Battle re-enacted as Viking festival reaches fiery climax

Paul Jeeves

ONE of Britain’s biggest Norse battle re-enactments of recent years was staged as the climax to the 25th annual Jorvik Viking Festival in York at the weekend.

Crowds of more than 2,500 people descended on the city’s racecourse for the event on Saturday evening, which involved up to 250 re-enactors from as far afield as Poland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

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The re-enactment recreated the Battle of Woden’s Field which happened exactly 1,100 years ago in AD 910 and left three Viking kings as well as thousands of their followers dead. Saturday evening’s re- enactment ended with the burning of a replica Viking boat and a firework display.

This year’s eight-day festival involved 47 separate events, including an evening of Viking music and poetry at York Minster on Friday.

The Jorvik Viking Centre, which has undergone a 1m revamp, reopened at the start of the festival, and has seen 2,000 visitors passing through its doors each day.

The festival was launched by Tony Robinson, the presenter of Channel 4’s Time Team programme, and featured an appearance by Terry Deary, the author of the Horrible Histories series of books.

Planning for next year’s festival is due to begin next month.