Sunshine, mild weather and huge crowds greeted over 450 Vikings who marched through the streets of York, accompanied to the sounds of a beating drum, and swords beating wooden shields. Saturday 22 February was the highlight of this year’s JORVIK Viking Festival, which is celebrating its 40th year.
“Seeing the Vikings once again take over the city has been brilliant, and great weather for much of the week has ensured that the public has turned out in their droves to share in the Norse entertainment,” comments Gareth Henry, who organises JORVIK Viking Festival on behalf of educational charity, York Archaeology. “Most of our events have sold out this year, and we’ve welcomed record crowds to the Eye of York for our Evening Spectacular. The popularity of the Vikings continues to grow!”
Indeed, re-enactors from every corner of the country turned out in their masses, too, with the March to Coppergate starting from York Minster and seeing a column of 450 Viking warriors and civilians marching through the streets of York, chanting and making a fearsome noise with swords, shields and axes as they paraded. Crowds lined the pavements to get a glimpse of the fearsome warriors.
The larger number of Vikings made for an epic battle at the Eye of York, which saw a large-scale battle between two rival armies – the Wolves and the Boars. It was followed by a Circle of Treachery, where every warrior fights for themselves until only one stands victorious, receiving a bottle of mead and the adulation of their peers!
The weather held for the evening’s outdoor son-et-lumiere event at the Eye of York; an epic retelling of the saga of Tyrfing, the cursed sword, which culminated in a stunning display of pyrotechnics.
“We’ve also had an incredibly busy week at JORVIK Viking Centre, with our last few days of A Winter Adventure selling out,” adds Gareth. “Spring is here, so the snow will make way for a warmer recreation of Viking-age Coppergate welcoming our visitors.”
Unfortunately, the yellow weather warning for strong winds today (Sunday 23 February) meant that the Parliament Street encampment had to close a day early, though the Midgard Marquee is sufficiently resilient to weather the storm, providing a home for the final day of Berserker Bootcamp.
