| Title | : | Ivory Vikings: The Mystery of the Most Famous Chessmen in the World and the Woman Who Made Them |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1137279370 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781137279378 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 280 |
| Publication | : | First published September 1, 2015 |
Ivory Vikings: The Mystery of the Most Famous Chessmen in the World and the Woman Who Made Them Reviews
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When ninety-three meticulously carved, 12th century, walrus ivory chessmen were discovered in the decidedly protestant sands of Scotland’s Isle of Lewis in 1831, a haul that included 16 alarmingly Catholic-looking bishops, no one knew where they had come from (Fairies?), and while we still aren’t sure of their origins today there are some passionately held theories, a subject that this book explores in fascinating detail.
The chessmen themselves are fantastic looking, with distinct irresistible facial expressions and elaborate garments. The kings and queens sit on ornate thrones, the knights are astride pony-size horses--which were all they had in northern Europe at that time--and the rooks are wild-eyed berserkers biting their shields with crooked teeth. You’ve seen replicas of these chessmen if you watched Ron and Harry play wizard chess in the first Harry Potter movie. My edition of the book, a free advanced review copy supplied by the publisher, had just a few black and white photos. I don’t know if the finished book will have more, but it’s easy (and well worth it) to find images on the internet.
Ancient ‘‘sea roads” have long connected people who lived in what are now the British Isles and Scandinavia, and I greatly enjoyed reading about the interconnections, religious networks, and cultural exchanges this made possible. Origin contenders for the chessmen include Norway, Scotland, and--after extensive research author Nancy Marie Brown's favorite possibility--Iceland, where they may have been created by Margret the Adroit who is said to have carved walrus ivory “so skillfully that none in Iceland had ever seen such artistry before.” That line comes from the Saga of Bishop Pall, possibly written by Pall’s son Loft (friend of Icelandic saga master Snorri Sturluson) which would give it some historical credibility.
In exploring the genesis of the chessmen, Brown delves deeply into the stories, histories, and personalities of the past, both the 12th century when they were created and the 19th century when they were found, and she also reports on debates about the chessmen that continue to this day--some Scottish nationalists believe the The British Museum should return its 82 pieces to Scotland. I don’t have much personal investment in who exactly created the chessman, which meant that some of the more exacting details didn’t hold my attention, but most of the book completely captivated me. -
4 Stars for Ivory Vikings: The Mystery of the Most Famous Chessmen in the World and the Woman Who Made Them (audiobook) by Nancy Marie Brown read by Tony Ward.
This was quite a history lesson about the Vikings and the game of Chess. It was interesting to hear when and where the chess pieces likely came from. And the extensive history as to why they were shaped the way they were. -
The year is 1831, the place a sandy stretch of Scottish beach that has shifted just enough to reveal the edge of an ancient cairn.
From here the tale scatters in dozens of directions, ripe as it is for gilding over the odd tankard of ale. My favorite version involves a superstitious farmer who entered the cairn to find ninety-three small figurines tossed across the floor. A closer look convinces him they are idols of an evil pagan god; no doubt the handiwork of witches. He retreats and returns to his home where his wife, a person of a more practical bent, insists he go back to retrieve them. There might very well be money in this.
So begins (or middles, to be more precise) the journey of the Lewis chessmen - for those ninety-three small figurines were, in actuality, kings and queens and bishops and rook berserkers and pawns of the finest ivory craftsmanship, dating to the 12th century. How they arrived in this cairn, and from where, and carved by whom, would prove mysteries evocative enough to set experts arguing through to this day. Determining their provenance has been a big, bloody brouhaha because just about everybody wants a piece of this. They are simply that impressive.
