel goes back to the name of the game that used to be played in these houses - so you went ‘to the brothel’.

You will receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding tiles in the desired colours, plus one tile per colour as a replacement. If you have lost several tiles, please let us know and we will send you the desired tiles. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

21,00 EUR

Pentalpha

This beautiful, entertaining pentalpha game for one person actually belongs in the category of patience games. Some sources assume that the origins of the game can be found in ancient Egypt. A pentagram was discovered on the roof of the temple of Sethos I in West Thebes Kurna, along with several other playing fields. However, it is not known how it was played at the time (around 1400 BC). The game became popular at the time of Socrates. The game is still played on Crete today.

You will receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding game pieces in the desired colours. In addition, we will add one game piece of each colour as a replacement. If several tiles have been lost, please let us know and we will send you the desired tiles. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

7,00 EUR

15,00 EUR

15,00 EUR

chess

28,00 EUR

Huzzle Cast Spiral

Difficulty level 5
What at first seems like a simple jigsaw puzzle will quickly astonish anyone no matter how you try, the pieces of the Spiral Puzzle just don't separate, do they?

15,00 EUR

House of Fortune

House of fortune is an old southern German game that probably dates back to the 15th century. At the time of the Landsknechte, many a warrior lost his pay playing this game. Gambling was forbidden at the time, which is why people met in secret. It is said that the owner of the game board made an agreement with the captain of the mercenaries: at a secret signal, the latter would enter the illegal players' tent at the time when there was as much money as possible on the board. To avoid being caught, the game and the money had to disappear quickly. The other players had to make a quick getaway and nobody could claim their coins. The captain was given a share of the spoils.

You receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding tokens in the desired colour. If some of them are missing, please let us know and we will send you the desired tokens. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

21,00 EUR

Barbacan

The name Barbacan comes from the old Spanish, which means fortress or fort. It is clear from the game that it is a siege game. According to ancient sources, it originates from the Moors. The playing field is not just an ornament, but also a carefully thought-out fortress system. The special feature of the game is that - unlike other siege games - there are no defenders. Each of the players is an attacker and endeavours to penetrate the fortress and prevent the opposing attackers from doing so at the same time. Observation, tactics and fighting skills are key in this game, which is not only characterised by its unusual visuals. A lot of strategy is also required here, as the aim is to conquer a fortress and place your own pieces so skilfully that you block your opponent(s). The number of pieces used varies depending on the number of players. The game material includes: 12 + 12 + 8 + 6 + 5 + 4 pieces.

You will receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding game pieces in the desired colours. In addition, we will add two game pieces per colour as replacements. If several tiles have been lost, please let us know and we will send you the desired tiles. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

30,00 EUR

Alquerque

It can be assumed that the origins of the game can be found in Egypt. An alquerque playing field was discovered there on a roof slab of the Temple of Sethos I in Kurna. The stone slab was dated to 1400 BC, although it is not known whether and how the game was played at that time. A game called Quirkat was mentioned in the Arabic script Kitab-el Aghani around 950 BC, but again no rules were given. It was probably brought to Spain and Portugal by the Moors, who were Islamised by the Arabs, around the year 711. It stands to reason that "El-Qirkat" became "Alquerque" there over the course of time. Finally, in the 13th century, the rules of the game were written down in a book, the "Libros de los Juegos" - the book of games. King Alfonso X had this work written and it is proven to have been played in ancient Egypt and is the predecessor of our modern-day draughts game. The aim is to capture all of your opponent's checkers by jumping over them, which even children as young as 5-6 years old understand well.

You receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding pieces in the desired colours. In addition, we add one piece of each colour as a replacement. If several pieces have been lost, please let us know and we will send you the required pieces. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

15,00 EUR

Hnefatafl--wicking chess--Tablut with game pieces

Hnefatafl, Tablut

Tablut or Hnefatafl is mentioned in numerous writings, from the Edda to the Friedthjofs and Orkney sagas. It is assumed that Hnefatafl was played as early as 400 AD.
Tablut is referred to as the game of the ‘noble Northmen’. During their campaigns of conquest in the early Middle Ages, the Vikings spread hnefatafl throughout northern Europe, where it was possibly increasingly replaced by chess, which was brought back from the Crusades, from the 11th or 12th century onwards.
We were taught at school that the Vikings were a rowdy and warlike people. The experienced sailors set off with their longships to attack other cultures. The kings defended themselves against this with their loyal followers. So it is with the Hnefatafl: the 16 Vikings set off to attack a distant land and help themselves to its treasures. Without the king's permission, of course. The king in turn becomes frightened and orders his knights to escort him, his royal highness, safely to one of his castles. Exciting fights and clashes ensue on the way there. Will the king arrive at a castle alive to win? Will the knights drive the attackers from their land and defeat them?

You will receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding game pieces in the desired colours. In addition, we will add one game piece per colour as a replacement. If you have lost several pieces, please let us know and we will send you the required pieces. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

21,00 EUR

Surakarta

The game Surakarta, named after the Javanese city, probably originates from the same region: Indonesia. Two players have to move their pieces strategically in order to capture their opponent's pieces. The movement possibilities of the stones across the arches of the playing field demand a great deal of concentration from the players.
The games ‘Seega’ and ‘Highjump’ can also be played on the same playing field. The instructions are included.

You will receive a playing field in the colour of your choice and the corresponding game pieces in the desired colours. In addition, we will add one game piece per colour as a replacement. If several pieces have been lost, please let us know and we will send you the required pieces. These are free of charge, you only have to pay the postage and shipping costs.

21,00 EUR

byzantine chess, round chess, circular chess...

As the name suggests, this round chess variant originates from Byzantium (the Byzantine Empire, also known as Eastern Rome). It was probably developed there in the 10th century. The board has the same number of squares as the regular square chess board, but these are arranged on circular paths. Not only does this have serious changes on the starting position and the moves, but also the chess rules valid at that time, which differ from today's rules in some respects.