VV king king HeritageHeritagemagazine

1/2001

NORTH SEA VIKING LEGACY Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01

IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial The Viking Way 3–7

Dear Subscriber, Sagas and Society III How credible is the picture of A new year and new fresh ideas of what is to come. From our side, we slavery in Icelandic Literature? 8–9 know that the Viking Heritage Magazine will be coming to you as usual this year and, as far as we can foresee, for years to come. We begin the Old stones in year with the aim of reaching many more subscribers and developing the a new light 10–11 Magazine, both by expanding the content as well as our covering of different activities on the Viking theme. New books 12 To enable us to reach our goals, we have re-organised our operations and also increased our staff. Mia Göransson will be working with us for the next 6 months, both with the database and the Magazine. Alexander Mästermyr project 13 Andreeff, whose main task is to adapt the results from the excavation at Fröjel (http://frojel.hgo.se) to a Visitors’ Centre, will work partly with Lindholm Høje marketing the Magazine. Here we would like to ask all our subscribers to Monument and Museum 14–16 help us become a worldwide magazine, by getting more subscribers, but also by telling us about new interesting discoveries, news or research Give us the myths! 17–19 results concerning the Viking world. For those of you who manage to get 3 new subscribers, a genuine gift awaits you. Genetic research for At the moment, we are working on publishing a book about Viking Vikings in Britain 19 attractions in the North Sea region as a part of our co-operation with North Sea Viking Legacy. Next autumn we are also planning to produce a Old Scatness – an book of the most interesting articles during the last 5 years of the Iron Age Village with Viking th magazine, as a sort of celebration of our 5 anniversary. Residents? 20–21 We hope you will enjoy our first issue for the year 2001.

“Silk and Stone” at the Manx Marita E Ekman Dan Carlsson Museum, Isle of Man 22–23 Editor Editor-in-chief Sea Viking Legacy E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Meeting held in Norwich January 2001 22–23

Words of Wisdom Heritage News

It is best for man to be middle-wise, Heritage News 24–26 Not over cunning and clever: The learned man whose lore is deep Is seldom happy at heart Viking Viewpoints From Hávamál (Words of ”The High One”) Viking Viewpoints 27

Dear Reader! 27 About the front page: Silk painting based on the rune stone from the Island of Lidingö, Stockholm. Read more

on page22–23. Artwork by Valentina Kuprina / Photograph by Manx National Heritage Miljömärkt med Svanen. Lic nr 341 487 http://viking.hgo.se 2 Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01

Part 1 TheVIKING WAY

Two small open boats with square sails cut through the waves. The speed is great, the waves even greater. Huge mountains of green sea are towering up on the starboard aft quarter. The boats With a full are rolling and yawing, even if the small sail the ”Hitra” has no sail only half up the mast helps steadying problem the vessel's movement. The people on traveling at 12 board hang on. It's misty, and the knots going down wind. horizon where the sky meets the sea is The picture is only a couple of hundred yards ahead. taken off the The strong wind is from the northwest. coast of Rain and spray soak everything. This is a Scotland. Photo: Olaf T. demanding sea; cold, wet and exhausting. Engvig It doesn't give much leeway and the people aboard have to know exactly what to do. Hovedsman and crew are on the alert the entire time, playing hide and seek with the big waves, just like the Vikings experienced the North Atlantic Ocean a thousand years ago.

Olaf Engvig with his family and friends made four voyages without map and compass to test Viking navigation. The journeys are shown in this map. These are the impressive facts: 78 days at sea By Olaf T. Engvig 3700 nautical miles covered 8 countries and 105 township or cities visited It was all done in the original open longboat ”Hitra” a This time the boats carry no map or boat of Viking design. compass, no watch or any other 20th century This all-original longboat is 138-year-old, 29 equipment to tell where we are and where we feet long, and has 10 oars are heading. For the first time in hundreds of and a square sail. years, small, open longboats propelled by a single square sail and oars alone have set sail from Norway to try to reach small islands way out into the ocean to the west. It is a minor target, but the navigator is confident that he will find the way without aid. He has been trained in Viking navigation by experienced navigators since he was a young boy. If the wind and the weather hold up we will reach the islands in less than a week. If not, we will sail straight out into the North Atlantic with several thousand miles ahead to the next land. It is a daring challenge, but we know, like the Vikings did, that if we get lost we could always turn around. Norway will be to the East all the way. It is such a huge target that no one can miss it. Map revised by Therese Lindström

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The Vikings rationally judged chances of four hours under my command and with with the use of a modern replica, we would success or failure. They were expert seamen. little or no current to count for. It is common do it simple and use this old, original and Sailing was their area of expertise. They to outrun modern yachts going down wind. traditional open longboat that had been used would usually not take on a task that was not The important thing to keep in mind is for transport just like an average open Viking feasible. In raiding, they had the option of hit that this boat vas constructed more than 20 boat would have been used. We would not and run as they had the superior craft. At sea, years before the very first Viking ship was equip our boat with modern gadgets that so they would go as far as they liked. Common discovered and excavated. The boat's builder many modern Viking voyagers do. Some Viking sense was applied in navigating. They in Åfjord, Norway would have had no Viking voyages include a warm and dry would set out in hope of obtaining knowledge of how the Vikings constructed shelter on board with radio and stereo music, something, see someone or find resources their vessels. In 1863 the general belief was a galley for hot meals and dry underwear and that could help support their barren life in that a Viking ship was a sophisticated vessel a dry bunk, a diesel engine for propulsion their cold and rocky home called Norway. with a lot of extras added to make them even and electricity for all the navigational aid With a good boat, good provisions and more impressive, much like the horns on the needed. Nothing is farther away from the sturdy clothing they sat sail out into the helmets. Contemporary paintings depict this sailing of the Vikings. The possible exception ocean knowing that they would find land if common opinion. Anecdotal evidence was Magnus Andersen back in 1893. He and the wind and weather would cooperate. indicates that many refused to believe that his men sailed the very first replica ship the the Gogstad Viking ship, when excavated in ”Viking” to the World Fair in Chicago. In The Boat's Origin 1880 as the first rather complete hull, was a my opinion that first voyage is the most real Viking ship. It was too much ”a copy” of scientific Viking sailing done in a replica Our Viking boat is very old, but in original the open longboats still in use on the coast of ship. ”Viking” was built by a shipyard and and seaworthy condition. It is not a Viking Norway where ”Hitra” was built. Was sailed by professional seamen that had replica, but an original open Norwegian someone playing the scientists a trick by practical experience. Captain Anderson did longboat built, down to details, the same way burying an old boat a hundred years before? use some adaptations and additional as a Viking boat is built. A famous boat For the excavators this was not an issue. equipments. He stated that a true Viking sail builder, known to make superior boats, built There were many other genuine Viking should be done without these alterations. it in 1863. This boat has survived all this artifacts and valuables found along with the years because it was an excellent vessel. When ship. This was ”the real thing” and the world Testing Theories the original owner discovered that he had a finally learned how Viking ships were We wanted to pick up where captain boat with better sailing ability then all others constructed. Our boat is built in the same Andersen left; go back to the roots or the boats of the fishing fleet, he saved and way with the same details. It is the missing original as far as we could and start from protected his boat. He only took it out of the link and represents the good alternative to all there in a simple manner. It was nothing very shed on special occasions. It could be staying modern day copies and replicas of different spectacular about our sailing, but it did get inside for years at a time. No one could Viking ships. some coverage from local media that overtake his boat when he sailed it. This was Contrary to the ship itself, no informative sympathized with our little group and our an important status maker along the samples of Viking rig, rigging and sail are brave and daring voyage. Also, we had done a Norwegian coast. Like the farmer that had found until this day. Modern replicas of couple of previous long distance sailing the swiftest horse, it was prestigious to have Viking ships are equipped with an adjusted without modern gadgets, except for life the fastest boat. He got another, and new, 19th century rig, adapted from the one that saving equipment, so I felt confident that the vessel that he completely wore out while the is the original in our boat. We believe that sea and the sky would guide me as it guided old one was kept high and dry in the boat rather than trying to conduct this experiment people in the old days when they traveled far shed. His grandson only used the old ”fyring” a couple of times and he wanted me to have it and use it for research purposes and to show the world how to sail square sail. I named the boat ”Hitra” after the island where it came from and where this old man lived. Fyringen ”Hitra” was built in Åfjord in 1863 and has never been restored. It is a 100% original open longboat built in the exact same manner as the Viking longboats we know today. It is 29 feet long, 6 feet wide and draws two feet of water when fitted out. It carries one mast and a single square sail of 14 square meters with three reefs. It also carries 10 oars. It is made from slow-growing Norwegian spruce from Åfjord. The bottom boards, well over 12 inches wide, must have come from a tree that was young 300 years ago. All the twisted bands in the framing are roots or branches of spruce or pine. The whole boat is very flexible. It only weighs about 500 pounds. It needs stone ballast for sailing. It can be rowed at a speed of 5 knots and travels by sail at 10 to 12 knots over time, but can reach 20 knots or more during Meeting of two aristocrats. The clipper ship ”Cutty Sark” at Greenwich is another surfing conditions. ”Hitra” has logged more square sailer built only six years after the ”Hitra” was built. than 50 nautical miles on shore in less than Photo: Olaf T. Engvig http://viking.hgo.se 4 Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01

13 year old Gunn Engvig is commanding the traditional longboat ”Hitra” from 1863 off the coast of Belgium. Photo: Olaf T. Engvig

out to sea without support equipment. The preserving knowledge and skill. Boat-builders Rissa, however, but it was not seaworthy. old navigators depended solely on their at Åfjord constructed the same boats for That was the follower I would like to use. It knowledge, experience and intuition to find more than a thousand years, and they knew, was built in 1872, only nine years after the their way under various conditions. They as did the users, that any alteration of the ”Hitra” and less than two feet shorter. It was only feared the storm with breaking waves, boats' design would detect form its made as the last boat built by the boat and didn't want to get lost in the fog. usefulness. The introduction of the oil builder who built ”Hitra”. It was a most Our claim is that this way is the more engines around the turn of the 20th Century daring construction, and was his most prized rightful approach to obtain information lead to the demise of the traditional open creation, the finest boat ever made in the about Viking sailing and navigation. It took longboats. Those engines were shaking so bad district, according to legend. But it had a bad me a whole life from early childhood to that they demanded a much stronger hull for reputation. The owner was advised not to use educate, prepare and motivate myself. My support. The lightly built open boats for oars it without enough ballast as it could turn father, Thormod Engvig, a professional and sail did not last long after they got an over. He went sailing one day in strong wind navigator, taught me to tell time without a engine installed. The vessel coming was the with his young son. The boat flew across the watch, to always know directions or ”to keep sturdy motorboat. waves, and then it capsized. The father a compass inside my head” at all times, on drowned, but his son got up on the bottom, sea and land, and to feel confident in an open The Viking Way hung on to the keel and was saved. This boat at sea. I learned square sailing from After several years of sailing my own boat happened about one hundred years ago. The Jacob Kvithyll, better known as '”The Last of ”Hitra” I knew her speed and way of son put the boat back in the shed and left it the Vikings”. He was an old man living in performance under different wind and there. He never took it out again. It was used my community when I grew up, and I was weather conditions. I finally decided I had as storage for old fishing nets. His son was an his only student. This happened before I the theoretical and practical background and older man when the roof of the shed caved in went to the cadet ship at the age of 15 and the knowledge needed to sail ”The Viking one stormy winter with much snow. No one continued on to a tanker as a seaman. I had Way” a thousand years after the real Vikings. cared to do anything with the roof or the worked my way around the world before I David Lewis's books on traditional boat. When I learned about it around 1970, was 17, and I managed to sail in motor ship, navigation in the South Sea inspired me. To it was rotting away fast. I went there and steam ship and windjammer while still a sail straight out into the North Atlantic found a beautiful boat. It was 27 feet long, teenager. Later during my sociology studies at Ocean with absolutely no navigational looked like a gondola and had 8 oars. It had the University of Oslo I interviewed old instruments or aid whatsoever also required absolutely gorgeous lines and appeared as if it seafarers, boat-builders and fishermen along Viking studies, philosophical thinking, hadn't been used. But the bottom was quite the coast. Old people along the coast told me motivation and practical working on all rotten, even if the keel was good. I bought that they never had a compass or carried a aspects of the venture. I also needed time for the wreck, took all the old nets out of it and watch in their boat, but they did go out into planning and preparations, including talking discovered that the boat was in a bad state of the ocean. They used the sun for time and people into going with me on this scientific decay and definitely not seaworthy, but I still direction and with the prevailing wind out of mission. wanted to save this gorgeous, sharp-looking the west they felt confident they could go Most of all, I needed tow ships. That was boat if it was possible. home when they decided. my biggest worry. The following vessel In the local store I found a roll of sturdy From old boat-builders I learned that they should, of course, be of the same type, design construction plastic. I got the plastic under usually worked in pairs. In order not to be in and rigging, to reenact Vikings going abroad. the keel and eased it up the sides and nailed the way for each other they would build one Vikings often sailed together in more than it down on each side. I carefully launched the side each. When educating a young boy in one ship. That meant the follower could not boat and it stayed dry! It was strange to see this skill, the grandfather would usually be be a modern boat with engine, a film-crew kelp and the bottom of the fjord right under the teacher. To make a boat that could be and other means. the keel when I got on board. We took the sold, the two sides had to match, so the longboat under tow and moved her the 18 youngster had to copy the old man in every The second boat nautical miles to my home where it went detail. This is a smart and simple way of I had a beautiful boat in my boat shed in inside my boathouse. I later shipped it over

