Games Britannia has already proven to be one of the most intriguing historical documentaries I have seen in some time. Hosted by Benjamin Woolley, the first episode discussed many games, detailing that while some may have been for fun, many were in fact a cultural, religious or ideological tool.
The most intriguing game detailed was a game of an unknown title, usually referred to by the location it was discovered, Stanway. With no rules accompanying the board and a single piece directly in the middle, the possibilities of how this game may have been played are endless. Subsequently, this game had been a matter of serious speculation; one historian, Irving Finkle, described how the game may have been a strategic game of divination, possibly utilized by a druid or priest to foresee the outcome of a battle.
These themes of religious and cultural meaning were quite common throughout all the games featured: Some were based upon the cultural and religious superiority of a Christian king over the heathen barbarian hordes, some were based on the cultural influence of war upon the Viking people, and others were simply an entertaining game used by priests to help pass the time (With the board even being carved into the stone of the church itself), and these themes helped give each of the games presented a sense of identity (As well as a very accurate show of ancient cultures.)
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