Adventures of Crab Asaan: Frewyn Games Edition!

Tafl board with Fidchell variant setup

Frewyn has many games, but two of its most popular games are Brandubh and Fidchell. Frewyn's versions of these ancient Celtic games are Tafl game variants, each of them with differeing regulations, number of pieces, manner of captures and movements, but what is Tafl?


Tafl is Old Norse for table. This is a term used to describe a specific family of board games that were widely played throughout the Viking and Middle Ages. Some believe that this term was used to describe any game played on a board with a common setup. Tafl games, though different from one another in several ways, all have certain commonalities: they are all played on a board of either 7x7, 9x9, 11x11, 18,x18 squares; they all have king at the centre whom the attackers at the sides must capture; they all require their pieces to move in straight lines.


There are thought to be two separate families of Tafl games: the Germanic/Nordic family, incliding Hnefatafl, Alea Evangelii, and Tablut; and the Celtic/Brythonic family, including Ard-Ri, Fidchell (or Fitchneall), Tawlbwrdd, Brandubh, Gwyddbwyll, and Gwezboell.

High King Crab Asaan holds his King

No one really knows the exact regulations of every Tafl game. There are diagrams of possible setups, but even then, the differing board sizes, number of pieces, and possible movements and captures are none of them the same. Tablut is the only game of which there is a written account, and the regulations stipulated do not include which side moves first. Even games like Fitchneall that are said to have come much later have no definite rules. Many conjectures have been made with regard to how Brandubh was played due to the finding of the Ballinderry Board, but many of the regulations for these ancient games are a blank.  


Here is what we do know, however:


-Welsh Tawlbwrdd allowed for the king to be captured by two men instead of four, with 8 pieces on the king's side and 16 on the attacker's side. Robert ap Ifan played the game on an 11×11 board with 12 pieces on the king's side and 24 on the opponent's side and gave a detailed account of how he lay his pieces and how they were to move.

Crab Asaan trying to sneak his pieces onto the board

-Hnefatafl was played on either a 13x13 or 11x11 board with a rose arrangement in the centre and hostile corners.


-Alea Evangelii was played on an 18x18 board. There is diagram of how the pieces should be placed.   


-Brandubh was played with 5 men against 8. The centre of the 5 was called "Branán", the Old Irish word for Chief (Hence Alasdair's name Brennin). 


-Tablut was played on a 9x9 board and an almost full account of the game's rules survive.


-Scottish Ard-Ri (High King) was played on a 7×7 board with on High King, 8 kings, and 16 attackers attackers. Some suggest that the pieces were only allowed to move one space at a time.


Some of the games were said to be played with dice to even out the discrepancy in unfair numbers, but there is unfortunately no evidence for or against this claim. Younger games like Fidchell and Gwyddwyll are thought to have been more balanced and are thought to have come more from the Roman game Latrunculi rather than Tafl. Any regulations that exist of Fidchell are all from Celtic legend. Here is was Wikipedia says on the subject:


The legends describe fidchell as a game played by royalty, and even the gods. According to the Irish it was invented by Lugh, the Irish god of light,and was played very skillfully by his son, the hero Cúchulainn. A series of fidchell games also forms an important episode in Tochmarc Étaíne.


Modern Tafl games have specific setups but allow for these varying rules:

Crab Asaan has only one rule: he wins

-Hostile corners
-King can capture
-King can be captured by the throne
-Hostile throne
-King can escape by corners
-King can escape by sides
-King can be captured by 2
-King can be captured by 4
-Throne can capture
-Corners can capture
-Pieces move only one space at a time
-Pieces may not cross the empty throne
-Pieces may move laterally
-Roll a die to determine max distance of movement on a given turn


If you would like to learn more about Tafl games, please visit these sites:
MacGergor Historic Games 
Origins of Fidchell
A History of Tafl Games


Here are the Frewyn variations of Fidchell and Brandubh:

How to play Frewyn Fidchell: 

-King can capture
-King can escape by sides
-King can be captured by 4
-Pieces may not cross the empty throne
-Pieces may move laterally
-Played on an 11x11 board or 9x9. The number of pieces does not change. There is one row between defender and attack left blank
-1 High King and 8 kings vs 20 attackers in the formation shown at the right.
-The King moves first






How to play Frewyn Brandubh:

-Hostile corners
-King can capture
-Hostile throne
-King can escape by corners
-King can be captured by 4
-Corners can capture
-Pieces may not cross the empty throne
-Pieces may move laterally
-Played on 9x9 or 11x11. If played on 9x9, four of the attackers are removed. 
-Either King or attackers move first

In my quest to learn Frewyn games, I discovered that a few other series also have Tafl variants in their worlds. Give Frewyn Fidchell and Brandubh a try and let us know how you like them.


If you like the board you see in the photos depicting Crab Asaan's conquest, it can be purchased here http://www.lefsetime.com/store/template/product_detail.php?IID=275