Nine Men's Morris
Nine Men's Morris, also known as Merrills, Mill and Merels, is an old English game that goes back to antiquity - evidence has been found for the game in ancient Rome and possibly Ancient Egypt. More recently, references in the works of Shakespeare have given it an image of the archetypal medieval board game.
Like most of the best games, Nine Mens Morris rules are simple, the objective being to capture opposing pieces by forming lines of 3. It is an under-rated game of skill that is easy to learn but sometimes requiring deep thought - a bit like grown-up tic-tac-toe (or noughts and crosses). It is an entertaining game for beginners and veterans alike and something for older children and adults to enjoy.
See also: Chinese Checkers & Nine Men’s Morris 2 In 1.
Nine Men's Morris - leather board with wooden pieces
Click picture for a large version
- Nine Mens Morris is the grown-up version of 3 in a row - simple rules but strategic thought required
- History to before the middle ages. Boards found in medieval cathedrals. Mentioned by Shakespeare
- Great fun for kids while also helping them to learn about history and strategy
- Hand-made in Britain by a craftsman specialising in leatherwork
- Real leather roll-up board conveniently stores with the pieces in a cardboard tube
Made in Britain
This is an authentic leather replica Nine Men's Morris game with hand-made wooden pieces. Nine Men's Morris was played by both the poor and the upper classes in medieval Europe and these boards enable you to enjoy a little piece of history while playing a great game.
Suitable for museums, schools, families - great for teaching logic skills for children, the board and pieces come in a convenient cardboard tube so take up very little space when not in use.
Approx. Dimensions:
Board 26cm square. Tube 28cm long
Board 10.2 inch square. Tube 11 inch long
Contains small parts. Unsuitable for children younger than 4 years old.
Philos Nine Mens Morris - wooden folding board
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- A nice Nine Men's Morris game set featuring a folding wooden board
- Folds in half providing a storage space for the playing pieces
- A nice looking set at a great price
- An old English game that goes back to antiquity - mentioned by Shakespeare
- Good fun for all ages
A nice large Nine Men's Morris game set featuring a folding wooden board. When not in the use the board folds in half providing a storage space for the playing pieces.
Nine Mens Morris is also known as Merelles, Merels.
It's difficult to find a good size, straight-forward Nine Mens Morris board these days but this one fits the bill perfectly being well-made and almost a foot square.
It's a nice looking Nine Men's Morris set at a great price.
Approx. Dimensions:
295 x 148 x 50mm
11.6x5.8x2 inch
Contains small parts. Unsuitable for children younger than 4 years old.
French compendium of 4 classic games
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- A French compendium of 4 classic games not often seen together
- Features Nine Men's Morris The Game Of Goose 10 x 10 Draughts and Ludo
- Includes all the playing pieces needed to enjoy these classic games
- Included instructions are in French
- Presented in a simple wooden box with a hinged lid
This is a French compendium of games. There are 4 classic games that are all great and not often seen together in a compendium:
- Nine Mens Morris (played since at least the middle ages)
- The Game of Goose (the oldest commercial board game in the world)
- 10 x 10 Draughts (more enjoyable than the 8 x 8 version)
- Ludo (in the French style with horses)
Although the instructions are in French, it's such a nice selection of games we couldn't resist making it available from our stock.
Includes 40 draughts, 16 horses, 4 geese in a simple wooden box with a hinged lid.
Approx. Dimensions:
33 x 33cm. Draughts 22mm diameter.
13x13 inch. Draughts 0.9 inch diameter.
Contains small parts. Unsuitable for children younger than 4 years old.
Oak Nine Mens Morris board with wooden pieces
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- Oak Nine Mens Morris board with Ash underside
- Includes a set of nice wooden playing pieces
- Board is marked using typography - laser burned on lines and points
- A beautiful game to treasure and enjoy
A stunning Oak Nine Mens Morris board with Ash underside, supplied with wooden Draughts pieces.
Includes a set of wooden playing pieces that work nicely with the look of the board and a set of rules. A beautiful game to treasure and enjoy.
The game comes in an straightforward cardboard carton.
Approx. Dimensions:
Board: 33 x 33 x 2.5cm Pieces: 30mm
Board: 13x13x1 inch Pieces: 1.2 inch
Spare set of Nine Mens Morris pieces (30mm diameter)
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A spare set of Nine Men's Morris pieces to go with our beautiful Inlaid Nine Men's Morris board.
Includes 9 natural wood pieces and 9 dark pieces so you have two spares.
Approx. Dimensions:
Pieces: 30mm diameter
Pieces: 1.2 inch diameter
The Origin of Nine Mens Morris
Nine Mens Morris is another contender for the prize of 'Oldest game in the world' and is known by a number of different names in England - Nine Mens Morris or Morelles or Merrills or Merels or Mill or just plain Morris.
The game is most likely an evolution of the simpler Three Mens Morris and primitive board patterns have been found dating back to as early as 1440BC, cut into the temple at Kurna, Egypt. Other boards have been discovered in Ceylon, carved during the reign of Mahadithika Maha-Naga (9-21AD). Boards have also been found across Europe in such places as the first city of Troy, within a Bronze age burial site in Ireland and at the Acropolis in Athens. In Europe the game's popularity peaked during the Fourteenth Century.
The old English game used to be played with black and white pebbles on a board that was dug into village greens using a trowel. It was also popular in many taverns with boards marked with chalk on a table. The game is actually mentioned in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Act 2, Scene 2 - "The Nine Mens Morris is filled up with mud" which must have been a common problem for the primitive boards when it rained!
You can learn more about the History of Morris from The Online Guide to Traditional Games.
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