Альфины

С 6000-дневием!

The alphyn is an heraldic monster with a body similar to that of a tyger; its other characteristics vary, but it is most commonly shown with eagle's forelegs and a knotted tail. […] The unmodified term tyger refers to an heraldic monster, described as incredibly swift and deceitful; its body is much like that of the wolf, but it has a crest of tufts on the back of its neck, and a tusk pointing down from its nose. […] When blazoned a natural tiger or a Bengal tiger, the term denotes a natural beast, the great cat Felis tigris: like a maneless lion, but with stripes on its coat. (Bestiary 1)

This creature has a body much like that of a wolf with the front legs and belly of a dragon. It also has long pointed ears, a long thin tongue, and a knotted tail. […] The heraldic dragon is a 4-legged beast with a horny head, barbed tongue, scaly back, armoured rolls on the chest and belly, 2 bat-like wings, 4 legs with talons like an eagle's, and a pointed tail often with an arrow-like end. (Bestiary 2)

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The alfil [or mediæval bishop] has possessed quite a number of names, these being chiefly variations in spelling in the old MSS. Such were alfin, alfyn, alphyn, and aufyn. Alfil is the Arabic from al fil—the elephant. (T. R. Dawson, Caissa's Playthings)

Ничего себе variations in spelling! Спрашивается, во-первых, как же было дело? Шахматы пришли на Альбион вместе с арабским названием слона, а там его отождествили с похоже звучащим, существовавшим и раньше названием геральдического волкорла? Или волкорла придумали позже, окончательно забыв, как выглядит слон?

А во-вторых, возникает идея об игре шахматного типа, в которой сильнейшими фигурами являются тигро-драконо-подобные альфины, выступающие на месте слонов. Как-то так (альфины на c0, h0 и c9, h9):

( Начальная расстановка )