A story for children based on the famous chessmen from the Isle of Lewis. This edition is in Gaelic. From their discovery on a desolate beach in 1831, to their current homes in great Museums south and north of the border, the ivory chessmen from the Isle of Lewis have exercised a particular fascination. Carved in wonderful detail, unexpectedly expressive and individual, these small characters give every indication of having marvellous secrets to tell, if they only would. This children's book is the first to describe the turbulent life and times of the chess pieces from their own point of view. In these pages we meet the brave Kings and Queens, weighty Bishops and faithful Knights and Warders, along with a memorable group of minor (that is, human) characters who have a hand in their many adventures. The chessmen are thought to come from Scandinavia and to date from the early 12th century, though their exact origins are a mystery. Sixty-seven pieces now reside in the British Museum and 11 in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
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Verlagsort
Zielgruppe
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Maße
Höhe: 241 mm
Breite: 171 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-7141-0582-6 (9780714105826)
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Schweitzer Klassifikation
Historical note on the chessmen: in which the chessmen languish underground; the cow makes a breakthrough; the chessmen encounter human greed and avarice; the chessmen pass into commercial hands; the chessmen know the bitterness of parting; in which philosophy is seriously tested; great men intervene for the benefit of the nation; acquisitiveness reaps its due reward; modesty and self-restraint are seriously tested; literary endeavour is shown to have its drawbacks; in which strictness in upbringing is vindicated; the disadvantages of fame become apparent; further fateful steps are taken; virtue is rewarded; the ages of man reveal themselves; human folly reigns unchecked; malingering is shown to be wrong; in which visionary ideas are set in motion; similar ideas; serious travel arrangements are made; in which humans are unnecessarily slow; the Lewis chessmen finally receive their due accolade.
