Celebrating in Viking style

Published on Saturday 27 December 2003 00:00

HERE in our 803AD Viking village we are in the midst of our 12-day Julfest, celebrating the winter solstice.

These oaths are a serious business. They are sacred and must not be broken. So if you say you’re going to marry the farmer’s daughter up the road within the year, or organise a raid to Ireland next summer, then you absolutely have to. If the next Julfest comes around and you haven’t carried out your oath then you risk ridicule and dishonour at the very least and banishment/punishment at worst. And, of course, you won’t be allowed into Valhalla.

The other thing we must do is take gifts to our Jarl (chieftain), who is hosting this year’s Julfest. As farmers, we get to take along our gifts on day five. The thralls (serfs) take their gifts first, then us karls (free farmers and artisans) have our turn before the most prestigious gifts are given by the visiting Jarls. This year we are giving our best woven rugs, woven from the first shearing of our best sheep. Our Jarl is a generous guy, so he’ll return our gift with something for our farm. And if we win any of the races or games or tell a good story at night we’ll be given more gifts.

Gifts also arrive mysteriously from our gods. We believe it is Odin, our chief god, who rides through our mid-winter skies delivering rewards to the good and punishment to the bad among us. Sometimes Odin rides on an eight-legged horse, but for Julfest he has a chariot pulled by fire-breathing goats. Odin has a character for every month of the year, ranging from the warmonger who inspires the Berserkers to the wise counsellor. He gained his wisdom by hanging himself from the cosmic tree, Yggdrasil, for nine days to commune with the dead and by casting one of his eyeballs into Mimir’s well in return for a cup of its immense wisdom (one form of vision for another). He’s a cool looking guy in a fur cloak - the father of all our gods.

We all chip in to prepare the feast for Jul night. Boar is the centre piece but we also roast deer, rabbits, birds, cows and sheep. A barrel of French wine has arrived from France for the Jarls to drink. For the rest of us there’s best brewed beer and mead.

The feast is grand fun. Everyone will be in their best finery and jewels. The longhouse will be full of singing, laughter and music. The eating and drinking, bawdy songs and revelry will continue long into the night and through the remaining six days. Thus we 9th-century Vikings do celebrate our winter solstice.