Nine Men's Morris

Nine Men’s Morris is thought to be one of the oldest games in history—and it is certainly one of the oldest for which we have well-defined rules. There is ample evidence that the ancient Romans played Nine Men’s Morris. In fact, one popular theory is that the name comes from the Latin word merellus, meaning “counter” or “game piece.” 

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But we don’t know if the Romans invented the game or—more likely—it evolved from earlier, simpler games. But, however the game started, the Roman empire helped spread it across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; traveling with soldiers and merchants.

The early physical evidence we do have comes largely from game boards that were permanently carved into benches, tabletops, and the like. Monks seem particularly fond of craving boards into pews in monasteries and cathedrals.

Nine Men’s Morris saw its heyday in the 14th and 15th centuries, being at least as popular as Chess and Tables games. Its popularity waned after that, but it never really went away completely. It remained popular into at least the 18th century, where several extant examples of gaming tables and gaming boxes share boards for Nine Men’s Morris alongside chess and tables (Backgammon).

The game pops up again and again throughout history, often customized to fit the times. During World War I it was sold as “Trencho” in the UK, the intersections re-envisioned as cannon emplacements. In the 1950s it was sold in America as “Cowboy Checkers,” the exact same game, only covered in horses and cacti.

See the history video below for more information about the rules, history and strategy of the game, and the build video for how to make your own Nine Men’s Morris board out of leather.