From February 12-18, Vikings will once again invade York for the oldest Norse-themed festival in England, the Jorvik Viking Festival, which attracts 45,000 visitors from all over the UK and beyond.
The Viking Herald speaks to one of the festival organizers, Jay Commins, about the World Tree and battle spectaculars, working presentations of skilled Norse craftsmanship, and how the fierce Northmen cope with the travails of a biting Yorkshire winter.
At the festival, visitors can immerse themselves in a dynamic living history experience, exploring exhibitions, participating in special events, and visiting the bustling Viking encampment on Parliament Street. Photo: Courtesy of Jorvik Viking Festival
Building on history
The city of York, situated in the north of England, is arguably the most important site of Viking Age archeology in Great Britain.
Ruled by a string of Viking luminaries that included Ivar the Boneless, York was a powerhouse of Norse occupation for well over a century.
The full richness of the city's Viking past only became truly apparent in the 1970s, however, when development work on a shopping center led to the discovery of a veritable treasure trove of Norse artifacts, most of which were beautifully preserved thanks to the unique underground conditions.
Finds included pottery, shoes and ice skates, animal bones, and countless household items that offered an unparalleled glimpse into everyday life in Viking Age York.
After the main archeological excavations drew to a close, the JORVIK Viking Centre was opened in 1984 to showcase some of the finds and give visitors a taste of authentic Viking life in a groundbreaking interactive exhibition.
The center soon became a major tourist attraction, winning a host of awards and wowing visitors with its unforgettable presentation of the sights, sounds, and even smells of Viking era England.
Jay, who has been involved in Jorvik ever since being asked to look after its ten millionth visitor in 1996, tells The Viking Herald that the accompanying festival began life in 1985 as a mere promotional gimmick for the museum.
"The festival was something of a PR stunt to keep people talking about the Vikings. York had a very seasonal tourist industry – summer was really busy, winter very quiet," Jay tells us.
"Something was needed to boost visitors, create interest, and keep the story about Jorvik fresh in people's minds. But it turned out to be a huge success. Today, the festival has been running for 39 years and brings in around 45,000 people annually."
With an open invitation to reenactors, the Jorvik Viking Festival serves as a seasonal highlight for Viking groups, offering events such as the Viking Games, complete with strength and combat challenges. Photo: Courtesy of Jorvik Viking Festival
Norse craftsmen and Viking warriors
Visitors to the week-long festival can look forward to a host of special events, interactive exhibitions, and plenty of hands-on experiences.
"There's a whole lot of living history," Jay tells us excitedly.
"The biggest part of our festival is the living Viking encampment on Parliament Street, where you can meet traders and see craftspeople at work."
"There's a live forge with blacksmiths hammering metal out, a carpenter making wooden bowls, and a wood turner using a traditional pole lathe."
As Jay explains, at York, the emphasis is less on raiding and warfare and more on the shared culture of the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons, who were actually relatively well-integrated and often lived side by side.
"It's very much about recreating the history and showing how the Vikings would have lived," Jay says.
"The Jorvik Viking Center is not really about the warriors. It's about the craftspeople. The encampment also shows real people using real skills, as would have been the case when the Vikings settled here."
Of course, that doesn't mean visitors thirsting for a bit of violence and bloodshed will go entirely unrewarded.
"The final Saturday is probably the festival's biggest day," Jay tells us.
"We've got a march that goes through the city center where we have about 200 Vikings that form a column of warriors. They take us past York Minster into Coppergate."
"It's a fantastic parade of Viking pageantry – everyone has their finest armor on, and the streets are lined with people as the column fills York with shouting, shield-bashing, and all kinds of noise. It's a massively popular event."
The finale of the Jorvik Viking Festival is marked by a spectacular fire display, accompanied by loud music and dramatic sound effects, creating an immersive experience for the audience. Photo: Courtesy of Jorvik Viking Festival
Spectacular shows
The festival is attended by Viking reenactment groups from all over Britain.
"We have an open invite for reenactors," Jay tells us. "We've built up a good relationship with most of the reenactment groups in the country."
"Jorvik is the first event of the season for them, so we have a huge number of Vikings coming, along with their supporters."
There are also plenty of other attractions, including the Viking Games, which features a strongman competition and several rounds of combat, and Staging the Vikings, an exhibition detailing presentations of the Vikings on stage.
The festival concludes with a light and combat spectacular, with this year's story focusing on Yggdrasil, the World Tree.
The performance takes place on the Eye of York, an iconic circular patch of grass in the town's historical center. A narrator provides commentary as the reenactment takes place.
"At the finale, we have fire going off, loud music, cacophonies, and warriors dying," Jay tells us, "And then usually a message of hope at the end!"
Now in its 40th year, the Jorvik Viking Festival annually attracts approximately 45,000 visitors, culminating in a grand march on the final Saturday, where around 200 Viking reenactors parade through York's city center. Photo: Courtesy of Jorvik Viking Festival
A Viking day out
Like many Viking festivals, Jorvik is a mix of entertainment and interactive learning for all ages.
"We have a very broad mix of people," Jay says. "We have academic lectures, which appeal to historians and really strong Viking enthusiasts – experts from around the world bring their latest Viking stories to the festival."
"But it's also very family-friendly. We have a Berserker boot camp where children can learn how to fight like a Viking with a sword and shield."
There is also Poo Day, inspired by the famous Lloyds Bank Turd at JORVIK Viking Centre, where budding young archeologists can explore how historical secrets are revealed through the careful study of human excrement.
"A lot of the activities are free," Jay adds, "So you can have a good day out in York and learn about the Vikings. Then there are the ticketed events if you want to take it one step further."
"We also have a lot of international visitors and film crews from all over the world. They just descend on our city and take a little bit of our history back with them, which is amazing."
The festival boasts a diverse range of attractions, from academic lectures appealing to historians and Viking enthusiasts to a variety of free activities, alongside ticketed events for a deeper exploration of Viking history. Photo: Courtesy of Jorvik Viking Festival
A long-lasting legacy
One potential drawback to holding an outdoor event in February, of course, is that the weather is seldom wholly hospitable.
Jay reassures us that it rarely causes too many problems, however.
"Vikings are a hardy bunch. Plus it looks great with all the layers, the woolen cloaks and the hats."
"The wind can be an issue, and sometimes we have to pack things away for a bit, but that's the beauty of an encampment – it's easy to take it down and then put it all back up again."
As the Jorvik Viking Center prepares to celebrate its 40th birthday in April 2024, Jay is proud of what the museum, research, and festival have achieved.
"I think Jorvik and Jorvik Viking Center have really led to a resurgence in interest in the Vikings in this country. York used to be thought of as a Roman city; now it's definitely Viking."
To learn more about the Jorvik Viking Festival, please check out their website or the Jorvik Viking Center Facebook page.
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