Hnefatafl (Tablut, to you)

Like kids' games, most abstract board games are a kind of symbolic theater, where real-life drama can get pondered upon, over and over again. In some games, the imagery is more vivid. Hnefatafl is not only fun to say and inject into casual conversation, it is also a fascinating game that mirrors an often too fascinating reality.

The game of Tablut was discovered by Carl von Linné at Kvikkjokk, Sweden, in 1732. It is almost certainly the Old Norse board-game known as "Hnefatafl", mentioned in the Icelandic sagas. The word hnefatafl is a compound of hnefi (meaning fist) and tafl (ultimately from tabula and meaning board)....The game concerns the fate of a Viking king (here seen in the centre) who is attacked in his stronghold. Assisted by his men he tries to reach the safety of one of the corner squares. The task of the attackers is to seize the king before he succeeds.

This site not only describes the history and rules of the game, but also features a ready-to-play Java version.