Nancy Marie Brown had a choice to make in tackling the story of the Lewis chessmen. She could opt to write for the broad commercial audience and focus on the advent of chess; the game, the players, the pieces. She could tell us about how chess sets came to be gifted and/or purchased. She could relay the importance of this Scottish discovery, its impact on the art world; the collectors, the museums. She might wade into the territorial wrangling that ensued. And, to be fair, she has done some of this. But more has she chosen the second route of making a historical case for Iceland and Margret the Adroit. What this means to the reader is, essentially, that we'll be trading fun for a methodical survey of all the many reasons we should entertain the prospect that these tiny treasures were created in Iceland (over Norway) by this talented Icelandic craftswoman (over a Norwegian). Now, there is merit to making such a case and, as far as Nancy Marie Brown is concerned, she's produced a very good one. It's just not quite as filled with drama and adventure as its cover might lead one to believe.
And that brings with it a little chagrin. -
Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley.
I know very little about chess. I know how to play, I’m not very good, and I think some of the chess sets, the Lewis chessmen included, are awesome works of art. That’s about it. Oh, and I like the horses, and my favorite rooks are castles on elephants. Just so you know.
Brown’s easy to read book is about the famous Lewis Chessman, and if you don’t recognize the term Lewis Chessmen, don’t worry. You have most likely seen a picture of them somewhere, so odds are you know them without knowing that you know them, if you know what I mean. Brown thesis is that the chessman where Icelandic in original, most likely the work of Margaret the Adroit.
Now, I can hear someone saying something like, “oh, no not another feminist, revisionist whatisit”. While I am sure that those scholars and people who believe that the chessmen were Norwegian in make will see this book as revisionist, it isn’t really. Margaret the Adroit was well known during her time, and the scholarship is solid. Furthermore, Brown is very clear about what scholars know for sure, what guess work is, and what is possible but unlikely.
More importantly, there is a huge amount of information about the Icelandic past here as well as a rather interesting discussion about the differences between walrus tusk and elephant tusk. To prove the viability of her thesis, Brown includes a good about the placement of the church in Iceland. Perhaps the book is slightly misnamed for while there is a fair amount of material about Margaret the Adroit, there is more information about the society that she inhabited. Undoubtedly this is due to a lack of source material.
Another interesting aspect of the work is the detail Brown gives to the debate about the chessmen, not just which society made them, but to which part of the United Kingdom they belong to. This also includes a rather interesting discussion of the finding of the pieces. The book is wonderfully sectioned into chapters titled after the pieces. Worked into the history of Iceland, are also history of the various pieces of the chess board.
It’s true that Brown comes down on the Icelandic side of the question, though she allows the reader to follow her thinking. Perhaps the one flaw is towards the end, where Brown weighs the merits of the Icelandic case. She makes a comment about the Icelandic side having fewer flaws or weak points than the Norwegian. While the course of the book does an excellent job in detailing the pros and cons of each side, a summary chart at that point would have been nice. I know this is every person history, but it would have been nice.
If you like the Lewis chessmen, are interested in Iceland and Vikings, or even just like chess, this is the book for you.
Highly recommended.
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Carved of walrus ivory and bearing distinctive expressions, the Lewis Chessmen are hauntingly striking. Seventy-eight chess pieces discovered on the Isle of Lewis in 1831, they are believe to date from the mid to late twelfth century. Beyond that, not much about them can be said with certainty.
This book examines some of the unanswered questions about the pieces. Where were they made? By whom? Who may have commissioned them? None of these questions can be answered definitely, but speculating about them makes for a fascinating journey through the history of both chess and the twelfth century Northern Atlantic world.
Chapters begin by focusing on a particular chess piece - Rook, Bishop, Queen, King, and Knight - then go on to widely riff about design, history, and various tangents about people and places in the twelfth century world. It takes us from Scotland to Norway, Iceland and Greenland, and examines details from the lucrative walrus ivory trade, to the size of horses in the region, to how bishops wore their mitre and why. Game details are also examined; how the bishop emerged to replace the original Persian/Indian elephant, or the transformation of the vizier into the queen, complete with speculation about contemporary persons who may have influenced these changes.