5 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01 land to my local boat restorer, Roald Olden in Åfjord. He priced the beautiful boat, but refused to restore it. He said: ”It is to far gone. It is not possible. I'll copy it. I can make you a brand new boat, using all the measures and particulars of the old one. I will also take off the good pieces and use them on the new boat.” It was basically no way the old boat could be saved. There was falling apart from rot right before our eyes. An exact copy of the boat was made during that winter. The boat builder did a very fine job of copying the old original from 1872, but only two genuine parts from the old one was put on the new. 'Like to try some The ”Froya” were rigged and made ready to go traditional provision? as the following ship for the ”Hitra”, with me Olaf Engvig with responsible for finding our way across the daughter Gunn in York, open ocean as hovedsman on the ”Hitra”. showing up salted herring and dried cod Coastal Navigation still good after 38 days I considered myself well prepared. Some years at sea in an open boat. before I had sailed the boat around the coast Photo: Olaf T. Engvig of Norway from the island of Hitra outside the Trondheimsfjord without much more than the Norwegian Automobile Association's road book, with the maps of all design was by doing greater deeds became the Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Breskens and major highways in the country but with a new challenge. When the British came to London. The greatest challenge was to get rather coarse outline of the coast. We Norway asking for support for the Viking dig safely across the English Channel. We were depended on the old knowledge that the at Coppergate in York, England, I was more almost hit by enormous merchant ships Vikings had: Norway would be to port all the than happy to offer my support during a speeding out to sea, big ferries and way. We followed the coastline and our major Viking sail to England. I would only be using hovercrafts. The Vikings would not have had means of establishing position were the many the old Viking merchant Ottar's description that problem! The only time en route we ferry paths we had to cross. They were of how to go there. The English King's were confused was when we headed for the outlined in the road book. This first long recorder wrote it down. This report gives a river Medway instead of the Thames going haul taught me what an amazing vessel I had. simple and useful description we intended to up to London. By chance I shouted to a The ”Hitra” flew along the coast under her use. Basically it says: Keep land to the port all fishing vessel and he pointed out the right sole square sail with a fine breeze from the the time and don't go in where a lot of water course. Our greatest pride was when we North all the way to the Ness or Lindesnes as goes into the land. That would obviously be sailed up to the dock at Greenwich where the the South tip of Norway is called today. As the Baltic Sea. So we sailed around the North world-famous clipper ship the ”Cutty Sark” is we rounded the headland, the wind sprang Sea as Viking Ottar did. berthed in dry-dock. She is a full rigged up on the west and took us straight into Oslo Our verdict is that Ottar was right. It was square sailer, with her sail and rigging based in 12 days and four hours, mostly sailing by quite simple. Even if I remembered the basic on the principles used in my boat and the day only. We did 4.2 knots average for the outlines of the North Sea by heart, as also a Viking ships. Most of all, these two proud voyage. Viking navigator would have done, the key and speedy square sailers were built in the Keeping gear and logbook dry was was to hug the coast until the white cliffs of same decade. The ”Hitra” was built in 1863 difficult. Protecting gear from wet summer Dover could be seen far away in the distance. and the ”Cutty Sark” was built in 1869. The rain and spray from the sea became a major That would be to starboard. To get the land latter has not been to sea for many years. To task. We learned how we could use the sail as to port we then had to turn the ”Hitra” north have an original and complete square sail a tent for a night's stopover and some hours again. From now on we had England to port boat sailing all the way from Norway to visit of sleep in the boat. Our greatest surprise as we had Norway, Sweden, Denmark, a contemporary must be a case for the was our performance compared with modern Germany, Holland, Belgium and France to Guinness Book of Records. But they missed crafts along the coast. Summer traffic was port before we got that far. The goal of the it! busy in some areas. To our great delight we mission was to promote the Viking showed fishing boats, modern yachtsmen and excavations at Coppergate. All major media ”The Nice Viking” other crafts that we had the speedier vessel. in the countries mentioned got a visit from It is 1200 years since the Vikings landed at Over and again we left other boats behind this very old boat and its young crew, Lindisfarne and raided the monastery on that when the wind gave us a good push. It got to handing out information and asking for island. Today this incidence stands as an the point where I was offering to tow modern support. My only crewmember was my overture to a Viking age full of raiding, yachts as we speeded past their bow. We were daughter Gunn. She was 13 years old. The pillaging and plundering. During our 38 days in the oldest boat afloat and no one could story became one of the highlights in of sail around the North Sea in a rather small beat us. That was a story well worth writing Northern Europe that summer, and York open boat, Gunn and I had time to think home about. So we did, and magazines Archaeological Trust got another year from more about how the Vikings got to the published our articles. the developers to finish the excavations at British Isles. It's believed that Jorvik had Jorvik, the Viking-name for York. some 10,000 Viking settlers that made a Around the North Sea We used 38 days on that voyage, and significant impact on the city's life from To show the world how amazing this old boat stopped over a day or two in places like crafts and trade to administration and http://viking.hgo.se 6 Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01 redevelopment of the whole city structure. and what a person could bring along was They were ”The Nice Vikings”. A majority of limited. The fjord was the Vikings' main all the thousands of Vikings that moved out highway, even inland lakes served the same Ancient remains of Norway during the Viking age to settle all purpose. Up until a hundred years ago over the British Isles and on the southern communities across the fjord were closer than from Iceland’s shores of the North Sea were gentle and well- the neighbor over the mountain. The færing behaved, and never did pillaging and longboat was the ”Volkswagen” of the Viking settlement period plundering. They left to get away from Age. It was needed for transport, famine, extortion or poverty to settle in a communication, fishing, egg collecting, found in more prosperous place. They brought their shuttling of wood and many other functions. skills along with their most important Small boats like færings are easy to make and Reykjavik, Iceland belongings, like craftsmanship tools. Some inexpensive compared to a large Viking ship. items we brought were exactly the same as There would be relatively few larger ship Archaeologists carrying out an the Vikings had brought, according to the built compared to smaller vessels. Like today, excavation in Adalstraeti, in the old finds from the excavation. an average citizen could own a small boat. I believe many emigrating Vikings could Many Vikings never got on board a big centre of Reykjavik, have found have used their small open boats. We have Viking ship. A good inshore vessel would be ancient remains dating back to the shown that this is not very difficult. Our sufficient to move a family or some period of Iceland’s settlement. main argument for this theory is that in the adventurous youngsters like us to Normandy Archaeologists believe that the finds, Viking age, Norwegians were much more or England, where they made friends and which were found underneath a wall dependent on their boats than they are today. started families. of later years, are from the first farm They were living by the fjord, bay or ”vik”. There is always the long road, and then in Reykjavik, built in the ninth or Travel over land was difficult and exhausting, the shortcut. Cutting straight across the tenth century. ocean is quite another challenge than coastal “Thus far we can only see the part or inshore sailing. Our boats are of the larger inshore types, rather small to use on the high where the new excavation-shaft cuts seas. That didn't stop me from trying to through it but we think it looks as if About the author: apply my navigational theories and test my it could be the remnants of a wall. Olaf T. Engvig grew up in Rissa, navigational skills by ocean sailing. I had We can’t see a floor so we cannot Norway where he was trained in acquired a lot of experience with my boat determine whether this has been the navigation and sailing as a young during the previous voyages and felt that the wall of a house, a stone fence system boy. He went to sea and holds a vessel was good enough to stand this test. It around a house or part of a pen,” deck officers license. He also has a would be a victory to have taken what we Cand Philol degree in maritime believe to be, the oldest known seaworthy history from the University of Oslo. vessel of this traditional Norwegian longboat He is an experienced square sailer type straight across to the other side only by Heritage News and a writer with several books on sail. Shetland is the nearest land, laying only maritime topics. At present he lives about 200 nautical miles to the west of in Burbank and is working on the Bergen. But these islands are small and says the archaeologist Mjöll emigration from Scandinavia to man without high mountains. If we missed them Snaesdóttir. the Pacific Coast Steam Schooners. the next land would be America some 3000 It is not certain that there are E-mail: [email protected] miles away. many ancient remains in the area The Viking Way, part 2 will be published but earlier excavations have proved in the next issue of VHM that there are remnants of houses from the tenth century in at least two locations in Adalstreati. Due to this, Mjöll says that this new finding did not come as a surprise but more as a pleasant confirmation of earlier suppositions. The excavation is being carried out in chronological order and now remains from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are being examined. Because of this it is going At Langesund, to take some time before undivided the sail, two attention will be given to the period thwarts and of Iceland’s settlement. Seven to one oar makes eight archaeologists are now working a fine tent for with the excavation. night shelter in an open boat. From Morgunbladi 13/2 2001 Photo: Olaf T. Engvig

