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VIKING

Norway starts school for Vikings

A Norwegian further education college is starting a programme for want-to-be Vikings where students will learn essential Viking crafts, such as sword forging, jewellery making, and roof thatching.

Published: 3 August 2015 22:19 CEST
Norway starts school for Vikings
A Viking longship burning at the end of Edinburgh's Torchlight Procession. Photo: viking2

During the course at Seljord Folkehøgskule 150km west of Oslo, students — many inspired by TV series such as ‘Game of Thrones’ — will celebrate even celebrate the Norse rituals of the year, going so far as to make animal sacrifices during the winter feast.

“We see a large number of applicants who have applied for different reasons,” the school's principal, Arve Husby, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. “Some have become interested through TV series and others want to learn handicraft. We give a high quality education, and if TV series get people interested, we are happy,” 

Public interest in all things Viking has increased in recent years due to TV dramas such as ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Vikings’.

The school's leading Viking teacher is Jeppe Nordmann Garly, a Dane who describes himself as a “recreational Viking”, having spent much of his life trying to get as close as possible to the Viking experience.

“You could say that I am the first Viking teacher,” said Normann Garly, who professes to enjoying Viking-themed TV dramas. “Personally I prefer Game of Thrones. Vikings has too many factual errors.

Students at the school will also have the opportunity to row Viking ships, learn ceramics and woodworks.

People in England should be warned: the students from Norway’s Viking school are planning a trip to York, or 'Jorvik', as the Vikings called it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VIKING

Viking-age skeleton found under Norway couple’s house

Archeologists have now found a skeleton in the suspected Viking-era tomb a Norwegian couple discovered last week under their house -- but the bones have been broken into pieces.

Published: 1 June 2020 11:35 CEST
Viking-age skeleton found under Norway couple's house
The bones had been broken up. Photo: The Arctic University of Norway
“We have found several bones, and bones from a human,”  archaeologist Jørn Erik Henriksen from Tromsø University told Norway's state TV station NRK. 
 
“The big bones have been affected by some sort of violence, and we can't say what it is. A disturbance, or event has taken place after the body was buried.” 
 
Mariann Kristiansen from Seivåg near Bodø was pulling up the floor of her house with her husband to install insulation last week when they couple found a glass bead, and then a Viking axe. 
 
 
When they contacted the local county archeologist, he concluded it was a Viking-age grave, after which a team from Tromsø University came to inspect the discovery. 
 
Henriksen said his team had yet to carry out carbon dating which could confirm the age of the tomb, and had yet to ascertain the gender of the person buried, but said they still believed the grave was Viking era. 
 
All of the skeleton's larger bones were broken, he said. “We are excited to find out if there are any cut marks on them.”   
 
“We do not know when the grave was given this treatment, but everything indicates that it must have happened long before the house was built in 1914.” 
 
 
As well as the skeleton, archeologists have also found a knife. 
 
From the grave, Henriksen, it did not seem as if the person buried was from the upper echelons of society. 
 
“It may have been a free person, but hardly anyone who belonged to the aristocracy.
 
 
 
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