The book doesn’t decisively answer any of the mysteries around the Lewis Chessmen. Instead, it poses intriguing possibilities, and along the way provides a journey through some interesting history. A solid 3.5 star read rounded up. -
I thought I was buying a book about the Lewis chessmen. I've been to the beach where they found them and I've seen them in the British Museum so I was interested to learn more. The book's title is a play on words though. The author aims to solve the mystery of where the chessmen came from and who carved them. In the process, we learn about the hugely profitable trade in walrus ivory in medieval times and before, about the development of the church in Scandinavia and Iceland and its relationship with Rome, about the history of Iceland and Norway, about Vikings and their trade routes, and about the history of chess in general, which is interesting even if you don't play. So much detail though eventually wore me down. It is a really fascinating book which I haven't quite finished but will go back to in a few weeks. I just need a wee break from larnin'! My only criticism would be that a few pictures and maps wouldn't have gone amiss.
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I was disappointed by this book, the theory the author presents while plausible and interesting remains nothing more than a theory . The subject of the book which is the Lewis chessmen pieces are never given a solid point of origin in this book, the author also recognizes that while her theory that the chessmen were made in Norway by a famous woman Margret the Adroit is likely is not proven and remains a theory , alas she also says that her guess is as likely as any other surrounding the pieces . That didn't sit down well with me , as a historian if you want to write a book you have to be sure of the facts and present it in a very solid way. Margret the Adroit is never given more than a page in this book, so I don't know why the author would present her as a main character in this book . The only redeeming aspect of the book is that you are given glimpses of the Viking era and it's culture , it's trade and it's history , that's why I give it 3 stars instead of just 1.
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I've been intrigued by the Lewis chess set since I first saw pieces in Edinburgh and London long ago on early research trips. Brown carefully reconstructs the world that made them--a flourishing Iceland, embedded in a North Atlantic trade empire of walrus tusks, walrus skin sailing ropes and Viking navigational daring drawn to Abbasid silver down the rivers of Russia. Identifying the Bishop who most likely commissioned them, and his network of family and educational contacts from England to Rome, as well as the woman, Margaret the Adroit, whose workshop carved them, Brown makes these little figures emblematic of their world--shield-biting berzerkers, anxious kings, stylish bishops and braid twisting queens.
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Why do the publishers of popular history works so often insist on giving them titles which set up grand claims that the book can't possibly answer, and which often don't really convey what the text is about? This is one of the main flaws with Ivory Vikings: The Mystery of the Most Famous Chessmen in the World and the Woman Who Made Them. Nancy Marie Brown does suggest that a woman called Margret the Adroit, mentioned briefly in a medieval Icelandic text largely unknown even to most medievalists, may have been the craftsperson responsible for some or all of the pieces, but she doesn't come close to as specific a claim as the title makes.
In fact, given the paucity of the source material, Brown spends most of the book looking at the intercultural connections of northwestern Europe in the twelfth century, when the chess pieces were likely created, and the tangled (nationalist and often elitist) historiography surrounding their discovery in (perhaps) the early nineteenth century.
Brown writes well, fluidly and engagingly, and her enthusiasm about her source material is clear. Ivory Vikings was a pleasure to read. That said, there are points where it felt like she was padding a bit in order to reach the page length her publishers required of her. Knowing something of the genealogical snarls that accompanied the transfer of royal power in this period was necessary for Brown's argument, but some of it was superfluous (even if it did introduce me to characters like King Magnus Bare-Legs).
(Advancing a theory of origin for the Lewis Chessmen is outside of my wheelhouse, though I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that a female artist contributed to their manufacture. I will say, however, that the desire to find a single maker is a distinctly post-Enlightenment one and doesn't really fit with how medieval artistic workshops operated or how medieval people thought of ownership/art.) -
Look at them. They are so captivating. I'll be honest, I went into this book with completely different expectations. I read this as a book talking about chess masters throughout the ages and the women who made them. Turns out that this is about the Lewis chessmen and the woman who literally made them.
