Games of the past on portable fabric boards

Portable fabric games: Fidchell, Pope Joan, Morris, Backgammon, Ringo, Checkers, Cribbage

Historic & Modern Novelty Dice: Put & Takes, Lord & Lady Dice©, Dragon Dice, Nightmare Dice©, Knucklebones

Period Cards, Early Card Games, Visconti Tarot, Tarot of Marseilles, 16th century German cards, Solitaire cards

Hnefatafl, Cribbage, 17th Century Dominos

Wooden Checkers, Game rule bookets

Our own original Tshirt Designs

Large One-of-a-Kind works of Celtic Art

Gallery of past Knotwork Designs

New works in Progress, or products coming soon.

How we got started/Company history.

Links on history of Games, or for historical reenactors.

Art Shows, Renfaires or reentactments we are attending.

Links to other historic games.

Download our catalog in PDF form to order off-line

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Portable Board Games

We include many variations in rules for classic games like Cribbage, or Backgammon
to keep them intersting for years to come.
-Who would have thought you could play checkers with dice?

Individual Game Prices:
Any single game with carrying pouch: $20.00. + shipping

The rectangular boards measure about 12"x18", the square boards are about 12"x12"
Fidchell In response to numerous requests we have printed on our Fidchell/Fitchneal game on a portable fabric board. In 1932 a board was found in a crannog (lake dwelling) in Ireland. It contained a 7 X 7 grid of holes, and was decorated with designs used in the 10th century. Many scholars believed it to be a Fidchell (also spelled Fithcheal, or Fitchneal) or "Brandubh" game mentioned in early Irish legends, and related to Scandinavian Tafl games. These were the games of choice in Northern Europe prior to the introduction of Chess. The defenders win if the king escapes to the edge of the board, and the attackers win by surrounding the king.4 different game variations included in the rules. The set also includes a simulated sheep knucklebone for use as dice for the Welsh variation. $20.00 + $2.00 shipping	The knotwork decoration is our own interpretation of carving on the original board. To our knowledge we are the only company to produce a game board directly based on the Ballinderry games artifact. Although a book called The Leprechaun Companion used art inspired by the Ballinderry board for a game the author called "magpie".
Pope Joan & Poch Now 4 games in one set! -We've just updated the rules to include "Commit" one of the ancestors to the game Pope Joan Pope Joan 2 to 6 players An 18th century ancestor to modern Rummy Royale, Tripoly & Michigan Rummy. The name is from a Medieval myth that Pope John VIII was a woman. Easy to learn, but fast-moving enough for experienced card players. The board is divided into eight "bowls." Players win markers/coins out of the bowls as they play the face cards of the trump suit, and the first one to get rid of his cards wins the hand. $20.00 + $4.60 shipping New! Also see our Wood Pope Joan Boards.	Click graphic to see detail Poch 4 to 8 players. A German game from the 1440's using a similar board. It is a cross between a game like Pope Joan and betting games like Poker. Both require a standard deck of cards (not included). Queen Nazareen a related 17th century game that can be played without the board.
Cribbage: 14 different versions included! Rules for Cribbage were codified in the 1600's, and are descended from a older game "Noddy" dating from the 1500's.We include Noddy, three 17th century versions, as well as modern variations for 2 to 6 players!.	Click graphic to see detail
Period cards -A perfect accompaniment to our Pope Joan/Poch or Cribbage sets.
Morris: One of man's oldest strategy games. Played by princes & peasants for 3,000 years, Morris is simple enough for children, yet the strategies can interest adults. The object is to form "mills"(3-in-a-row). When a you make a mill, you can steal an opponent's piece. You win by reducing the opponent to just 2 men. Early versions were played with 9 pieces, but in the 14th century diagonal lines were added to the board and was played with 12 men.	Morris Rules Updated 9-man, & 12-man versions, Morris with Dice, and "Shah" -a Somalian variation. Plus we include various optional, or "advanced" rules you can experiment with.
Ringo: - Protect your castle from an attacking army Ringo is descended from a family of games including Fox & Geese, Fidchell, and Hnefatafl. They are all based on battles between unequal forces. The smaller army is given an advantage in movement to make up for it's smaller size. We affectionately call Ringo an "evil little game" because the circular board and a "neutral zone" add intriguing twists.	Click graphic to see detail
Checkers: - Bored with checkers? We include 20 different variations! In our favorite Irish Draughts you must move one of your men the number of squares indicated by rolling a die -even if it endangers your piece. We include dice with each set of checkers.	Click graphic to see detail
Backgammon: Backgammon is actually just one of a large family of games once referred to as "tables" that were played on the same type of board. We include 30 variations on Backgammon games that we include with our set, some even date to ancient Rome! See also our 4-player Backgammon table.	Click graphic to see detail