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By Michael Neiß remembering that both types of literature found the theme of the half-witted slave a were accessible to the late medieval suitable addition. educated elite on the island. On the other This is the third and final part hand, invectives about slaves were less There is one more story from the of the series of articles exclusive, common knowledge to all Landnámabók that illustrates this narrative dealing with the phenomenon Icelanders. embellishment, telling us about a slave of slavery on Iceland in the According to popular expression, slaves called Nagli who ran away from a bloody Viking Age. The two previous are not only fools, cowards and thieves but fight, crying and obviously deeply shocked. also extremely ugly. In that context our In the Erbbyggja Saga however, Nagli is parts were published in VHM texts tell us with special affection about the not only a coward but also an idiot. He 3/00 and 4/00. dark skin and hooked noses of enslaved misinterprets the result of the battle men. There are scholars who would like to completely and is stupid enough to run Questioning the picture of slavery, we see anthropological evidence in these away from people of his own party. While will now focus on the Landnámabók descriptions, pointing out that many slaves fleeing he meets two other slaves who, (landtaking-book) as one of our main had Celtic blood. However we must be driven to despair, throw themselves off a sources for social structures during the extremely cautious with this kind of cliff to death. For the audience the event colonisation phase. That book has been interpretations. More likely, the darkness is was meant as an anecdote, but it shows us preserved in different editions/versions. meant symbolically (a common theme not clearly how little value a slave’s life was However we should emphasise a lack of unknown in our own culture). This supposed to have. historical authenticity; in some cases texts typified picture of slaves becomes part of Contempt for thralls is also expressed, exhibit the narrative-fictional style of the Sagas. The Landnámabók’s prime concern is the first person present at a place Sagas and Society III colonizing land – or donating land to another. So as to leave no doubt about How credible is the picture of owner rights the book also mentions the generations to come, including the family tree; in that way the ancestor is not only slavery in Icelandic Literature? placed locally but also genetically, so to speak. Slaves are only mentioned when of the vernacular, a common phrase that was when old Egil (Egils Saga) takes revenge on some importance in the course of the readily recognised by all listeners when his kind by hiding his treasures. Afterwards events. This means all cases when slaves used in literature. he proclaims the killing of the two slaves were liberated and received land, when a who had carried the box, which coincides freedman colonized land on his own, when We should recall that slaves are not perfectly with the laws about homicide (!), an enslaved noblewoman was redeemed, mentioned in all the Sagas. The number of otherwise no further attention is paid to when a colonizer kidnapped freedmen, slaves depends on the story’s milieu. As is the destiny of those killed. Only thralls when slaves ran away, when they killed the case in the Landnámabók, slaves are would be stupid enough to be killed by a their master or if anything out of the never described for their own sake but in senile, almost blind man... ordinary happened to slaves or freedmen. order to spur on the course of the events. The legal parallels indicate that there However thralls are never mentioned for We cannot suppose that all events are must be some connection to another text. their own sake. In many cases the main fictional; hence there is some strong And in fact, thanks to the Landnámabók objective is to express contempt for slaves. evidence for embellishment by some we know about the colonizer called Fitting quite well into that picture, the authors. Ketilbjörn who killed his two slaves (in that late Viking version of the Landnámabók A common theme, picturing the slaves’ case a man and a woman) in a similar tells us about the importance of keeping stupidity is the stereotype of the delayed situation. However the author shows the memory of the colonisation phase messenger. While a freeborn is able hardly any signs of pity here either. A slave alive, "so that we can better answer distinguish between important and seems to be nothing but a tool, which one strangers when they accuse us of unimportant, a slave is not capable of such can get rid of at any time and without any originating from thralls or criminals". The perception. In the Erbyggja Saga, Arnkel is bad conscience. lack of this very preface in the two later killed by pursuing enemies just because the manuscripts gives us some clue of how the only surviving slave forgets about to send Saga literature has many examples of importance of a proper ancestry had for help because haying seems a matter of masters making their slaves commit declined during the Sturlunga Age. greater importance to him. Quite crimes. In Njáls Saga, Hallger›, a interestingly, there is scarcely mention of a thoroughly evil woman, charges the slave, As further sources for the picture of slave in the story’s prototype in the Melkoff, to commit larceny and arson. slavery in Icelandic writing, Aris Landnámabók. Consequently, the author According to the listeners’ prejudice those Íslendigabók and literary models from the of the Erbyggja Saga has embroidered the were typical slave-like crimes. Nevertheless Continent can be mentioned, original story with a thrilling episode and in the beginning even the inferior

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Melkhoff refuses to do such things, identity: she actually shows signs of some making Hallger› appear even nastier. About the author: intelligence! fiorkel Krafla, on the other Characterizing the master by describing Michael Neiß has studied hand, was the son of an enslaved his slave is a popular stylistic method in Archaeology and Scandinavian noblewoman. Throughout the story, his Saga literature. Thus one could describe studies at the Humboldt University handsomeness is stressed such an extent any difference in character while of Berlin. In 1998 he continued his that there is hardly any doubt that the pretending to speak about the freeborn in studies of Archaeology at the average thrall is supposed to be rather ugly. an objective Saga-style. Sometimes, it University of Stockholm and now he Even the Vatnsdala Saga offers some fine is a student of comparative religion appears, the slave can be punished for his examples of insult, when our hero is called at the same University. His special illegal actions. And in fact, according to interests are: later Iron Age, an “ambáttarsonr”. law, a criminal thrall could be punished, ornamental art and iconography having lost his rights to protection, interspersed with religion and To summarize our investigation we can similarly to livestock when they stray to a society. note that Saga literature developed a foreign meadow. definite picture of slaves, with a given E-mail: [email protected] position in the narrative structure of the Two other well-known slave-themes in story, that being that a thrall is meant to be Icelandic literature are the “untied stupid, cowardly, thievish and ugly. One shoelaces” and “fatal presents” motives. thrall while he is tying his shoes the might wonder about the origins of that This is self-explanatory through the ritual freeborn expresses his contempt for slaves. stereotype. In that context we should concept of a present as a sign of esteem Fair and gentleman-like behavior is remember that there are a few centuries between equals. Consequently, a thrall is reserved only for people of one’s own kind. between the days the Sagas were meant to excluded from such things to begin with. If In the same way a freeborn can claim to take place and the time they were written not, the exchanged objects will be cursed. be invited home by the house’s owner and down. It seems quite unlikely that Melkoff’s arson is uncovered in this way, not only by his slave. Naturally according surviving invectives alone are to blame in since he left his knife at the place of crime. to the nature of Saga-literature, such a filling that tradition gap. Probably we have We even know about another slave request is only made when someone is to to deal with the more complex formation becoming the victim of his own weapon. be lured out for murder. Another narrative of a narrative theme. In the first chapter of the Gísli-Saga, Kol theme is insult. Calling one’s enemy a For some text examples we are able to happens to be killed by the sword Grási› a. ”firæll” is common author’s ploy to allow stress the influence of other literal sources, To die by one’s own sword is regarded as a events to escalate. However it is rather like the Landnámabók, Ari’s Ísendigabók great shame and by doing that the unusual for a slave to join the fighting. If and the written law. Nevertheless the deceased acts even more slave-like, so to this is the case, freeborn and slaves only possibility that some continental tradition speak. However his sword is found in a fight against equals according to Icelandic might have influenced Saga literature disastrous role even later on in the story. class ideology. cannot be rejected either. Actually, one Another slave in the Gísli-Saga, called would expect all these books to be part of fiord "the Coward", was stupid enough to Until this point we have only stressed the average monastery library on Iceland. take Gísli´s coat for a present, getting examples for a negative slave-stereotype. Consequently, that very fact increases killed in his place as a result. Hence the There are also some positive descriptions the probability of our hypothesis that Sagas author doesn’t feel especially sorry for poor of slaves, however only when there is a were written in the monasteries, at fiord: "his courage and his mind were each need to provide contrast to a bad slave. someone else’s request. In this context we other very like– he didn’t have any". Pity is shown only for some individual should make a remark of some interest: in Compared to that, the misfortune of the destinies, but never for slaves on the whole. Saga literature even representatives of the thrall Svart seems almost amusing to us. There was, in fact, a vivid interest for lower classes, such as beggar women, can In the Háva› ar Saga Ísfit› ings he is enslaved noblewomen. However, thrall act in slave-typical functions. Furthermore allowed to join the freeborn in their games. women are – probably due to a low there is hardly any clear distinction made However Svart turns out to be terribly number of surviving female slave children between húskarl (= farm-hand) and firæll. clumsy, tripping over his own shoelaces all – very rare in Saga literature. Nevertheless From the perspective of the late medieval the time. Apparently he simply is too we know over half of them by name, which upper class such distinctions had simply stupid to tie them properly. But from the indicates the narrative work done by the lost their relevance: referring to the new point of literature science that could hardly authors. In contrast, most slave men ideology, freeborn were not regarded as be a coincidence. In fact there are an over- remain anonymous. equals anymore. On the contrary, a strong proportionate number of slaves in A certain interest on the authors’ part feeling of contempt had developed for all Icelandic literature suffering from untied can also be perceived by reading about the people "down there", whether slaves or shoelaces. In Erbyggja Saga, an untied chieftain daughters Melkorka and Arnheid not! shoelace turns a slave’s fate around; he was (Laxdalssaga/Droplaugarsaga). Both of Literature sources: Hastrup, Culture and sent out to murder someone else but ends them are sensationally beautiful. Especially society on medieval Iceland, 1985; Wilde- up being killed. In Egils Saga a slave dares in Melkorka’s case it seems quite obvious Stockmeyer, Sklaverei auf Island, 1978 to treat a freeborn like an equal and that her entire description is contrived to challenges him to a duel: by killing the prepare for the later uncovering of her true

9 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01 Old stones in

an enormous activity that once existed here. The quern stones are not just a new light located on land, but are also found in the sea. In Alværstraumen, north of Bergen, a huge number of quern stones were found in the sea. The stones were part Stone was one of the most used raw materials By Kristine H. of a shipload! Once a ship loaded with more in prehistory. Since stone is better preserved Gabrielsen than 500 quern stones from Hyllestad was and doesn’t decay as much as other shipwrecked here. However no traces remain archaeological artefacts like textiles, metals and Irene Baug of the ship today, only the quern stones and wood, many of the stone artefacts survive remain. the wear and tear of time. Therefore stones The quern stones were widely distributed, have great information potential. Viking-age and have been found so far in Denmark, studies have often chosen to analyse artefacts Sweden, North-Germany, and the Faeroes made of other raw materials such as wood and on Iceland. But how old is the and metals. We, on the other hand, wish to production? There have been archaeological shed some new light on old stones. excavations in some of the quarries. The forthcoming results from this research will Stone quarries in Hyllestad give us further information about the time of Hyllestad, on the west cost of Norway, is an the production. Several quern stones of this area where many stone quarries have been origin have also been found in Bryggen in recorded. The village of Hyllestad is located Bergen, and are dated to between by Åfjorden, just north of the estuary of 1100–1400. But production goes even Sognefjorden, about 90 km north of Bergen. further back. In Lund quern stones from In the Viking Age and the Middle Ages Hyllestad are dated to the tenth century. In quern stones (ancient hand millstones) were Sweden and Denmark these stones have been produced here, and more than 30 big quern found in such numbers that they can be seen stone quarries are registered around the 15- as a result of an organised trade that began in km long Åfjord. Some quarries are located the late Viking Age. close by the sea, while others are located high surrounds the rocks, and make it difficult to Who were the people behind this large- up in the mountains. see what the original landscape looked like scale production? Owning the kinds of rock The quern stones had to be made of rocks prior to production. Visible traces tell us of suitable for quern stone production was or bigger stones and it was important to use probably a considerable source of income for suitable types of rock for this product. For the landowners. In the Middle Ages mostly instance these could be Mayen lava from the tenant farmers lived on the farms where the Rhine-area, schistose sandstone or muscovite- quarries are located. This might give us cause schist from Scandinavia. The natural to look for a bigger organisation or precondition for the production of quern ownership behind the mining industry in stones in Hyllestad has been the garnet- Hyllestad. muscovite-schist rock, which is located However not only quern stones were around the north- and east sides of Åfjorden. produced here. Smoke vents and stone vessels It is mainly the composition of the soft schist Stone cross were also made in these quarries, but the and the hard garnets that makes the rock so from Gard in most enigmatic products from Hyllestad were suitable for milling. The hard garnets were Haugesund. the stone crosses. worn down more slowly then the schist, so The cross is that the surface of the quern stones remained 2.8 meters Norway’s Ancient Stone Crosses rough, and made the stone effective for tall. The cross The largest number of stone crosses can be grinding. was probably found in Ireland and Great Britain. About In the Hyllestad quarries the quern stones produced in 300 are located in this area. There is a small were formed directly on the rocks, and Hyllestad. offshoot of this sculpture tradition in thereafter broken off. Today we can still see Photo: Scandinavia. There are a few stone crosses in the circles on the rock walls as a result of the Kristine H. Denmark and Sweden. In Sweden most of production. In some quarries we can still find Gabrielsen. these crosses are located on the islands of quern stones attached to the rock wall on Gotland and Öland. Norway is quite special which they were formed. For some reason in Scandinavia, in terms of stone crosses. these stones were never removed. Numerous Here we find the largest number. We know of large mounds of stone waste from this work 62 well documented stone crosses. http://viking.hgo.se 10 Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01