Chess is a historic pastime that has traversed down to today's generation. It's played by the rich, poor, old, young, friends,snobs, family, and experts. It's a universal game because of its infinite play-ability. Every time you play, you learn more. And of course, due to the illustriousness of the game, thousands of sets have been created. With its famous players, the physical representation of chess becomes a board for every artist out there. There are many chess sets in the world. Those of great prestige and valor belonged to the rich, famous, and royal. We often know who owned them (whether they actually played them is another question) but the Lewis chessmen are a complete mystery.
Very little is known about the Lewis pieces. They were found the Isle of Lewis (hence the name), but one look and suddenly England is not the country you would think of. Add to it the fact that these ivory pieces are made of walrus tusks and shots get fired. The truth is, although they were found on the Isle of Lewis, no one knows where they actually came from or who made them. There are many theories based on the evidence gathered from the pieces themselves and from the history of each potential country of origin, but nothing concrete.
Most people you meet (especially museum curators) will mention countries like Norway, Scotland, Britain (the last two being where the chessmen are currently kept; oh the irony), but the author, Nancy Marie Brown has decided to really investigate the origins of these pieces.
Inspired by a famous chess master from Iceland, Brown deconstructs every plausible theory surrounding the Lewis chessmen to its smallest detail. From this she shows the reader 4 things: the chessmen themselves, the history of Iceland, the importance of translations, and the value archeology brings to our world.
Brown breaks down the chapters of the book by the chessmen themselves. A section for the rook, bishop, queen, king, and knight. Within each section we take a close look at the details on the pieces and how each fragment that was carved had possible derivations from Scandinavia. By focusing on each piece separately we learn from the rook the roles of the vikings (i.e berserks).
Review Continued Here -
Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for arc.
If I ever make it across the pond, I would love to vist these chessmen. Just the right amount of fact and fiction to keep it exciting, this book reads like a viking saga. Loved it! -
What a fascinating book! A colleague recommended this a few weeks ago and as soon as I looked at the cover, I said wait--we used to have a set of these chess pieces! I had no idea they were something cool! (Don't worry, my parents didn't commit major art theft--apparently there was a kit or something you could buy and my mother made them by filling molds with resin.) But I didn't have a clue that these were based on something famous--the Lewis Chessmen.
Ms. Brown does an amazing amount of research into the history of these chess pieces and even more so into the history surrounding them. When, most likely they were made, possibly by whom, and for whom. They were found in Scotland but have always been assumed to be Norwegian. But Ms. Brown makes a persuasive argument that probably they were Icelandic--and also made by a woman.
It seems like the information has been there all along, it's just that so few Icelandic books have been translated and so aren't available. Their sagas are famous, but mostly still only readable in Icelandic. It's only been in recent years that Icelandic scholars have pointed out some pretty straightforward evidence in their archives and histories that make the Icelandic roots of the chessmen very likely. And thanks to those Icelanders making that information more known, other scholars and historians can go to those sources as well to find even more documentation.
Yes, a lot of it is by necessity, conjecture. Art history runs across that a lot. There's simply a lot we don't know and may never know. Archeology might bring us more facts in the future, but based on what is known now, this is the best theory on these adorable and personality-filled little playing pieces. You've got to check out the berserk rooks biting their shields! -
"Ivory Vikings: The Mystery of the Most Famous Chessmen in the World and the Woman Who Made Them" - written by Nancy Marie Brown and published in 2015 by St Martin's Griffin, St Martin's Press, Macmillan. A cache of diminutive ivory chessmen was discovered on the beach of the Isle of Lewis off the coast of Scotland in the early 1800s. This scholarly book probes and discusses previous research regarding the many unanswered questions about these precious figures. "The Lewis chessmen are whimsical and bold." How did they get to this cold, barren area? Who made them? Were they intended to be a gift or perhaps property of a local chieftain? Two facts that are generally agreed upon are that the chessmen were carved from walrus tusks and that they were made around 1200. "From the eighth to the fourteenth century - well after the end of the Viking age - walrus ivory was the most sought after commodity of the North. It was Arctic gold." A carver from Iceland, Margret the Adroit, is believed to have made the pieces. Brown exhaustively covers a lot of ground, with repetition likely related to the way she structured the book, with five chapters about the rooks, bishops, queens, kings and knights. I skimmed quite a bit of the ancient history, only slowing down when the chessmen themselves were highlighted. The subject is fascinating, but I longed for a presentation that included photos and a more compact discussion.
