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Evidence for Nine Men's Morris
3 pieces of evidence found.
Id DLP.Evidence.866
Type Artifact
Location 58°31'17.57"N, 31°16'33.82"E
Date 1075-01-01 - 1125-12-31
Rules Three concentric squares with lines connecting the midpoints of the sides.
Content Wooden board found during excavations at medieval Novgorod. Rybina 2007: 357–359, Fig. 21.2.b.
Confidence 100
Source Rybina, E. 2007. 'Chess Pieces and Game Boards.' In M. Brisbane and J. Hather (eds), Wood Use in Medieval Novgorod. Oxford: Oxbow Books, 354–359.
Id DLP.Evidence.867
Type Artifact
Location 58°31'17.57"N, 31°16'33.82"E
Date 1275-01-01 - 1325-12-31
Rules Three concentric squares with lines connecting the midpoints of the sides.
Content Wooden Nine men's morris board found at medieval Novgorod. Rybina 2007: 357–359; Fig. 21.2.c.
Confidence 100
Source Rybina, E. 2007. 'Chess Pieces and Game Boards.' In M. Brisbane and J. Hather (eds), Wood Use in Medieval Novgorod. Oxford: Oxbow Books, 354–359.
Id DLP.Evidence.1475
Type Rules text
Location Alfonso X
Date 1283-01-01 - 1283-12-31
Rules Played on a board of three concentric squares, with a line bisecting the perimeters of each square on each side, but not extending inside the perimeter of the central square. Play occurs on the intersections of the lines and the corners of the squares. Each player has nine pieces. Play begins with each player placing pieces on empty points The game is won when the opponent is reduced to two pieces.
Content "On how nine men’s morris is played without dice.
This nine men’s morris is played in another way, without dice but brains.
The players take all their pieces in their hands and they roll to see who plays first. And the first to play has the advantage because in placing the pieces he always takes the first space he likes, the quicker to make a mill as we said and take one piece from his opponent each time so as to trap him so that none of his pieces have anywhere to move.
And if perchance the first player should err in placing his pieces well, he is defeated because the other player retains a piece and puts it wherever it will bother the first. And make his pieces equal in number as we said and thereby wins the game. And this game is called nine men’s morris because the pieces that it is played with are nine of each colour.
This is the diagram of the millboard, pieces, and this is its explanation." Golladay's translation of Alfonso X's Libro de los Juegos 92, accompanied by an illustration with two men playing the game.
Confidence 100
Ages Adult
Social status Elite, Nobility
Genders Male
Source Golladay, S. M. n.d. Alfonso X’s Book of Games. Translated by Sonja Musser Golladay.
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