Unfortunately we only have written One of the two crosses from accounts of some of these. Most of Eivindvik. The cross is 2.85 these crosses are/were located on the meters tall. The cross was west coast of Norway, in the counties probably produced in Hyllestad. of Rogaland, Hordaland and Sogn og Photo: Kristine H. Gabrielsen. Fjordane. In Rogaland there are 24 well-documented stone crosses, while Sogn og Fjordane and Hordaland have 19 and 10 stone crosses respectively. It is interesting to note this, at times, chaotic scenario. that Rogaland and Sogn og Fjordane There are many legends also have the largest number of connected to the stone crosses. St insular finds, i.e. objects from Ireland Olaf is mentioned as being and Great Britain, in Norway. responsible for the erection of many The garnet-muscovite-schist rock of the crosses, e.g. the two stone in Hyllestad is easily recognized. crosses in Eivindvik, and Sogn og Based on visual geological Fjordane. On his missionary journey examinations of the surface of the along the coast of West Norway he stone crosses, many of these have been stopped at several places to preach traced back to the Hyllestad quarries. and perform baptism. At some About 20 of the 62 crosses in Norway locations, crosses were raised to were probably produced here. hallow the area. Stories also tell of Stone crosses are one of the largest him shooting the red garnets into sculptural manifestations we have the crosses. Although these legends from the Middle Ages. The West are very fascinating, scientists have Cross at Monasterboice in Ireland is focused on other aspects. First, they 6.7 meters high. In Norway the thought that some crosses were a tallest are about 4 meters, though the kind of a memorial to the dead. We Norwegian crosses usually range know, you see, that many of them from 1.5 to 3 meters in height. were actually located on grave The crosses from Rogaland, mounds. Later, however scientists Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane Stone crosses are rather difficult to date. have seen this as a symbol instead, telling have different shapes, although two types Usually there is little iconography and text others in the community that the family characterise many of them. First there is the that can give us any indication of time frame. represented by the grave mound had Norwegian-Celtic type. These have straight Nevertheless it is generally agreed that most converted to Christianity. Thus the cross arms with circled angles. In the other, the of the crosses from West Norway date back to became a vehicle for communication. By Norwegian-Anglican type, lines form half the period between approx. 900–1100 A.D. erecting such a large symbol, as indeed these circles between the arms and the shaft. These This is a very interesting archaeological crosses are, a very important message was types are clearly an Irish and British period. It is characterised by the Viking raids, conveyed. New results concerning the reasons inspiration. In addition to these two types, the state formation process and the change in why they chose to erect these crosses are we have some stone crosses that many call religion from heathendom to Christianity. It forthcoming. New archaeological theory is primitive. This rather derogatory term is is a period of great, dramatic changes. To find included in this study with the purpose of based on their rough and simple shape. out why these stone crosses were erected, seeing the crosses in a new light. Perhaps different shapes represent different researchers have tried to connect them to time periods? Are these old stones available today? Today, it is possible to visit many of these Destroyed quern stone found during excavations in the quarries in Hyllestad. Photo: interesting locations. We recommend a trip Irene Baug. to Hyllestad, where a stone quarry park is in progress. If you have a car, most of the stone crosses are easily accessed. The authorities in Rogaland have put up signs and information boards at the different locations. In tourist brochures from Sogn og Fjordane, you will also find some information pertaining to some of the crosses, e.g. Eivindvik and Svanøy. Otherwise we recommend making inquiries at the local museums.

About the authors Irene Baug and Kristine Holme Gabrielsen study archaeology at the University of Bergen. They are both writing their master degrees on the issues mentioned above. E-mail: [email protected]

11 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01

Vikings in Wales An Archaeological Quest

By Mark Redknap. Published by National Museums & Galleries of Wales, Cardiff 2000.

ISBN 07200-0486-1

By Gro Steinsland ISBN 82-530-2227-1 Pax Førlag 2000 The book is only available in Norwegian.

The holy king New Religion and royal power from book! Viking Age to Middle Ages We who live in Scandinavia are well aware of the Vikings’ impact on England, Den hellige kongen – The Holy King deals with the Ireland and Scotland, as well as on the islands of Orkney and Shetland. But the religious and political transition in Norway during the Vikings also affected Wales in many ways, since Wales lay along usual important th th end of the 10 century and early 11 century. The sailing routes. Mark Redknap, curator of Medieval & Later Archaeology at the concept of sacred monarchy National Museums & Galleries of Wales, has written a fascinating and beautifully connected the Norse religion produced book about the Viking history of Wales. The book not only concerns with Christendom, and was actual objects and events connected directly with Wales, but gives also a broad New the foundation for the view of the Vikings in general. In line with this, a comprehensive time line in the book! success of the new faith and back of the book shows the Viking events paralleled in Britain and Ireland on one political centralisation. The hand and the continent on the other hand Viking-age ideas, traditions and The reader is introduced to the earliest records of Viking in Wales, and can religious concepts regarding the holy king then follow the story through time in comprehensive and easy reading through the created the necessary conditions for development from book. Chapters like ”The First coming”, ”The later raids”, ”The End in Wales” carry the heathen Viking Age to Christian Middle Ages the reader through the story of the Vikings in Wales. Parallel to this time line, within Scandinavian societies. there are chapters dealing with different aspects of the Viking and their world in a The author investigates the importance of ideology more general way, like ”House and Home”, ”Dress”, and ”Death and Burial”. and mentality; the signification of cultural believes Putting all new evidence together in a book like this gives a very good picture expressed in Norse myths, symbols and rituals. She of the historical traces of Vikings in Wales. Much credit must be given for the describes these subjects from a wide contextual and excellent illustrations in the book. Dan Carlsson interdisciplinary view.

Would you like to learn how to sail a Viking For more information: How to sail ship this summer? [email protected] A practical and theoretical course will be phone: +45 46 300 200 held at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, fax: +45 46 300 256 the single Denmark this summer from June 18 – 22, in co-operation with the Danish National Viking Ship Museum square sail Museum’s Centre for Maritime Archaeology Att: Poul Nygaard (NMF). An experienced crew from Viking Vindeboder 12 Ship Museum will teach you how to handle P. O. Box 298 Heritage News boats and sail them. The course will be 4000 Roskilde taught in English. Denmark

http://viking.hgo.se 12 Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01

The Mästermyr Project

By Don Plummer “A proposal to duplicate the chest and objects of the Mästermyr Find for display at the 2002 ABANA Conference in LaCrosse, WI.”

With these words a group of about 30 enthusiastic blacksmiths scattered across America have set out to test their blacksmithing skill at a Viking reproduction. In a spontaneous burst of energy that Copyright: National Museum of Antiquities, Sweden followed the ABANA (Artists Blacksmiths Association of North America) in Flagstaff, AZ this past July, a few individuals who regularly communicate on a blacksmith/ metalworking internet site 2) provide a traveling exhibit for the purposes of public education; identified as theForge, decided to duplicate the items in this find. 3) further an awareness and appreciation of the art and craft of The Mästermyr Find, as many of you may already be aware, blacksmithing; occurred in 1936 on Gotland, an island off the coast of Sweden, 4) demonstrate that theForge is a viable instrument for supporting when a farmer plowing a recently drained swampland was stopped and furthering the goals and interests of ABANA; by something buried in the ground. When he dismounted to 5) present blacksmithing as an ancient craft of profound identify the problem he found his plowshare entangled in an old significance to nearly all world cultures past; chain. As he dug deeper he found the chain wrapped around a 6) present and showcase the talents of smiths from all regions in chest that contained the most wondrous things. It was a treasure the states. chest… a treasure chest full of tools. Through a selection process using the eGroups function Subsequent investigations over the years by Sweden's most available to the internet as well as its associated polling feature, learned archaeologists have identified it to be a tool chest from the individuals volunteered for specific item(s) to reproduce. Generally Viking Age. The chest was full of over 130 tools and objects in use speaking, individuals selected items commensurate with their skill by blacksmiths and carpenters and is estimated to be nearly 1000 level. The selection process continued until all of the items were YEARS OLD! A book detailing this find was assembled in 1983 selected and there appeared to be an equitable distribution to all. by Greta Arwidsson and Gösta Berg but it had gone out of print. Once the ‘controlled’ selection process was completed and The book was revived last year by Norman Larson of the Larson ”primary” artifact identified the participants were also encouraged Publishing Company and it elicited quite a bit of interest in the to recreate any other item or items from the original collection as blacksmithing community. So much so, in fact, that it incited the ”secondary” artifacts; volunteers of theForge to recreate these items for the American Plans call for the project to be finished with the actual material public to see. work by 1/31/2002, leaving several months time to collect the The proposal from theForge is to have volunteers form this site items, mark each piece with a project touchmark, and finalize the accurately recreate the artifacts of the Mästermyr. Find in order to: collection's ultimate disposition, which we hope will be to travel between various museums worldwide to serve as an instrument of 1) provide the opportunity to investigate ancient manufacturing public awareness, education, and edification. methods: Although we have not yet received confirmation from the ABANA offices it is hoped that they will provide the collection with its first public venue during the conference set for 2002 in About the author: LaCrosse, Wisconsin. It is believed that this collection of recreated Don Plummer is a part-time blacksmith and metal artifacts to be especially appropriate given the long history of worker who supports this activity by working as an Scandinavian culture and tradition in this region of the United independent management consultant. He frequently States. write articles for the Anvil’s Ring which is published by the Artist Blacksmith Association of North America as Http://www.geocities.com/Mastermyr/index.html well as for various local artists-blacksmith chapters. He E-mail: [email protected] has a couple of books published on colonial wrought iron and project management and live in Phoenixville, The project was originally conceived by Robert Fertner at Pennsylvania with his wife and a one-eyed cat. [email protected] and is being managed by Andy Vida who is at [email protected] . The site is being monitored and maintained by E-mail: [email protected] Phil Whitley at [email protected] and Don Plummer’s role in the project is as correspondent reporter.