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This is a great book for putting the Lewis chessmen into context, filled with lots of fascinating info about the chessmen themselves, the historical development of chess and the world of 8th-12th century Scandinavia. Each chapter starts by examining one of the Lewis chess pieces and then segues into a discussion of relevant history. While I've studied the vikings as raiders and invaders of the British Isles, my understanding of them was a little one-dimensional and I didn't know anything about the domestic politics of Scandinavia at the time. I also didn't realise just how interconnected the medieval Scandinavian world was, so that was really cool to read about.
The main purpose of the book is to present the hypothesis that the Lewis chessmen were made in Iceland, possibly by a skilled ivory carver called Margret the Adroit. This challenges the more conventional theory that the chessmen were made in Trondheim, Norway. The evidence is quite convincing, though it's difficult to weigh it up without an equally in depth discussion of the Trondheim theory (though Brown does discuss this theory in some depth). I do also think there's a tendency in history to want to connect archaeological finds to great names in history, which ignores the fact that the vast majority of people who have ever lived didn't have their names recorded in the history books. A third possibility is that the chessmen were carved by an unnamed craftsman or workshop of craftsmen, which I think is equally likely.
One problem I had with this book was that the segues were a little difficult to follow. I often found myself wondering how what I was reading was relevant to the main point, and some of the digressions seemed to serve no purpose other than providing interesting trivia. But the book is worth it for the wealth of fascinating information about medieval Scandinavia, especially the examination of Icelandic sources that are not available in English. -
4 1/2 Chocked Full Stars..
If ever there was an interesting book about chess( personally didn't think so until now) this book definitely qualifies. Its not just a book about the famous Lewis Chessmen made mainstream by Harry Potter, its a comprehensive history of the origins of Chess & Norse culture.
It touches on Walrus hunting, the discovery if Iceland & Greenland. The Genetics of people from Scotland, Ireland & Scandinavia. Throw in church politics of the crusading era and constant wars between countries.
As a child, my father used the game as bonding time for us. Every night for a year, we played. I won one frigging game! But while I never developed into grand mistress or whatever, I can appreciate the strategy behind it. Plus, the memories of my father who died way too young.
If the tv show Vikings or the Last Kingdom doesn't get the blood stirring for the brutal times of big unwashed furry men hacking each other in the mud, this well. -
Viking history is a tough read...I know that sounds crazy ... cuz how can the Vikings be anything but exciting? Alas, a history covering the Vikings' 300 years as top dogs of Northern Europe gets complicated. I've been stymied several times. My eyelids drooped as yet another Viking history book gots set aside. Thank Odin for Nancy Marie. She has successfully written several excellent histories of the North-Men ... and Women! Using the Lewis chessmen she ties together the Brits, Scots, Norwegians and Icelanders ... and more. Some bits and pieces: }An economy based on gift giving ... the Icelandic saying, "a gift demands a gift". Prestige, stature based on the gifts given. As the Viking society became more stratified, status had to be made evident. }Olaf the Peaceful died 1093, a goodly fellow who introduced the corner stove for a toastier hearth & home.
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2021: bk 27. I'm not sure what I expected when I picked this up. I had never heard of the Lewis Chessmen - but I had seen them used in film, book covers, ads. This is partially the story of the chessmen, but more importantly for me, tells more of the story of medieval Norway, Denmark, Iceland, north Germany, parts of England, Vinland, Hebrides, and Orkney islands. Unlike some histories that barely mention the involvement of the church in all aspects of life, this one expertly weaves the tale of the influence of Bishops, the seats of power that became major trading cities, and the relationships between the northern Kings and churches. I'll admit, I had to get a map out to trace the trading routes and educational routes of priests and children of the kings and firmly believe that at least one of the major cruise lines is missing a cruise route opportunity for all those of Viking descent/anyone who plays chess. My only regret -She only shows pictures of one side of each of the chessmen depicted - I would have like to have seen all 6 sides on the same page. Otherwise, one of the best books I've read so far in 2021 - and I wish I could have given it 10 stars.
