About this holiday
No need to leave the wife and kids behind when you cross the North Sea to meet your battle-hardened enemies, the Saxons. Both sides in the 10th Century fracas bring the family to join in authentic re-enactments at historic sites across Britain.
The weekend re-enactments not only bring history to life but help to preserve ancient skills, from masonry to ironmongery and weaving. And they correct a few historical inaccuracies – showing how the Vikings were not only the greatest explorers of their time but also had a rich culture far beyond the pillaging and mayhem of the history books (written, of course, by the Normans – but that’s another tale).
How you can help
- Keep ancient cultures and crafts alive by joining re-enactment societies (international membership welcome). Vikings’ membership costs UK£20 per year (about about US$37) vikingsonline.org.uk
- There’s also a North American branch – vikingsna.org
- Support Old Sarum and nearby Stonehenge run by English Heritage by visiting and joining fun days out such as the re-enactments: english-heritage.org.uk
About this holiday
No need to leave the wife and kids behind when you cross the North Sea to meet your battle-hardened enemies, the Saxons. Both sides in the 10th Century fracas bring the family to join in authentic re-enactments at historic sites across Britain.
The weekend re-enactments not only bring history to life but help to preserve ancient skills, from masonry to ironmongery and weaving. And they correct a few historical inaccuracies – showing how the Vikings were not only the greatest explorers of their time but also had a rich culture far beyond the pillaging and mayhem of the history books (written, of course, by the Normans – but that’s another tale).
How you can help
- Keep ancient cultures and crafts alive by joining re-enactment societies (international membership welcome). Vikings’ membership costs UK£20 per year (about about US$37) vikingsonline.org.uk
- There’s also a North American branch – vikingsna.org
- Support Old Sarum and nearby Stonehenge run by English Heritage by visiting and joining fun days out such as the re-enactments: english-heritage.org.uk
Read more
In a weekend with Vikings and Saxons, you’ll meet chainmail makers, bowmakers, soldiers and housewives stirring the pots – and keeping an eye on kids fighting with wooden swords. Re-enactments also help to preserve ancient monuments, such as English Heritage’s castle Old Sarum near Stonehenge in Wiltshire, where this video was filmed.
These re-enactments are run by The Vikings, the oldest and biggest re-enactment group in Britain – and probably the world. Most of their re-enactments are set in the 10th century.They stage performances at Old Sarum and other ancient sites such as Battle Abbey and Lindisfarne, where, in 793, an Anglo Saxon monk wrote about “the harrowing inroads of heathen men made lamentable havoc in the church of God in Holy-island, by rapine and slaughter." There will also be re-enactments in Scotland... and even across the Atlantic in Canada (longboat travel optional).
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See Vikings in action in our favourite new MySpace movie Faintheart that upsets the myth that faintheart never won fair maiden.
