The
other main attraction of Ribe for us is the Ribe Viking Centre, just south of
the town. After saying goodbye to Andy and Glen and wishing them a good
journey, we drove to the centre.
I
am currently helping to build replicas of an Anglo-Saxon long house and a part
of a Roman villa at the Avalon Marshes Centre on the Somerset Levels. It is fantastic
fun, I am always learning new skills and the other volunteers are great
company. We are led by Richard Brunning, an archaeologist who works for the
South West Heritage Trust and his knowledge and leadership make it all
possible. If you are in the area, do pop along and take a look, it is really
impressive. The reason for this advert is that I think that our two buildings
(there are plans for a third – an Iron Age roundhouse) are a great achievement
but the Ribe Viking Centre has at least 15! They range from a massive Viking
Long Hall, with its curved walls, and a wooden church (under construction – the
first church to be built in Denmark was built in Ribe in Viking times), to a
tiny sunken house used by a smithy. And that was what made it so interesting,
there were Vikings all over the site – two blacksmiths, someone making glass
beads (Ribe was internationally famous for these in Viking times), women in the
long hall preparing a meal, farmers tending their vegetables, a carpenter
building a replica Viking boat (it takes about one year for two people), two
more carpenters building the church (wonderful carvings!) and the list goes on!
Chickens, geese and two cats with four kittens all wandered around the farm and
in the farm building. Pigs slept in one field and there were other fields that
demonstrated the crops and herbs that the Vikings used. There was Viking
warrior training for the children and an excellent falconry display. We could
have had a go at archery and Viking games.
This
is beginning to sound a bit like a theme park but it really wasn’t like that.
It was really quiet and everyone we met and spoke to (they all spoke English),
were keen and very helpful. We arrived at about 10:15 and left at 15:30 just as
it was closing – it was absolutely fascinating. The cost of establishing the
Centre must have been enormous and there was a long list of donors at the
entrance. There were a considerable number of staff, only three people were
volunteers when we were there.
I
chatted to one of the volunteers, a blacksmith with a portable forge, which was
very simple but very effective (see photo). He said that people tell him that
his bellows are too small but he proved that they were all that were needed.
The soapstone (from Norway) between the bellows and fire is carved with a representation
of the Viking god Loki with his lips sewn up. This represents one of the Viking
legends that Loki tricked a blacksmith twice and the blacksmith enlisted the
help of another god and sewed together Loki’s lips as a punishment.
I
suggested to the blacksmith that the Danish state must be paying a lot to keep
the site going. Much to my surprise, he said that the site was self-funding,
partly from the entrance fees but also from work placements. The Danish state
is very generous and, if youngsters are having problems fitting in or can’t get
a job, they can be offered a year’s placement at the Viking Centre. Some are
public-facing and others work in workshops producing items for the Centre.
There is no coercion and it was stressed to me that the youngsters are not
mentally ill, they simply have problems. The Centre gives them the opportunity
to gain confidence and skills and experience work and working with other
people. What a great idea! I understand that most of the youngsters are sad to
leave and really enjoy their time at the Centre. I was sad to leave too, I
would have loved to stay for a few weeks to get involved in all their projects.
Photos:
Painting the carving over one of the doors of the long house using a mixture of
oil, water and egg with ochre colouring; Inside the long hall was incredibly dark
– chalk or lime wash on the walls would have made it lighter but they told me
that there was no archaeological evidence that it had been used; Building a
replica Viking boat; This is the larger-than-life blacksmith (Viking blacksmiths
have to this size and have beards and long hair) with his very small, portable
forge; A workshop – there was lots going on inside and the numerous draw-horses
in the foreground can be used by visitors and school groups; Teaching young Vikings
how to fight – fortunately, the training didn’t extend to rape and pillage;
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