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I'm on a real Middle Ages kick these days, so this was a fun read. I enjoyed learning about how connected Scandanavia, Iceland, Greenland, Ireland and Scotland were at the time and about some of the colourful characters in the various sagas. BUT I feel like too much is made in the subtitle and the blurb about "the woman who made" the chess pieces. I was expecting to read a lot of fun and interesting details about this mysterious and very talented woman, Margaret the Adroit, who *could* be the person who carved the chessmen, but as it turns out, she is mentioned ONCE, in ONE of the sagas and it's, like, a couple of lines about her. THAT'S IT. So while she obviously gets mentioned many times in this book, we know very little about her and the book doesn't reveal any new info. So if, like me, you go into this thinking you'll learn about a very cool woman in history, you will not.
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I found parts of this extremely interesting, though there was more about all the inter-related rulers of the 12th century Norse and Icelandic world than I ever cared to know or could keep track of. However, I've stood in front of the Lewis Chess pieces in the British Museum and was enthralled by them. So reading about the skills needed for their carving, and their decoration styles and walrus ivory and the whole world of the North Atlantic kept my attention readily. The title is hyperbole though, I agree with other reviewers. The author sets out the theory that they were carved in Iceland by Margaret the Adroit, but she never goes beyond saying it is a theory, and one dang hard to confirm. Still fascinating.
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I remember reading this book years ago and I don't understand how the review I remember writing somehow slipped from this record listing. It could be this was one I read while recovering from pneumonia and I erred in posting it.
I very much liked learning about the history not only of chess but of early trade routes, the power of bishops in the Scandinavian region in the early days of Christianity there, and the particular artistry of one renowned in her time carver. I recall reading another book around the same time that overlapped with much here -- I wonder if that has eluded my review records as well? -
Please excuse me while I go and google tons of images of the Lewis Chessman and regret not making it to the British Museum in time last week while in London (Kew Gardens took too much time!).
Also, shout out to Caroline for the wonderful gift! -
I came for a history of the Lewis Chessmen and got a history of Vikings in Scandanavia, which isn't a bad thing! The book did split into a lot of different directions, but at least they were interesting directions, albeit scattered ones.
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A discussion on topics suggested by the famous Lewis chessmen: medieval chess figures carved from walrus ivory.
A bit rambling. Touches on such matters as Iceland (where the walruses were hunted to extinction), berserkers (since the rooks were carved as berserkers), how Arabic chess pieces were abstract, the historicity of the Icelandic sagas (varying), the authority of queens and how the modern day queen's move did not appear until just before the 16th century, how few tools were needed to work it (though given its brittle nature, an ivory carver would train on wood first), the authenticity of the short, pony-sized horses that the knights rode, and more, -
"Nancy Marie Brown's book is a true cornucopia, bursting with delicious revelations. Whether your passion is chess, art, archeology, literature or the uncanny and beautiful landscape of Iceland, Ivory Vikings offers rich and original insights by a writer who is as erudite as she is engaging." (Geraldine Brooks, author of CALEB'S CROSSING)
The above description pretty much sums up everything I've thought of to say and so succinctly.
I've always found the Lewis Chessmen beautiful, but have been strangely incurious about their provenance. Where did they come from originally, who carved them, how did they end up buried on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis?
Brown's book is a fascinating history of chess and of the Vikings: their art, journeys, medieval sagas and literature, leaders, their economic life, society, religion, and impact. The first 20% of the book, I was highlighting almost every page; there is simply so much of interest.
Brown's theory is that the chessmen were Icelandic (following the lead of Gudmundur Thorarinsson and Einar Einarsson) and she does an excellent job of presenting her evidence, but she doesn't neglect the other prominent theories.
