This unequal sided game is known from at least the 1300's and consists of players being the many 'geese' or the single 'fox'. The aim is for the geese to trap the fox and prevent it from moving and for the fox to eat all of the geese (or enough as to be impossible to be trapped). Fox & Geese is reportedly mentioned in the Icelandic sagas and likely originated in Scandinavia as yet another tafl variant much earlier. Its 'viking' counterpart is known as Halatafl, meaning 'Tail-Board', likely in reference to the shape of the board or to the foxes tail.
The fox eats the geese by jumping over them - much like draughts/checkers. Vastly outnumbering the fox, the geese must strategically surround the fox as to make it impossible for the fox to jump or move. The fox player begins and play continues until either the fox has been trapped or the geese have been decimated in number to the point where victory for the fox is inevitable. To increase the difficulty, the starting number of geese can be increased to whatever is reasonable. However the main trick of the game is to be able to consistently win as either fox or geese, just as in other tafl games.
These sets includes a full game board, made from premium goat leather for durability and enhanced aesthetics, that doubles as a carrying pouch for the game. The board makings have been painstakingly burnt into the surface of the leather in a way that was often done with thin leathers historically. The set also includes a full set of clay pieces based on playing counters found in archaeological digs in mainland Britain.
Included is also a full instruction booklet to teach both beginners and advanced rules. In addition the booklet also contains research about the historical and cultural background of the games, printed on high quality parchment paper.
Each set includes;
- One goat leather board with markings for Fox & Geese or Halatafl
- One full set of clay playing pieces for your chosen game
- One instruction and information booklet on your game
Prices start from £30 for both Fox & Geese and Halatafl.
Customisation is readily available in the form of coloured/custom pieces, dyed leather boards & customised board designs. Get in touch to find out more.
Present Past strives to produce high quality historical inspirations and reproductions, meticulously researched and with the highest standards of customer care.
The following pages act as the online portfolio of our past and present work, many of which are often made time and time again due to popularity. To find out more about each of our items and enquire as to customisation and timescales, then just get in touch via the 'Contact Us' page.
To place an order simply send us an email with your requirements. Once we have your final order we will send you an email 'Paypal' invoice. Transactions can also take place via our Etsy shop upon request.
You can also view our Etsy shop to see all of our current 'in stock' items or to view more of our previous work.
To find out more about what makes our products unique and more about Present Past then simply see 'Our Philosophy' and 'Who we are' pages.
Copyright © 2018 Present Past - All Rights Reserved.