Here come the vikings
Reenactment group sets up camp at Tuck Museum
Viking Day
When: Saturday, June 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Tuck Museum, 40 Park Ave., Hampton
Cost: Free admission
On Saturday, June 4, the grounds of the Tuck Museum in Hampton will be transformed into a working, living Viking settlement where the public will be able to immerse themselves in the world of the Norse people. The volunteer group Straumfjordr, based in Exeter, will set up an encampment there, bringing Viking customs and culture to life. People of all ages will have the opportunity to see how these daring explorers lived during their time.
“Most people think the Vikings were barbaric warriors, and that’s because of the sagas of the Icelanders,” said Bjorn Mroz, spokesperson for the group. According to Mroz, the Vikings did not write about themselves, and the stories composed about them cannot be confirmed to be accurate.
“It’s very difficult to separate fact from fiction regarding the sagas,” he said, “but the Vikings were so much more than fighters. Our goal with these events is to educate and entertain, and show how these people lived when they weren’t out exploring.”
The word “viking,” Mroz went on to explain, was originally a verb.
“To go ‘a-viking’ was to venture into the world for gold and glory, for fame and fortune,” he said. “The group of people we call the Vikings were really Norse.”
Mroz has been interested in Viking history since high school.
“I studied the Medieval and Renaissance periods in college,” he said. “One day, I ... spotted two men bedecked in full Viking attire. I approached them, and that’s how I found out about the group. I’ve been part of it ever since.”
Straumfjordr will set up their encampment with a number of tents where they will spend the night. The tents will contain different cultural activities that the Vikings were known for. Attendees will be able to observe group members at work in period clothing, performing different trades and re-enacting pastimes that the Vikings practiced during their existence in the 10th century. Expect live demonstrations of trades, such as jewelry crafting, textile making, tapestry weaving, yarn spinning and woodworking. There will also be wood carving and finished carved tools on display. Blacksmithing was an important trade in Viking life, and although there will not be live smithing, there will be artifacts from that trade on display. Each tent will also have collections of ‘hands-on’ items that the public is free to touch, such as certain blunted weapons, helmets, tools, textiles and spindles, hammers and tongs, wood carved spoons and bowls, jewelry and more.
Feasting was also an essential part of Norse culture. The Vikings ate a lot of fish, pork, root vegetables, berries and bread. Some members will be handling the cooking arrangements; a group member who goes by the name Jarl will be grilling pork. Mroz said there will be a dinner stew simmering in a cauldron over an open fire during the event as a demonstration of the Vikings’ cooking. Other members will demonstrate sparring, weaponry and group combat.
“Kids really like to see the odd clothing, the armor, and the period swords and shields,” Mroz said.
Mroz said the group’s mission is to “replicate an experience that will appeal to all five senses.”
“We want to show people that the Vikings were farmers and tradesmen, not just fighters as they’ve been portrayed for centuries,” he said.
Betty Moore of the Hampton Historical Society, who is also a staff member at the Tuck Museum, said she is pleased with Straumfordr and their live encampment.
“We’ve worked with this group before, and they always do a fabulous job.,” Moore said. “[They’re] very educational and entertaining. They always exceed our expectations.”
According to Moore, Hampton even has its own legend of Viking connection: At one time, locals were convinced that a rock found on the Hampton shores of Boar’s Head indicated that Leif Erickson’s brother Thorvald had died on the New Hampshire coast. The gouges on the stone were determined by historians to be letters from the Viking alphabet.
“Of course, it’s just a myth,” Moore said. “There’s no actual proof that ... Thorvald ever set foot here, but the rock was moved to the museum grounds for safekeeping and historical purposes.”
Thorvald’s Rock can be viewed anytime, but will take on special significance at the event as it ties in with Viking history and lore.
Admission is free, but attendees can support the group and take a piece of history home with them by purchasing a piece of jewelry or other historic item that will be for sale.
— Betty Gagne
Courtesy photo.