I was enthralled by Brown's beautifully detailed descriptions of the pieces themselves, by the walrus hunts (most of the chess pieces are carved from walrus teeth, a few from whale teeth), the names (Magnus Bare-legs, Ketil Flat-Nose, Harald Fair-Hair, Unn the Deep-Minded, Harald Hard-Rule), the sagas (Tolkien loved the Icelandic sagas and was profoundly influenced by them), and well...so much more.
If you love chess, Norse history, art, or archaeology, you will find Ivory Vikings an engrossing and illuminating read. Brown is a skillful writer who makes history come alive and a renowned Norse scholar. Does she prove her point? While so much is lost in time that Margaret the Adroit cannot be definitely proven to be the creator of the Lewis chessmen, Brown convinced me that the Icelandic theory of origin is the most likely.
And it doesn't even matter, the information provided is so well researched and documented that regardless of which theory of origin is accurate, the historical journey is a pleasure.
Read in June. Blog post scheduled for Aug. 17, 2015.
NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
Nonfiction/History. Sept. 1, 2015. Print version: 288 pages. -
If you have ever been attracted to the Lewis chessmen (and who wouldn't? look at this berserker-knight's face!!), you may actually not find much in this study that is new to you. I've only bordered on a passing interest and yet I was mostly familiar with the theories and arguments presented here.
But if you've an interest in lovely and enlivening art, archeological history, politics, Iceland, and history, you'll certainly enjoy Brown's discussion of these incredible pieces and their history.
I was most pleased with learning about Iceland and it's vibrant artistic and literary scene during the 13th century. I was in Iceland two years ago and am well aware of how heavily laden the country is with literature. I swooned over sculptures in the streets and architecture in Reykjavik. I'm gratified to learn that such a paradise today is bolstered by centuries of history of these arts.
If you are interested in Ivory Vikings, it may be because you've seen some of them somewhere like the British Museum (that's where my interest began) and thus may already have some knowledge of their history. But the greater value of Ivory, to me, is their context in the world and history (and if the images above or the subject altogether is brand new to you, then you have even further cause to be fascinated!)
*St. Martin's Press provided an advanced reader's copy. The publication date for this book is September 1, 2015. -
Jumbled, unfocused, and really didn't conclude much. The conclusions that the author draws on the two main thesis points--who made the chessmen and where were they made?--are quite unconvincing and can be summed up by "Maybe?"
If anything, the evidence provided a much more convincing argument for a workshop of people making these chess pieces, perhaps with a "master carver" (like Margaret) in charge and carving some pieces herself.
Very disappointed in this book, especially because there were not pictures/plates of the chessmen themselves. When much of the evidence is based on the wide variation of styles and looks of the pieces, why only show one piece per chapter? The tangential nature of the book (with thinly veiled connections to the theses at hand) and the unfocused narrative leads to the 1 star. I was going to give 2 stars, based on some interesting tangents, but looking back over the book (a library one, so I didn't mark interesting notes as I do in personal copies) I honestly cannot say that I retained anything. Perhaps I'm being too much of a stickler for sticking to the thesis that was alluded to in the subtitle... had this been better written, I might have lightened up. But even without the thesis, and as a basic history it still was not nearly as coherent as I hoped it would be. -
The book's title is misleading: this is much more of a Skandinavian history constructed on the skeletal frame of the Lewis Chessman. Nevertheless, Brown uses an interesting narrative device: she frames different aspects of her history through the characters of the chess pieces: the berserk rooks frame warfare, the bishops the influence of Christianity, the queens, well, queens.
It's a novel construct, and it works pretty well as a way to examine Skandinavian society in the middle ages. However, it means Brown has to constantly loop back and forward in time as her themes overlap on different dates. And that, along with the rather monotone history (this King kills that king, these archaeologists disagree on that thing) makes for a bit of a confused timeline and characters.
The "woman who made them" is simply Brown's pet theory, and she spends a good amount of time making the arguments for and against it. Again, this confuses her narrative, even if it displays accuracy.
It's a short and rather entertaining history that's quite readable. But don't expect the cohesiveness that the title implies.
