The Vikings in York

As I am writing, the Viking festival is already a week past. The festival coincided with Kees and Thomas' "mid-term vacation", and York was bustling with tourists, and above all, Vikings. On Saturday, we went to the Museum Gardens, and watched this horde of fierce Vikings practice for the great battle that was to take place that evening. They never seemed to tire of lining up in two rows and storming at each other with load battle cries.

Later that day, we watched dancers from Abbots Bromley in Staffordshire perform their traditional Horn Dance. The reindeer antler of these dancers were carbon dated in 1976 to c. 1066, but it is not clear whether the tradition itself actually dates from that time. According to The English Year, the earliest mention of this dance dates from 1532. In any case, the present-day costumes seem to date from the 1880s, although some of the additions (such as the sunglasses) seem to be from a distinctly later date. The English Year also mentions the "determinedly unspectacular manner of the whole affair," although the dancers certainly seemed to have fun. And the meaning of it all? Ah, yes, a "pagan fertility ritual," no doubt. I’ll just leave the viewers of these picture to judge for themselves.

On Sunday, we decided to visit the actual site of a Viking battle: Stamford Bridge, where, in 1066, king Harold celebrated a decisive victory against an invading Viking force, only weeks before he himself was defeated at the Battle of Hastings. Most people had warned us that there was nothing to see at Stamford Bridge. They were right, of course. But we had a nice walk anyway. And after the Viking weekend one only needs a bit of imagination to think what the scene may have looked like almost a thousand years ago...