13 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01 Lindholm Høje Monument and Museum

By Tommy Jensen outskirts of Norresundby. From the centre Høje was protected as an ancient of Aalborg, it is only 15 minutes by bus. monument. Lindholm Høje is one of the most The very excavations and the beautiful ancient monuments from late Background and History remarkable results attracted enormous Iron Age and Viking Age in Denmark. Since the end of 19th century it has been attention from both academic circles and Standing at the top of the burial site you known that ridges north of Aalborg held among the locals. relics from our ancient time. In the get a magnificent view of the many stone In 1965 the first proposals were made summer of 1889 the National Museum settings and can feel the locality’s to build a museum building and a small in Denmark made the first connection with the Limfjord that has restaurant. Public interest in Lindholm archaeological excavations of two ship- obviously been an important link to the Høje was so great that the municipality shaped and one circular stone setting on outside world both internationally and of Norresundby that owned the area the hills. But many years should pass regionally. decided to work for the establishment of before the decision was made to The Lindholm Høje Museum is public facilities. During the years up to undertake a full-scale excavation of the discreetly located in the immediate 1989 many proposals for a new museum whole area. vicinity west of the burial site. Inside the building were prepared but, due to museum the visitor will experience a In 1952 the National Museum in financial problems, plans were not comprehensive exhibition showing the Denmark in corporation with Aalborg realised. daily life and burial customs of the Historical Museum started a large-scale Then in 1989 the dream of a museum inhabitants of the village and its excavation of Lindholm Høje that lasted became a reality. In connection with its connections with the world outside for six years. centenary celebration the largest Lindholm Høje. The result was the exposure of one of industrial factory in Aalborg, Aalborg From the museum café there is the most beautiful and imposing ancient Portland Cement Factory, presented the beautiful scenery southwest along the monuments in Denmark from about city of Aalborg with a new museum Limfjord and the marine landscape. 400 AD and into the 12th century. When building on Lindholm Høje. The Lindholm Høje is situated in the the excavation was finished the whole responsibility of museum was then northern part of Jutland, Denmark on the area was seeded with grass and Lindholm handed over to the Aalborg Historical Museum. The official opening of Lindholm Høje Museum took place on June 16, 1992, after three years of organising and setting up an extensive exhibition, thus fulfilling a long-felt wish.

Lindholm Høje Museum today The museum is today a well-organised site museum, a branch of Aalborg Historical Museum, with exhibition, film facilities, information, museum shop and café. Visitors from all over the world come to this unique ancient monument. Daily opening hours have been adjusted to meet different needs. Visitor frequency varies greatly depending on the season, with winter season the obvious down period. During this period opening hours are reduced. The museum An enactment of a burial at Lindholm Høje. Photo: Jan Sloth Carlsen, Aalborg is open every Tuesday and Sunday. On Historical Museum. Tuesdays mostly schools and institutions http://viking.hgo.se 14 Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01

Stone settings at Lindholm Høje. Photo: Jan Sloth Carlsen, Aalborg Historical Museum.

frequent the museum and on Sundays Together this working group is trying combining a guided visit with the locals are likely to pay a visit to create some exciting activities based subsequent dining in the museum café combined with a cup of coffee in the on the Viking Age. even outside opening hours. Interest in museum café. The Viking re-enactment group, ordering a “museum evening” is At the start of the summer season Lindholm Høje, organises an annual increasing and societies and private from Easter until high summer and from Viking bazaar where Viking re- companies in particular are taking the the last part of the summer season until enactment groups from all over the opportunity to offer their members or the end of October mainly schools and country gather to show their Viking-age employees a cultural and culinary groups visit the museum as a part of skills and at the same time the Viking evening. The museum café is likewise their studies. During the summer we performing group stages an open-air used for seminaries, meetings and have a large number of individual theatre where the monument is part of lectures. persons and groups from home and the scenery. The story of the play is on The Lindholm Høje Museum has abroad. the theme of the Viking Age on gradually built up a large collection of It is very important for the museum Lindholm Høje. video films on the subject of the Viking to greet all our visitors with an Midsummer Eve is also a recurrent Age and the Iron Age. This collection is introduction in mainly their own event where the history and the widely used by the many visiting school language. Therefore we have published a character of the site add a special groups as a guided visit. It means that small leaflet in six different languages. atmosphere to the evening. the duration of visits often is more than The exhibition texts are only in Danish The Lindholm Høje Museum has an two hours. and have been translated into English, important role in co-ordinating and German and French. acting as the gathering-place for the Thoughts and Visions Besides a joint brochure from North many different activities that take place A site museum is often based on a Jutland county and Aalborg Historical during the year. permanent exhibition that reflects a Museum a special brochure has been A main day-to-day activity in the certain locality and period of time. The composed for Lindholm Høje with museum operations is undoubtedly problem with this is that it can result in English and German subtitles. This verbal communication where the the exhibition becoming obsolete. brochure is a result of a close co- monument combined with the However if the exhibition is able to operation between the local Viking re- exhibition provides a perfect frame for a maintain a high grade of quality and enactment group and the Viking plays living interpretation of the Viking Age. wide objectives, adjustments in terms of on Lindholm Høje. This co-operation Schools and institutions use our guides new archaeological interpretations will has been formalised in a working group as an integrated part of their lessons. The ensure its being continuously brought with representatives from Aalborg numbers of tourist groups, societies and up-to-date Historical Museum, Lindholm Høje private companies being guided in Our exhibition still has excellent Museum, the Viking enactment group Danish as well as English language are academic qualities and is able to present Lindholm Høje, the Viking performing increasing at present. Nowadays the a good interpretation of Lindholm Høje group and the Department of Cultural Museum café is run by the museum, especially the daily life in the Viking Affairs in Aalborg. which allows for the possibility of Age. It is vital that we retain the present

15 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01

Viking Age Iceland By Jesse Byock

Published by Penguin, 2001

The popular image of the Viking Age is a time of warlords and marauding bands pillaging their way along the shores of Northern Europe. Yet, as Jesse Byock reveals in this deeply fascinating and important history, the society founded by Norsemen in Iceland was far from this picture. It was, in fact, an independent, almost republican Free State, without warlords or kings, or even armies. Combining history and anthropology, this remarkable study From the exhibitions in the museum. Photo: Jan Sloth Carlsen, Aalborg Historical explores in rich detail all aspects of Museum. Viking-age life: feasting, farming and battling with level of activities where verbal I do believe that it is important that communication plays a central role, as site museums create special exhibitions mentioned above. complementary to their permanent We are looking for new video films exhibitions. This could be a way of New for our collection and we are interested keeping up the interest of the local in any new information readers can public. This kind of initiative will be book! supply us with. Video films in different relevant for Lindholm Høje Museum in languages are of great interest. the future. In the future I think it is very Work at the museum includes re- important to make a special effort for enactment of the Viking Age and the the adult public. Adults of today often Viking re-enactment group is an lead very busy lives where there is less important supplement to our activities time for absorption. At the same time but it is not our goal to compete with the group of adults who have retired the established historical villages or to the elements, the from their active working life is aim for a permanent re-constructed power of chieftains and the church, increasing. In my day-to-day work I feel environment at Lindholm Høje. marriage, the role of women and a growing interest among groups and I think that the Internet will have a kinship. It shows us how law courts, societies in participating in museum very central role in marketing Lindholm which favoured compromise over arrangements where the verbal Høje Museum. A professionally- violence, often prevented disputes over communication is the main venue. designed website will enable us to relay land, livestock or insults from knowledge, create a dialogue and assist becoming “blood feuds”. In fact, in in planning a visit to the Lindholm Høje Iceland we can see a prototype site. democracy in action, which thrived for About the author: Still I believe that the Monument, the 300 years until it came under the Tommy Jensen is responsible for exhibition and the original artefacts control of the King of Norway in the day-to-day management, employed must be seen and experienced in person. 1260's. at the museum since 1991. He has This was a unique time in history, participated in the creation of the which has long perplexed historians exhibition and organisation of the Lindholm Høje Museum and archaeologists, and which provides Lindholm Høje Museum. Among Vendilavej 11 – 9400 Nørresundby us today with fundamental insights other duties he is involved in Telefon 0045 96 310428 into sometimes forgotten aspects of archaeological surveying. He is Fax 0045 98 175562 western society. By interweaving his trained in shipping, and as a E-mail: [email protected] http: own original and innovative research carpenter, construction technician with masterly interpretations of the and surveyor. www.aahm.dk Old Icelandic Sagas, Jesse Byock brings it brilliantly to life. http://viking.hgo.se 16 Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01 Give us the myths!

One thing the Vikings were In recent years a growing consciousness has emerged concerning the sure of was the value of old importance of innovative means for displaying items and visualising tales. They told them at their archaeology and history in museums and exhibitions. New interpretations gatherings. They carved them and ideas are not always easy to adopt, not to mention put into practical in stone. They wrote them on use. We at Viking Heritage welcome a debate about the public display parchment. Evidence can be and interpretation of the Vikings. found all over Scandinavia. The phrase on the Rök Stone - “sagum mogminni” – is just one proof of this. Varin, a father who has lost his son, writes the inscription. To The Sigurd honour his carving from dead son the 11th Varin century scholars have illustrates apparently makes put together these exhibitions, the story of several allusions to old tales. collecting all kinds of findings. The Sigurd, the To him the tales seem to be visitor is given facts on weight and date dragon slayer. Copyright: Museum of much more than mere and style. The problem is just that the average visitor can’t take it in. A display of National Antiquities, entertainment. But do we tell items is just not enough for him or her. Stockholm. the tales of the Viking Age? They want to be thrilled; they want to enter a different world and a different Anyone who has an interest in the old time. This is just what storytelling does. thousand years old! Many of the visitors sagas and myths can easily find them. At Capturing the audience’s imagination it mentioned the show as one of the the university library or historic bookstore can make the past come to life. highlights of their visit. we can find the Icelandic sagas and Today the trend at Scandinavian literature that help us study runic Using the myth museums seems to be turning away from inscriptions. And certainly the sagas are When opening the Gold Room at the the sagas. The idea apparently being that scrutinised by linguists and saga experts all Museum of National Antiquities in they are not scientific enough. The newly over the world. But is this really telling the Stockholm in 1994 we produced a opened museum in Old Uppsala, Sweden, tales? multimedia show based on the myth of illustrates this. This museum deals with The natural place to tell these tales Sigurd Fafnesbane as it is told in the Eddas the period just prior to the Viking Age. would be at museums. But in most Viking and elsewhere. This saga to a large extent However the connection with the Viking- museums the sagas – and on a more revolves around a gold treasure that once age Uppsala is obvious. Throughout the general level, storytelling – have been long belonged to a dwarf. (Yes, Wagner used ages this has been the location for a large overlooked as a way of getting to know the the same tale to compose one of the number of myths, be it Snorri’s sagas of Vikings. Instead exhibitors pile up swords, masterpieces of opera, the story of the kings of the Ynglinga dynasty or Adam old coins and other findings, expecting the Siegfried and the Rhinegold trilogy.) of Bremen’s vivid description of the pagan visitors to look at them in awe. And do Using this myth we were able to convey temple he claimed lay at Uppsala. The they? Quite often, they don’t. To them to the audience the mystic qualities museum producers however have made these are just abstract objects often attributed to gold throughout the their prime objective to deconstruct all without any context at all. There is no migration and Viking period. This – we these myths. None of them is true, and story connected to them and therefore felt – was an important complement in therefore not worth telling. A large effort they lose meaning. Even if every object understanding the gold items on display. actually goes into “killing the myths”! cannot possibly tell a story, every Viking Gold was never just pieces of metal but a To me this is a misunderstanding of exhibition could include at least one material embodied with all kinds of just what myths are and how we can use Viking tale in one way or another. supernatural qualities. To illustrate the them. I do not say they should be told as The museums in Scandinavia have long show we used the famous Sigurd carving truths. Whether the Ynglinga king formed a part of the academic world. on Ramsundberget in Sörmland, Sweden. Domalde really existed and was sacrificed Highly educated archaeologists and other In a way we recycled pictures almost a because of crop failure at Uppsala is not