The rectangular boards measure about 12"x18", the square boards are about 12"x12"

Fidchell

In response to numerous requests we have printed on our Fidchell/Fitchneal game on a portable fabric board.

In 1932 a board was found in a crannog (lake dwelling) in Ireland. It contained a 7 X 7 grid of holes, and was decorated with designs used in the 10th century. Many scholars believed it to be a Fidchell (also spelled Fithcheal, or Fitchneal) or "Brandubh" game mentioned in early Irish legends, and related to Scandinavian Tafl games. These were the games of choice in Northern Europe prior to the introduction of Chess. The defenders win if the king escapes to the edge of the board, and the attackers win by surrounding the king.4 different game variations included in the rules. The set also includes a simulated sheep knucklebone for use as dice for the Welsh variation.

$20.00 + $2.00 shipping

The knotwork decoration is our own interpretation of carving on the original board. To our knowledge we are the only company to produce a game board directly based on the Ballinderry games artifact. Although a book called The Leprechaun Companion used art inspired by the Ballinderry board for a game the author called "magpie".

Pope Joan & Poch
Now 4 games in one set! -We've just updated the rules to include "Commit" one of the ancestors to the game Pope Joan

Pope Joan 2 to 6 players An 18th century ancestor to modern Rummy Royale, Tripoly & Michigan Rummy. The name is from a Medieval myth that Pope John VIII was a woman. Easy to learn, but fast-moving enough for experienced card players. The board is divided into eight "bowls." Players win markers/coins out of the bowls as they play the face cards of the trump suit, and the first one to get rid of his cards wins the hand. $20.00 + $4.60 shipping

New!
Also see our Wood Pope Joan Boards.

Click graphic to see detail

Poch 4 to 8 players. A German game from the 1440's using a similar board. It is a cross between a game like Pope Joan and betting games like Poker. Both require a standard deck of cards (not included). Queen Nazareen a related 17th century game that can be played without the board.

Cribbage:
14 different versions included! Rules for Cribbage were codified in the 1600's, and are descended from a older game "Noddy" dating from the 1500's.We include Noddy, three 17th century versions, as well as modern variations for 2 to 6 players!.

Click graphic to see detail

Period cards
-A perfect accompaniment to our Pope Joan/Poch or Cribbage sets.

Morris:
One of man's oldest strategy games.
Played by princes & peasants for 3,000 years, Morris is simple enough for children, yet the strategies can interest adults. The object is to form "mills"(3-in-a-row). When a you make a mill, you can steal an opponent's piece. You win by reducing the opponent to just 2 men. Early versions were played with 9 pieces, but in the 14th century diagonal lines were added to the board and was played with 12 men.

Morris Rules Updated 9-man, & 12-man versions, Morris with Dice, and "Shah" -a Somalian variation. Plus we include various optional, or "advanced" rules you can experiment with.

Ringo:
- Protect your castle from an attacking army

Ringo is descended from a family of games including Fox & Geese, Fidchell, and Hnefatafl. They are all based on battles between unequal forces. The smaller army is given an advantage in movement to make up for it's smaller size. We affectionately call Ringo an "evil little game" because the circular board and a "neutral zone" add intriguing twists.

Click graphic to see detail

Checkers:

- Bored with checkers? We include 20 different variations! In our favorite Irish Draughts you must move one of your men the number of squares indicated by rolling a die -even if it endangers your piece. We include dice with each set of checkers.

Click graphic to see detail

Backgammon:
Backgammon is actually just one of a large family of games once referred to as "tables" that were played on the same type of board. We include 30 variations on Backgammon games that we include with our set, some even date to ancient Rome!