(relevant section from Wikipedia: )
In medieval chess, as an attempt to make the pieces more interesting, each pawn was given the name of a commoner’s occupation:[5]
- Gambler and other “lowlifes”, also messengers (in the left-most file, that direction being literally sinister)
- City guard or policeman (in front of the left-side knight, as knights trained city guards in real life)[6]
- Innkeeper (in front of the left-side bishop)
- Doctor (in front of the queen)
- Merchant/money changer (in front of the king)
- Weaver/clerk (in front of the right-side bishop, as they worked for bishops)
- Blacksmith (in front of the right-side knight, as they cared for the horses)
- Worker/farmer (in front of the right-side rook, as they worked for castles)[7]
The most famous example of this is found in the second book ever printed in the English language, The Game and Playe of the Chesse. Purportedly, this book, printed by William Caxton,[8] was viewed to be as much a political commentary on society as a chess book.[7]
The Game and Playe of the Chesse
This man likes Es and he doesn’t care who knows it!
I wish that I had Chesse’s girl
Chesse paint your pictures
About how it’s gonna beBy now I should know better
Your queen is never freeSo tell me about your little
Gambit on file cChesse you can always sell
En passant to me
Gameeee
Uhhhhhggggghhhh medieval marketing is the worst!
now they are all grouped as unskilled minimum wage laborers
Employees are a fungible commodity.
So not much has changed since they all functionally act the same.
Is village idiot somewhere in there? Relating to characters helps my immersion
I think he was there in passing
Or in the French…
Well, the bishop is called the “fou” which literally translates to mad/insane, but iirc it’s a recent name
With his famously oversized headwear, would that make him…
The Mad Hatter
I guess they had to find something to entertain themselves before there were video games.
Best I can do is Peon
Pee on who?
I thought the one on white’s far right was named “'Arry the H pawn”.
Now he’s Arry the farmhand who works for the castle