17 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01 the issue. The point is that for many definitively add flavour to any Viking centuries this myth has been told about exhibition, making a place or event come Uppsala. It contains many of the ideas to life. circulating at the time, the meaning of There are different techniques that can sacrifice, the role of the Uppsala kings, be used to do the actual “telling”. One way and the importance of the place itself. is to rely on technology or multimedia. The texts at the museum in Old This technique stems from the now Uppsala now mainly deal with what slightly old-fashioned slide show. The Uppsala was not. And how different shows now being stored on CD and DVD groups from 19th century nationalists to often including moving images and the pro-nazis of the 40’s have misused computer design. This can be further it. This is, of course, a good cause expanded into full-scale multimedia but just what remains when all the shows, integrating film, light, myths are declared non-scientific sound, special effects, set design and washed away? and props. A special show- The Anglo-Saxon world is room or theatre is generally better off in this respect. the best way to stage these Generally they know the value saga shows, putting the of putting on a show and audience in a secluded place storytelling is regarded more where the actual storytelling as a resource. Re-enactment is not disturbed by hoards of groups, historical plays or visitors talking and walking imaginative set designs at about. (Unfortunately this The Torsätra rune stone is erected by a museums in Britain and the showroom is seldom mother, Una, to her dead son, Öystein. US help trigger the visitors’ available. Exhibition Copyright: Museum of National imagination. Using new producers have at best Antiquities, Stockholm. technology often comes reserved a corner where natural in these countries. they’ve written Or is it because many “multimedia” on their museums are run by drawings. Here some media is the use of audioguides, portable CD- or Sagum mogminni… mp3-players, that can tell the tale “on private trusts that know I say the folktale… producer will be called in a demand” when a visitor wants to include a that they simply must From the runic inscription few weeks before the myth or two in their museums visit. attract great audiences? At on the Rök stone. The Rök exhibition opens to fill the any rate, I believe this is the stone in Östergötland in corner with sounds and Another unconventional way is simply to way to go. “Vikingar!” in Sweden contains the pictures that, unfortunately, use set design in creating a “saga-like” Largs, Scotland, Jorvik world’s longest rune stone quite often clash with the environment without any actual words Viking Center and inscription. Long passages rest of the exhibition.) being spoken. In Iceland the farm of Hastings have been in the allude to old tales. But multimedia is not Stöng, known from Burnt-Njals saga, has forefront but their Copyright: Museum of the only way. Staging a play, been excavated and preserved. A Scandinavian colleagues National Antiquities, a monologue or using reconstructed Stöng farm has been erected have been slow to follow. Stockholm. storytelling in guiding are some distance from the actual site of the Many Scandinavians now other ways to introduce the original farm. This reconstructed farm, find that they need to go abroad to get the telling of tales to the audience without together with the remains of the original most out of their “Viking visit” to a site or relying on expensive technology. The site, is also a saga-like way of bringing the museum. actress Brynja Benediksdóttir put on the past to life. The surroundings and the saga one-woman play “The Saga of Gudridr” in ties, together with the splendid scenery How to tell the tale? connection with the millennium carry the visitor back in time in a sense. What are we to do then? What should the celebration of the Vinland voyages. This aim be? The first step is mental. Museum monologue won much approval and in Una’s story managers, producers and architects must quite a simple way made the Vinland At present I’m involved in producing the be aware of the value of the sagas and travels come to life from a woman’s content for a more advanced personal myths. These should be integrated parts of viewpoint. Gudridr is more or less the guide-device for the Museum of National any Viking exhibition, regarded not as main character in The Saga of Erik the Antiquities in Stockholm. In June they “old rubbish” but resources in opening the Red, one of the sagas telling about how will open their new Viking exhibition. doors to our Viking past. Snorri and his Icelanders travelled to Vinland. The play The visitors will then be equipped with an fellow Icelandic writers are of course the was primarily a theatre project but was electronic “message-pad” designed by prime source for this but not the only one performed in connection with various Ericsson. The pad consists of a small by far. Almost everywhere in Scandinavia Vinland exhibitions in 2000. Tearing portable screen that the visitors carry with as well as in Great Britain and elsewhere down the traditionally high walls between them in the exhibition. The unit also has a there are local tales and traditions, the museum world and the world of little earphone connected to it. The pad monuments, grave mounds or rune theatre is also a way of promoting uses the Bluetooth technique so carvings that can inspire writers and storytelling in our museums. everything is wireless and material is producers. Using this material will There are even more possibilities. One stored not in the message-pads but in a http://viking.hgo.se 18 Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01 central storage place in the museum. Apart from text and complementary pictures the pad will also contain a “personal guide” that tells the visitors about the different Genetic research for objects in a more subjective way. In this way we can introduce an element of storytelling with this device. Our starting point is a rune stone called Vikings in Britain the Torsätra stone. The inscription on the By Michael Cunningham there have been through time. stone mentions one Una, a woman who The tests are reliable insofar as their had the stone erected to her son Öystein, In early July 2000 a study was announced accuracy will, in a sense, tell us how the who died in white clothes. (To die in in which it was proposed to use DNA DNA between populations differ. The white clothes means he was baptised just analysis to help determine the Viking problem comes in interpreting what the before he died.) Using the inscription we heritage of the British Isles. The study is differences mean. For example, if common will hear Una herself in an actress’ voice being conducted by Professor Goldstein at Scandinavian DNA types are found in telling her story as we can construct it University College, London the results of Britain this suggests that there has been a from the rune stone. A minute or two will which may be reflected in an upcoming Scandinavian genetic input. However, give us enough time to hear the story BBC television programme: ”Blood of the since the Normans that invaded from the about her dead son and what white clothes Vikings”. Professor Sykes, of Oxford south were also of Viking stock then any actually mean. Una will then be “standing University is also conducting a study, that Scandinavian genes could also have been by” in the message-pad throughout the of the ”Genetic Atlas Project” which, as introduced through this route, so the exhibition, giving her views on found part of its function, will also be looking at results will have to be approached with aspects like this in mind. The DNA treasures, swords and excavated graves. the Viking Heritage of the British Isles. A nation-wide appeal was launched for analysis, when coupled with other forms of This is also a kind of storytelling inviting male volunteers, as males hold both X and historical research, may be a way of visitors to use their own imagination. Y chromosomes and thus may be better in reducing the number of equally likely Starting from an existing story – the providing and overall picture of the pattern hypotheses, although the full extent of the Torsätra inscription – the story is of male and female ancestral lines. The usefulness of a project such as this remains expanded for a modern audience. volunteers where selected from twenty-two to be seen. At this stage it is unclear just Hopefully Viking museums around the specific towns and cities in the British Isles how much DNA analysis will add to what world, especially in Scandinavia, will make ranging from Stornoway to Penzance and is already known about the Viking Period more use of myths and tales in their including the Isle of Man and Ireland, but it has, by its nature, the ability to add museums in the future. Visitors will then comparative samples being obtained from to this knowledge. get much more than just a display of other areas of Europe. The volunteers were There are several other groups objects. They will also gain access to a part provided with a DNA kit by which they researching human population genetics at of the Viking treasure that lies in the tales. would remove cells from the inside of their the moment such as ”deCODE” in Iceland cheeks by a ”mouth-swab”. (a commercial company) but the study at Hjalmar Olsson Once Professor Goldstein’s study is University College London is the only one completed, which should be around fifteen being conducted in respect of the British months from inception, the results should Isles. see fruition in ”Blood of the Vikings”, What are the hopes for the study? To be which should air mid to late 2001. able to understand more about the forces Archaeologist Julian Richards, who will that drive evolution per se, e.g. to present the documentary, hopes that the discriminate between the elimination of study will further illuminate this period of types through chance (for example if history relative to the Viking Age and their population size becomes very small) and impact upon the British Isles including selection for particular types. It is further settlement patterns and interrelationships hoped that the study will be able to with its indigenous peoples. complement previous anthropological I was fortunate to be able to speak with studies in an attempt to understand our About the Author: Dr. Sarah Goodacre who is involved in the recent and more ancient past. Hjalmar Olsson is a freelance ”Genetic Atlas Project” and she related that the study is likely to build on the large scriptwriter and producer with a About the author: focus on making the past come amount of data that already exists Michael Cunningham is an to life through drama and surrounding the Viking Age, the study will hope to add a ”genetic” element to same. archaeologist living and working in storytelling, often including modern Ireland. He is also taking part in technology. He is currently The study itself, while not specifically involved in the forthcoming documentary, the study, although his main producing the content for an distraction is prehistoric electronic message pad for the has been ongoing for the last four years as part of the Genetic Atlas Project studying Scandinavia. He is presently Museum of National Antiquities studying the Viking Age and its data not just pertaining to the Viking Sweden, as mentioned in the article. subsequent impact on North Period but hoping to develop a genetic Western Europe. [email protected] map of the British Isles which will help to E-mail: [email protected] http://www.home.sol.se/hjalmar.olsson interpret what overall genetic influences (e.g. through invasions, immigrations etc.)

19 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01

Aerial view of old Scatness. Copyright: Shetland Amenity Trust

By Val Turner and Steve Dockrill Old Scatness – an The Iron Age site of Old Scatness is situated close to the southern tip of Shetland, the most northerly group of islands in Britain. At the centre of the Iron Age Village with site there is a broch, an Iron Age tower, found along the coastlines of the north and west of Scotland, Viking Residents? and occupied about 2000 years ago. After identified by steatite researcher Amanda the broch had gone out Foster as having direct parallels to those of use, the site found in graves in southern Norway and continued to be dated between 752-850 AD. A central occupied during the long hearth in the building, Iron Age, and a contemporary with these finds, has been number of houses of dated to between 850-960 AD by assorted styles grew up archaeomagnetic dating. Another around the tower. wheelhouse may have been used in its Now, inspite of the lack of a typical later stages as a skeo, a building for Viking house in the excavated area, there drying or perhaps smoking, fish. We is evidence that early Viking settlers to have found the skeletons of the fish Shetland re-used several of the late Iron which had had their heads cut off, before Age buildings in the village at Old being hung up. Scatness. Meanwhile a Pictish building nearby Among the late Iron Age buildings also contained several Viking objects there are at least two of a type known as including a steatite line sinker whose “wheelhouses”, because they resemble closest parallel comes from Rogaland. the shape of a wheel in plan. One of We also found similar objects made in these has been found to contain Viking ceramics, which suggests that the native objects: loom weights, steatite bowl population were adopting Viking ideas fragments, bakestones and spindle Visitors view the site. Copyright: to their own crafts. These Vikings whorls. The steatite bowls have been Shetland Amenity Trust literally burnt their boats when they http://viking.hgo.se 20 Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01 came to Scatness: the rivets from the clinker-built boat still lay where they had fallen into the fire as the wood burned. When the Pictish building was abandoned, it was used to dump rubbish in. This midden infill contained evidence of flax, and is the first time that it appears on the site. Flax is a crop which seems to have been introduced into Scotland by the Vikings. There is clear evidence of Viking settlement, both in terms of cultural association and due to the large assembly of Norse artefacts, some of which are associated with native objects. One possible explanation for this is could be trade between Pictish natives and the Vikings, although the amount of incoming goods would be considerable. Alternatively, it is entirely possible that we are seeing the colonisation of this Small wheelhouse. Viking reuse, including as a ‘skeo’ for fish drying/smoking. high status Pictish farm, with rich Copyright: Shetland Amenity Trust farming lands, by the incoming Vikings. Old Scatness would be a very desirable remains of other periods. The project is boards will be put up at number of place to live in. The intermixture of the also creating a visitor attraction at the Viking sites throughout the length of two cultures could result from inter- site, with guided tours, living history, Shetland and leaflets will also help to marriage, slave taking or association with and exhibitions whilst the excavation is guide people to some of the the local population. The implication is in progress. We are building and roofing Viking/Norse highlights in the islands. that Old Scatness may have been a replicas of some of the buildings which Contact address: Shetland Amenity native village with incoming Viking have been excavated. When the village Trust, 22-4 North Road, Lerwick, residents. excavation has been completed, next Shetland, ZE1 0NQ Phone: 01595 Old Scatness is being excavated by the summer, areas of the site will be 694688 University of Bradford as part of a wider consolidated to allow year round public heritage project, run by Shetland access. Amenity Trust. The project includes Old Scatness is also being included in Sponsors: BP Exploration Operating Company Ltd, EC field survey, which is identifying other the Shetland-wide Viking trail, being put Objective 1 Programme, Historic Scotland, Pilgrim potential sites of Viking settlement in together under the Interreg North Sea Trust, Robert Kiln Trust, Scottish Hydro Electric the area, as well as the earthwork Viking Legacy Project. Interpretive Plc, Scottish Natural Heritage, Shetland Amenity Trust, Shetland Enterprise Company, Shetland Islands Council, Shetland Islands Council (Charitable Trust), University of Bradford.

