Which English town will be able to tell its Viking history with the help of a lottery grant?

Now, with the help of a grant from the National Lottery, the town's legendary Viking history will finally be given the attention it deserves.

Grimsby's Viking History

Anyone knowledgeable of the Viking Age will take one look at the name "Grimsby" and immediately mark it out as being Norse-influenced. 

Founded at some point in the 9th century CE during the first wave of Scandinavian settlement in North-East England, Grimsby derives its name from the Scandinavian name Grímr and the suffix -býr meaning "farm" or "village." Therefore, Grimsby means "the farm of Grímr." 

The Norse name Grímr is common in place names across England and has connections to Norse mythology, with Grimnir being a name taken by Odin when he wanders the mortal world. This firmly ties Grimsby to the legendary past.

The town's settlement

Whilst it is impossible to know for certain who the Grim who founded Grimsby actually was, a tale from the 13th century gives one account of the town's settlement. The Lay of Havelok the Dane is a Middle-English romance probably based on an earlier oral tradition. 

It blends Germanic and Celtic literary traditions and deals with inheritance conflict in England and Denmark. The story includes a character called Grim who fled Denmark with the eponymous Havelok, who was secretly the heir to the Danish throne. 

This passage from the lay deals with the founding of Grimsby:

"And for that Grim that place aute, / the stede of Grim the name laute, / So that Grimsbe it calleth alle / That thereoffe speken all; / And so shulen men callen it ay, / Bitwene this and Domesday." 

From this Viking foundation, Grimsby would go on to expand and become an important port in the Danelaw with connections to the Norse Kingdom of Jórvík. It is listed in the Domesday book as having a population of around 200, including a priest, a mill, and a ferry.

In late 2019, archaeologists arrived in Grimsby to investigate the town's historical origins and its expansion through Anglo-Saxon times. This dig unearthed a number of artifacts, including medieval pottery and a bronze pendant from the medieval period, which hints at the wealth of this medieval port and the legacy of Grim.

The three-day event will take place from Friday, September 23, to Sunday, September 25, 2022, across central Grimsby. Source: Heritage Lincolnshire

The National Lottery Grant

In 2022, Grimsby was given a grant of GBP 600,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to promote the town's history. 

GBP 250,000 of this was given to Visitor Economy, Services, and Retail CIC in Grimsby, who were also recently given a Heritage Starter Fund grant which allowed them to start exploring the Viking roots of Grimsby, with a focus on Grim the Viking from the Lay of Havelok. 

This latest grant will allow the organization to expand upon its achievements and educate more people about Grimsby's unknown history.

The Grimsby Viking Festival

The main result of this lottery grant will be a three-day Viking festival in the town between September 23 and  25. This will feature a number of historical re-enactments and opportunities for locals to engage with the Viking legend of Grim and Havelok. The event has been named "Grim Falfest" and will focus on the legendary foundation of the town. 

The festival will kick off with a re-enactment of the arrival of Grim and Prince Havelok by longship and will also feature a Viking village to walk around, a Viking market as well as a Viking battle featuring hundreds of Vikings, and a parade by these Vikings through the town. Reenactors from multiple nationwide re-enactment groups, such as Regia Anglorum, will be present for the event.

The inspiration from the popular Jórvík Viking festival in York is clear, and it is likely that VESR CIC is aiming to capitalize on the success of similar festivals to draw crowds into Grimsby from the surrounding region. 

This festival is sure to be a welcome addition to the Viking-lovers' calendar and an excellent way to utilize lottery funds to boost engagement with the Viking History of Northern England.

A Viking battle in People's Park is expected to be a highlight of the event. Photo: Mike South, provided by Heritage Lincolnshire

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