In 1283 King Alfonso X of Castile and León, known as el Sabio (“the Wise”), had his scholars finish a book about games. The Libro de los Juegos, or to give it its own title the Libro de axedrez, dados e tablas (“Book of chess, dice and tables”), is the most important source we have for the board and dice games of the medieval Mediterranean. It sets down the rules of dozens of games, and its illustrations show kings, knights, women, Muslims, Jews, beggars and gamblers all playing them. This page is a starting point for my research into the book and the games in it.

Number of players: 2
Type of game: Boardgame
Period: 2400BC+

The Royal Game of Ur is one of the oldest known board games in history, dating back over 4,500 years to ancient Mesopotamia. It is a two-player race and strategy game discovered in the Royal Tombs of Ur (modern-day Iraq) by Sir Leonard Woolley in the 1920s. The game combines elements of chance and tactics as players race their pieces along a distinctive track to be the first to bear all their tokens off the board.

The “Hundred Years’ War” between France and England (1337-1453) was an episodic struggle lasting well over a hundred years, for much of the time without any conflict. The battles were both violent, but also occasions when ideals of “chivalry” were displayed. Here are extracts describing various battles from the Chronicle of Jean Froissart.

The Battle of Poitiers 1356
Oftentimes the adventure of amours and of war are more fortunate and marvellous than any man can think or wish. Truly this battle, the which was near to Poitiers in the fields of Beauvoir and Maupertuis, was right great and perilous, and many deeds of arms there was done the which all came not to knowledge.

The “Hundred Years’ War” between France and England (1337-1453) was an episodic struggle lasting well over a hundred years, for much of the time without any conflict. The battles were both violent, but also occasions when ideals of “chivalry” were displayed. Here are extracts describing various battles from the Chronicle of Jean Froissart.
The Battle of Crecy (1346)
The Englishmen, who were in three battles lying on the ground to rest them, as soon as they saw the Frenchmen approach, they rose upon their feet fair and easily without any haste and arranged their battles. The first, which was the prince’s battle, the archers there stood in manner of a herse and the men of arms in the bottom of the battle. The earl of Northampton and the earl of Arundel with the second battle were on a wing in good order, ready to comfort the Black prince’s battle, if need were.

In the 14th century there were four main forms of bow, the longbow, the English bow, as used by the English, the short bow, as used by the southern Europeans, and the crossbow. Each weapon was used in different ways and had its own strengths and weaknesses. First, let us have a brief overview of the different bows, then we can look in more detail at the methods in which they were used.