About the authors: Steve Dockrill is a Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Bradford and is directing the excavation e-mail: [email protected] Val Turner is the County Archaeologist, and is directing the survey and co-ordinating the project for Shetland Amenity Trust e-mail: shetamenity.trust @zetnet.co.uk Pictish house, reused by Vikings. Copyright: Shetland Amenity Trust

21 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01

By Sue Palmer, Manx National Heritage “Silk and Stone”

For the Winter exhibition at the Manx Museum, Manx National Heritage is Museum, featuring “Silk and Stone”, a display of silk paintings inspired by Viking rune stones. (See front page) A series of over twenty stunning and brightly coloured Detail from a painting painted silks adorn the based on Sigurd the gallery, incorporating Dragon Slayer on the Viking designs, Ramsundsberget’s Cliff. mythological scenes and Credit - Artwork by runic inscriptions. Valentina Kuprina / Photograph by Manx Originally from National Heritage Moscow, the artist Valentina Kuprina now Scandinavia. In addition to the paintings, interesting choice, contrasting the unyielding lives in Sweden. After examples of the many carved stones found in nature of the original stone used by the many years working as a the Isle of Man are displayed alongside the Viking craftsmen. Evidence suggests that dress designer, Valentina turned her silks. Legends such as that of Sigurd the many of the Viking stones were vividly attention to drawing and painting dragon-slayer are therefore represented both coloured with natural dyes. Valentina’s Swedish rune stones onto silk in 1995. in silk and stone. dramatic paintings hint at the prospect of Her work has been exhibited across Kirsty Neate, Curatorial Services Officer encountering brightly coloured stones erected Scandinavia and more recently in for Manx National Heritage and the in the landscape over one thousand years America. organiser of this exhibition commented that ago”. The exhibition clearly illustrates the ancient links, both cultural and artistic, “Valentina’s use of the finest Chinese silk as a Associated with the exhibition, the Manx between the Isle of Man and medium to explore the runic stones is an Museum is staging various events to coincide

The sixth and final Board Meeting of the North Sea Viking Legacy Project was held in Norwich during the weekend of January 11- 14. As usual, representatives from the 20 North Sea Viking partners in the project attended together with the permanent observers from the North Atlantic partnership, the Baltic Via Viking Sixth Board Meeting held in Norwich, project and the Dutch Viking Foundation. This meeting was hosted by our English By Geir Sør-Reime partnership, consisting of Norfolk County Board was much happy to learn that means Council and Norwich City Council. The had been found to enable the magazine to meeting venue this time was the City of continue publication throughout the year. It Norwich with its profound Anglo- is our intention to find more permanent Scandinavian roots and funding sources for the magazine as part of heritage. the new Destination Viking project. The programme started Another co-operation project with Viking with a reception at The Heritage is a complementary volume to Guild Hall, hosted by the Follow the Vikings, where Viking sites Lord Mayor of Norwich. The around the North Sea not included in this 15th-century Guild Hall, used volume will be published. This project is now as the City Hall for centuries, progressing well. It is intended to market the also hosts the largest two volumes as one package. collection of city regalia in The next major event organised by North Britain outside London. Sea Viking Legacy is a conference in The main sessions of the Gothenburg 19-22 April 2001. The theme of business meetings were held on Friday 12. this conference is cultural heritage and Several important items were on the agenda. tourism. This will be a joint venture with This being the last scheduled board meeting, BALDER, an Interreg IIC project of the the conclusion of the current project and Baltic Sea region. Via Viking is one of the ideas for the future were central themes up component parts of BALDER. for discussion. The guided tour in Norwich. Photo: Jan The programme of the Gothenburg The North Sea Viking Legacy project has Lindh conference is now being finalised. now been working for exactly two years, and In co-operation with a project called will have an additional half year to conclude good progress and no doubt, all partners will ”Kings of the North Sea AD 250-850” (an projects. After that, final reports will be have concluded their projects before 1st July international exhibition project between six produced and delivered to our funding this year. museums in five North Sea countries, agency, the Interreg IIC North Sea North Sea Viking Legacy has been a co- focusing on the period between the fall of the programme secretariat in Viborg, Denmark. publisher of the Viking Heritage Magazine Roman Empire and the Viking period), The reports from our 20 partners showed during 2000 and will follow up this year. The North Sea Viking Legacy is also hosting a http://viking.hgo.se 22 Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01 at the Manx Isle of Man

From the exhibition at the Manx Museum. Copyright: Manx National Heritage.

with the schools’ half-term holiday in This combination of art and archaeology February. Norse sagas will be brought to life has proved very popular with visitors to the Detail from a painting based on the rune through story-telling sessions, and inspired by exhibition which is on display until 3rd March stone from Dynna, Oslo, Norway. the exhibition displays, children get their 2001. Credit - Artwork by Valentina Kuprina / chance to take part in silk-painting workshops Website: www.gov.im/mnh Photograph by Manx National Heritage and produce masterpieces of their own. E-mail: [email protected] Legacy January 2001

conference in Newcastle 29-31 March this year. The conference is called ”Historic environments of the North Sea Region: Conservation and Interpretation. An international conference on spatial planning and the historic environment”. The programme is now finalised and consists of 5 sessions. The sessions are called

1. Approaches to the protection of the The participants of the NSVL Board Meeting in Norfolk. Jan. 2001. Photo: Jan Lindh historic environment, with speakers from the five countries have now an opportunity to come up with the Swaffham Ecotech Centre. 2. Case studies, including a keynote address comments and creative suggestions for the We were also shown a dummy of the new by Dr C Young, Head of World Heritage way ahead. The document will be discussed leaflets under production that will provide and International Policy at the Gothenburg conference mentioned guides to a number of round-towered 3. Cultural Tourism, Social Inclusion etc., above. Here, new partners will also be churches in Norfolk. including a speech by Stephen Harrison, invited. A summary of the Destination A guided walk through the Anglo- Director of Manx National Heritage Viking suggestion appeared in the last issue Scandinavian parts of Norwich also featured 4. Approaches to interpretation (4/2000) of the Viking Heritage Magazine. prominently on the programme. A beautiful 5. Philosophy of Conservation. In addition to the business meetings, the signpost with texts even in Danish has Board of course also had the opportunity of already been erected close to the centre of Further details are available from the visiting the various projects included into the Viking Norwich. In addition, brochures for organiser, the Tyne and Wear Museums at: North Sea Viking Legacy in Norfolk. suggested walks through the Anglo- [email protected] In the previous issue of Viking Heritage Scandinavian quarters of the City and Magazine, Michael Knights gave a Thetford are being prepared. presentation of the round-towered churches of All partners reported good progress in the Norfolk and their possible Scandinavian links. The projekt manager of North Sea Viking implementation of their quality improvement A visit to one such church (Forncett St Peter) Legacy, Geir Sør-Reime, can be contacted projects locally. was a natural choice as was a visit to the site at [email protected] The document on Destination Viking was where such a tower is being reconstructed, at Language checked by Brian Ayers also discussed at the board meeting. Partners

23 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01 Heritage News

New exhibition with the Viking-age Överhogdal tapestries as a focal point at Jamtli Museum in Östersund, Sweden

Mysterious and fascinating, the Överhogdal tapestries are enthroned in their display case at Jamtli, the county museum of Jämtland. The well-preserved tapestries are covered with figures and C14-dated to 800-1100th century. Obviously the creator wants to tell us a story, but which one? Viking textiles found at archaeological excavations are often mouldered into shreds. But the Överhogdal tapestries were found above ground, in an old church shed. The cool, dry climate in the north of Sweden has kept the flax and wool in good condition and Part of the Överhogdal tapestries. In 1910 the Viking-Age tapestries were found in a the colours radiant for one thousand years. church shed. Photo: County Museum of Jämtland Jamtli, situated in the town centre of Östersund, has now created an exhibition that places the weavings in their historical tools found in a grave in Drocksjön, from the context. The exhibition opened in February province of Härjedalen. Beside “The Maid of 2001 and was an instant success, perhaps Virgin Hill” character a large amount of because of its unusual interpretation. Jamtli jewellery is displayed, as well as newly- New interesting site about has put name and faces on the normally produced Viking clothes for visitors to try boat-building on the Web! rather anonymous Vikings. on. – We have chosen nine Viking-age Motives from the Överhogdal tapestries Now you can find Oselvarverkstaden (The characters from the province of Jämtland. are painted on the walls – motives that in Oselvar Boatyard) on the Web. Some of the characters are modelled on some way or another relate to the character Olselvarverkstaden was established in individual figures from legends or Icelandic next to them. Norway in 1997 with the purpose of sagas, others are imaginatively created from So what do the motives on the preserving the traditional handicraft of actual grave findings, says Ulla Oscarsson, Överhogdal tapestries mean? No one knows building small boats. The Oselvar is the small producer of the exhibition. for sure. Some scientists mean that the traditional Norwegian boat that has most in – The characters have been carved out tapestries show Ragnarök (doomsday), as common with archaeological finds of boats from giant wooden blocks. The three- predicted in Voluspà. Others see motives from the Viking Age. (An article about dimensional figures present history in full from the Christian apocalypse, or from the Oselvarverkstadens work was featured in relief, making it very vivid to the Völsunga saga (Sigurd, the dragon-killer). We Viking Heritage Newsletter/Magazine imagination, she continues. strongly recommend you to visit Jamtli and 1/2000.) Archaeological findings are displayed see for yourself – maybe you will come up Read more about Oselvarverkstaden at: around each character. Next to “The with the final interpretation? http://www.oselvarverkstaden.no Craftsman” is the remarkable collection of www.jamtli.com

For the second time in modern times a large battle at Svolder in the year 1000. All those taking part will wear clothes “Viking market” is to be arranged on the At the Hlödver Viking market on the 27th characteristic of the period and many Vikings island of Åland in the Baltic Sea. The and 28th of July you will be able to carry on from other Viking villages will attend the location for the market is an area rich in trade in salt, fish, meat and furs just like they event. ancient remains between the old thing’s place did in the Viking Age. There will also be The two market days will be both fun and next to Saltvik church, and Borgboda ancient plenty of handicrafts made of metal, wood, instructive - but most of all unforgettable. castle. Here people in the community have wool and other raw materials on sale – many Hlödver Viking Market, July 27-28, 2001 built the beginnings of a Viking village – crafts will be demonstrated and you will have among others a longhouse and market stalls. the opportunity to try them yourself. On both Welcome to Saltvik in Åland! The first market was held last year and was a days you will be able to eat, drink and enjoy For further information: great success with 2700 visitors. The market music, dances, short plays, storytelling and www.goaland.net is held to honour the memory of the Viking Viking games suitable for all ages – in other www.turistforbundet.aland.fi Hlödver the Tall of Saltvik who, according to words you will experience the pleasant events E-mail: [email protected] Snorre Sturlasson’s Saga, was killed at the and traditions of the Viking Age! http://viking.hgo.se 24 Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01 Heritage News

