Rather will I move against the red piece to know if it is protected. Hilding received no other answer to his errand. He went back quickly to the kings and told them of Fridthjof. They asked Hilding what sense he made of these words. Therefore look to her well.
Archaeology provides some additional clues.
The final clue to reconstructing the rules of hnefatafl was provided in 1732 by Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist, in his diary of his travels among the Lapps. Only the Swedish king can occupy this square. The king is larger than the other pieces. The Muscovites are placed on the embroidered squares. A piece is captured and removed from the board when the opponent occupies both adjacent squares in a row or column.