Medieval Board Games Research Paper

Medieval Boardgames Humans have created and passed on games since the beginning of time, and learning about these games can teach us about past cultures. (Wilkins 2) The highly developed cultures have more complex games, which is why intellectual boardgames were abundant in medieval societies. Some of these board games are still seen today, while others have disappeared.
Nine Men’s Morris is supposedly one of the oldest games in history. Morris comes from the latin word merellus which means corruption of counters. It is not known when Nine Men’s Morris was first started in Britain, but it was a common game in the middle ages. The game was often played with pebbles and engraved stone in various places. There are nine pieces for each player, traditionally in black and white. To win the game you must make the other player have only two pieces or they aren't able to move anymore. “Shakespeare refers to Nine Men's Morris in A Midsummer Night's Dream, when he wrote ‘The Nine Men's Morris is fill'd up with mud’ (Act 2, Scene 2).” (GamesCrafters)
Tic Tac is often …show more content…
Chess’s rules and game pieces taught the children about peoples roles in society. The pieces were carved into a king, queen, bishop, and knights. (Elliot 9) The pawns represented the peasants and the serfs, the game includes many pawns. The bishops represent the church, and it is one of the most powerful pieces. When knighthood was created in Europe, the horse piece was changed to the knight piece. This is why the knight piece can jump like a horse can. The rook piece, which is a tower, represents a medieval fortress and are located on the four corners. The queen is the most powerful piece on the board and can travel the most versatile. The king is the most valuable piece and needs to be protected by the other pieces at all times. To win the game you must capture your opponent's king. (Medieval Games and