New exhibition at the Birka Site Museum in Sweden this summer

This summer visitors to Birka will have the opportunity to see an exhibition about the defence system and military organisation of the town. Birka was the first urban settlement in Sweden and an important port of trade on the lake of Mälaren in the The Hillfort "Borg" of Birka. Copyright: vicinity of today’s Stockholm. Rimbert’s The National Heritage Board, Sweden. Vita Angarii mentions that “the Nordic Fire festival on the apostle” Ansgarius visited Birka twice spectacular findings of weapons, armour during the 9th century. Shetlands and ritual deposits within the longhouse The exhibition shows the results from On the 30th of January a Viking long- that has been interpreted as a great hall for the latest excavations on the island ship was torched in the centre of the warriors. These artefacts and conducted by Lena Holmquist Olausson, Lerwick. The townspeople of Lerwick reconstructions of two male dresses with University of Stockholm. She and her staff were celebrating their annual fire festival, weaponry and equipment are on display at Up-Helly-Aa. The tradition of a fire have excavated a large longhouse, believed the Site Museum from mid-May until the festival during mid-winter has been held to have been a part of the so-called th end of the tourist season, September 23. since at least the 19 century in villages Garrison (see Viking Heritage Magazine Cunning craftsmen will demonstrate their at the Shetlands. Every year the Up- 3/2000). Presumably it was here that the Helly-Aa group builds a new galley that skills and products outside the museum guards protecting the hill fort and town is burnt after a grand procession through from July 30 until August 19. resided. the town with its members dressed up in The archaeologists have found www.raa.se/birka Viking costumes. www.shetland-tourism.co.uk New exhibition - The Vikings in Ireland Sensational findings at The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark, has opened a new exhibition “The Kaupang in Norway! Vikings in Ireland” about the Scandinavian impact on Irish culture and history. New excavations at the Viking-age trading port of Kaupang in southeast An exhibition dealing with the period Norway seem to rewrite the country’s before the Vikings arrived in Ireland, crafts early history. What was considered and trade in Dublin, and the meeting previously to be a seasonal trading centre between Irish and Scandinavian cultures is on could now turn out to be the nation’s display until the end of 2001. There are more oldest permanent town. Dagfinn Skre, than 250 items shown, among them who is in charge of the excavation that jewellery, weapons, everyday objects and started last May and will continue for tools. Among the most splendid items are the Graffiti depicting a Viking ship on a two years, says that the first year crozier from Clonmacnoise and the Soicél- piece of wood, found during the produced evidence that Kaupang was Molaise reliquary box/shrine. excavations at Dublin, Ireland. Photo: inhabited all year round. Living quarters Dublin plays a special role in the Werner Karrasch. Copyright: and craftmen’s workshops are among the exhibition due to the fact that the Vikings Vikingeskibsmuseet, Roskilde. new finds at Kaupang and archaeologists have also discovered a large chieftain’s or founded the town. Skuldelev 2, one of the king’s hall 1.6 kilometres north of the culture, the art of shipbuilding. The ship was ships on display in The Viking Ship settlement. Museum, may in fact have been built in the found in the Roskilde Fjord and is evidence Dublin-area in the 1040’s. The ship is a of the direct link that must have existed For more information: unique example of one of the considerable between the two major towns of Dublin and www.kaupang.uio.no contributions made by the Vikings to Irish Roskilde at the end of the Viking Age.

25 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01 Heritage News

Remarkable rune-stone find on Visingsö, Sweden

If Anna Ödéen hadn’t started to study that the Visingsö stone may have been archaeology this remarkable stone would erected as a heathen gravestone. perhaps have been standing as a farm door The inscriptions are what make this support for a few more centuries. But her stone sensational. The runic inscriptions on From the festival last year in Poznañ. archaeology studies made her remember the one side of the stone is “hanaulik” and on The second International Festival of Early stone she played around as a child on the the other “sakumthatlikihal”. Professor island of Visingsö in Lake Vättern, where Frands Herchend has interpreted the text Medieval Culture will be held in Poznañ, people have lived since the Stone Age. After as: Poland, on May 26-27, 2001, bringing 25 years she found it again, even though it “Hana vil ek sakum that liki hai” – I together performers from Poland and had been moved during the time. She want this due for her crime, a stone for the other countries. The first festival, which contacted the county museum in corpse. was held last year, was a great success and Jönköping and the museum contacted The inscription can be interpreted as a considered one of the most interesting Helmer Gustavson, rune expert at the death sentence according to Professor Central Board of National Antiquities of Herschend, a woman was judged for a Sweden, who took the stone with him to crime and a stone erected over her grave. The International Festival Stockholm. The writing, chiselled in short-twig runes, of Early Medieval Culture – At first I suspected that it could be a could perhaps also be interpreted as an counterfeit, but now I’m sure that it is a real invocation for the deceased to rest in her in Poznañ, Poland rune-stone from the 9th century with similar grave and not haunt the living. runes to those on the famous Rök Stone, he Helmer Gustavson calls the stone an cultural events in Poznañ – it was even says. And he adds; this is a sensation! incomparable find. The stone is one of the broadcasted on public television. It is a thin, brownish grey sandstone oldest rune-stones ever found in Sweden, at This year’s event will once again take the with some copper in it. It is 66 centimetres least 1200 years old. Unfortunately the spectators a thousand years back in time to long, 18 centimetres wide and 10 stone from Visingsö no longer stand where the Age of the Duchy of Boleslaus the centimetres thick. There are no runes on it once was erected. The stone has no Brave. You will be able to see warriors the broadsides, only on the edges. The adornments with dragons or snakes as the perform battles – last year there were surface of one of the broadsides is worn, as rune-stones from the 11th century, but it has warriors from Poland and the Czech if the stone has spent a couple of centuries similarities with other very old rune-stones of its long existence as a doorstep. from the Swedish region of Östergötland. Republic – and numerous different – I've never seen a stone similar to this Older runic inscriptions exist, but they are craftsmen (blacksmiths, shoemakers, one, but the oldest ones have strange made on loose objects, not on fixed stones. potters, woodcarvers, minters, silversmiths shapes, Helmer Gustavson says, and thinks etc.) carry on their trade. E-mail: [email protected]

Nowadays it is possible to put ships up for Alsnu ship crew comes to life the winter and repairs at the beach on Alsnu Point. In the future building ships will also be possible. By Börje Wennerberg, toast expressing his expectations of the recently formed ship crew. Hovgården Adelsö Alsnöhornet (The Alsnöhorn) The Alsnu ship crew of today has Alsnu There are plans to arrange an annual summer The island of Alsnö/Adelsö, Sweden, lies in Point at its disposal, an area meant to be a sailing-race for Viking ships in the future – the heart of the former Svitjod. The island meeting-place for people interested in Viking Alsnöhornet. A drinking-horn, ornamented next to it is Björkö with its ancient trading culture. with curvilinear animal-style decorations, is place, Birka. The crew has not yet got a ship of it own going to be used as a challenge trophy Last autumn, after hundreds of years, a but the members hope that their location in awarded to the winning ship. ship crew was once more established on the middle of Lake Mälaren will tempt other “On that day on Hovgårds Bay you’ll be Alsnö - this time as a peaceful preservation of crews to land with their ships and camp for a able to see ships with hoisted sails and water the Viking culture and shipping tradition and couple of days for some social intercourse foaming around their stems. In the quiet not as a part of the Ledungen. with likeminded. bright summer evening you’ll hear the The ship crew was founded on Alsnö Every ship crew seems to have problems rhythmical sound of oars that powerfully take thing mound and the ceremony was gathering enough men to row and sail a ship. the ships home to the cape after a day’s concluded by the act of passing a large Alsnu ship crew with its meeting-place on sailing. After dusk people will gather around drinking-horn among the company, with Alsnu Point might be the solution – here flaming bonfires to eat and drink while they every man pouring a few drops upon the red ships will be able to find people who are not sing, brag and enjoy themselves.” sacrificial stone before raising the horn in a afraid of blistering their hands. http://viking.hgo.se 26 Viking Heritage Magazine 1/01 Concerning the existence of children

This is a reply to the debate article tire out little children, who are perhaps The examples given show very clearly the ”Children – they did exist!” published in visiting a museum for the first time? difficulty in interpreting the material. The five Viking Viewpoints, VHM 4/00. This is not the place to discuss the year-old from the 9th century with the situation of prehistoric children, which seems jewellery of an adult woman, who was she and The exhibition at Gotlands Fornsal – Children to be Victoria Persdotter´s main goal. The idea what was her place in society? Please note – did they exist? is not primarily meant to of child, childhood and youth differs from there is no given answer. impress either Victoria Persdotter, time to time and a final definition does not Nowhere is it announced the children were archaeologist and craftsman, or scientists. It is exist. Archaeologists and historians therefore not allowed to be children – but they were not deal with alternative definitions of children. allowed to be only children. Nowhere is it announced that children had to carry out A man carrying a child on his arm - practical, physical work but that they had to Viking Viewpoints probably the oldest picture of a child. contribute to family support. The problem of today is that children are not ”of any use” in Picturestone from the 11th century. that respect. not even meant to impress children but rather Gotland, Ardre parish. The word child-labour, used once, to explain the fundaments of archaeology in a Photo: Gotlands explaining how fine jewellery might have been simple way to children. It is not meant to be Fornsal. the scene of scientific theories but to be the manufactured, has bad connotations and starting point for different pedagogical could have been avoided. programs where children together with a However, the question Children – did they museum teacher can talk about children’s exist? does receive an answer: – Of course – there situation today and in past times and have always been children but we have not hopefully learn something about archaeology. always been allowed to be only children. We had What is more natural in this ”time-journey” to contribute to supporting the family as soon as backwards than to present some of the we could be of any use. But playing was also a prehistoric children found on Gotland way of learning about adult life. without engaging in ”hair-splitting”. I would suggest Victoria P look at the The target audience of this exhibition is exhibition and read the texts through the eyes children, knowing that they have a tendency of a child and not of an adult specialist. to want to concentrate on one or few things. Respect for small human beings is the reason Malin Lindquist why the exhibition deliberately is rather small Senior curator and intense with short, questioning texts, Gotlands Fornsal encouraging them think for themselves. Why Dear Reader!

We thank you for choosing Viking Heritage acknowledgement for your help. Magazine! The Dragon of Fröjel is an exquisite bronze Our intention is to be one of the leading brooch found during the excavation distributors of information about Vikings of the Viking port of trade in Fröjel and the Viking Age. In the future we on the island of Gotland, Sweden. intend to make Viking Heritage We have had a limited edition of Magazine even richer in exact copies of this unique piece content and to finance this of jewellery made up and now aim we need to reach a you have the chance to be the wider readership. proud owner of one of them. We would therefore be very thankful if you Send us an e-mail or a can help us finding new letter with the names and subscribers! addresses of the three or more If you get three or more new subscribers and we will send you people to purchase a new subscription we will the Dragon of Fröjel as soon as we have send you a very special gift in received their subscription fee.

27 http://viking.hgo.se VIKING HERITAGE A network for Viking-related Knowledge

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Viking Heritage magazine

Publisher and Editor-in chief: Dan Carlsson, [email protected] Editor: Marita E Ekman, [email protected] Secretary: Maj-Britt Andersson, [email protected] Language and translation check where others are not mentioned: Luella Godman, [email protected] Layout and printed by Godrings Tryckeri, Visby, Sweden 2001. ISSN 1403-7319

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