Bone game pieces from Saaremaa. Salme village neighbourhood

Game piece 5

Parallel lines running in three directions are just about visible, referring possibly to a primitive depiction of a triskele, i.e. tree of life. The triskele as a symbol of the Tree of the World could easily symbolise also the King – the centre of the gaming reality. Similar bone “King” pieces with a thin bronze sheet finishing in the shape of a triskele are known also elsewhere in Saaremaa, incl. the other ship in Salme. The lower edge is surrounded with a (closed?) ring of parallel lines. Could this be the Snake of the World or the metal rim of a helmet? Could it be that the graffiti on the game piece remained unfinished? Could it be that the “king” piece went missing and a replacement was urgently needed? Could such game pieces be used for telling the future?

nupp5