From ROGER MORGAN
I read the article about the game of Senet (‘Play games with the Pharaohs’,
22/29 December) with great interest. A few days ago I happened to read part
of the works of Polydore Virgil, the Elizabethan antiquary. He mentions
the ‘Norfolk Chance Bones’, which appear to be remarkably similar to the
dice game that you mention in your article. I really do not know what to
make of it. Is this a survival of the Roman occupation of Britain, left
behind by the Roman army, or what?
Polydore Virgil says: ‘There is a game also that is played with the
pastern bone, in the hinder foot of the sheep, ox, goat, fallow or red deer,
which in the Latin is called Talus. It hath four chances, the ace-point
(that is named Canis or Canicula) was on one of the sides. He that cast
it layed down a penny, or so much as the games were agreed on. The other
side was called Venus, that signifieth 7. He that cast the chance won six,
and all that was laid down, for the calling of Canis. The two other sides
were called Chius and Senio. He that did throw Chius won 3 and he that cast
Senio gained 4. This game (as I take it) is used of children in Norfolk
and they call it the chance-bone. They play with three or four of those
bones together.’ (The Works of Polydore Virgil, London 1663.)
Roger Morgan Cambridge
