Blood of the Norse - Vikings

Blood of the Norse

A book about the Magnus Vikings Association

This project is financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the EU Programme for Peace & Reconciliation (PEACE III) managed by the Special EU Programmes Body and delivered by the North Down, Ards & Down Council Cluster.

History of the Magnus Viking Association

The Magnus Viking Association (MVA) was founded in 2003. Local enthusiasts held a meeting in the Down County Museum following the 2002 Magnus Barelegs Festival. They drew their name from King Magnus Barelegs of Norway, who is buried outside Downpatrick, near to the Downpatrick Railway Museum. Their aim was to promote the Viking life and heritage in Strangford Lough and Down District, by working with bodies such as Down District Council (DDC) and also to network with re-enactment groups, festival organisers, schools and film and television producers. The latter association having resulted in Mr Tony Robinson MBE, of Time Team fame becoming honorary president of the MVA.

The Magnus Barelegs International Viking Festival has now reached its tenth year, making it the longest running Viking festival in Ireland.

We drew our name from King Magnus Barelegs of Norway who is buried near Downpatrick

On Becoming a Member

What does it mean to be a member of the Magnus Viking Association? If you would like to be involved, here are some of the activities to be enjoyed.

• Learn battle tactics and make authentic Viking weapons.

• Help build and maintain Viking longships and long-houses, using Dark Age skills and materials.

• Learn wood-working skills, creating your own decorative carvings to adorn ships and long-houses.

• Try your hand at making your own clothes; don’t forget men and boys had to learn these skills as well. Make your own cloth using drop spindles to produce woollen yarn and a loom to turn it into cloth.

• Learn archery. The MVA work with the Traditional Archery Society of Ireland (TASI), through their local society, the Carrick Free Company.

• Learn the significance of “the Futhark” (Dunsk tongue) the language of the Vikings and the Runic alphabet and its meanings.

• Learn more about our Viking ancestors through the “Sagas”- Viking myths and legends.

• Experience foraging for wild foods and herbal medicines.

If you would like to become involved there are contact details on the back page.

Viking Activity in Co Down

Lo there do I see my father

Lo there do I see my mother

My sisters and my brothers Lo there do I see the line of my people

Back to the beginning Lo they do call to me They bid me take my place among them

In the halls of Valhalla Where the brave may live for ever.

The above is an original Viking poem which was traditionally recited at burials

The Superior of Nendrum was burnt in his church, possibly by Vikings.

824 Vikings sack Bangor Abbey. They destroy the wooden church and in an act of sacrilege they shake the relics of St Colmgall from their shrine. Also Movilla Abbey is raided and burnt.

825 Vikings travel up the Quoile and plunder the monastery at Dunlethglaise (Downpatrick). They are defeated in their first major battle with the Irish, at Magh Inis.

842 The annals refer to the Vikings for the first time as the “Foreigners of Lough Cuan” (Vikings of Strangford Lough)

850 Other Vikings arrive in Strangford to contest with the Norse for the rewards that could be won from Ireland (slaves and ornaments of gold and silver.) The annals name them the Dubh-Gaill (dark haired foreigners from Denmark) and the Finn-Gaill (fair haired foreigners from Norway)

877 Danish Chieftain, Halfdan, brother of the Viking King of Dublin and York, was killed by the Norse in a sea battle fought in Strangford Lough.

913 A Norse fleet from Strangford Lough is defeated by the Danish King of York in the Irish Sea.

923 The Great Disaster, a Viking fleet from Strangford Lough was wrecked in a great storm, more than nine hundred men were drowned in the Bay of Dundrum.

935 Kilclief was plundered by the son of Barith, the stone church was burnt and a great prey was carried out of it. This suggests that the hurdle church that gave the place its name, had been replaced by a stone building some time in the tenth century.

940 The son of Ragnall sailed from the Isle of Man and plundered Downpatrick. Having established himself on an island in the Quoile system he was attacked and killed by Metadhan, King of the Ulaid within a week.

942 The Warriors of Lecale defeated the Vikings of Strangford Lough. This seemed to have been a death blow to Viking activity, they do not appear again in Strangford Lough for another thirty-four years, a generation.

976 The Superior of Nendrum was burnt in his church, possibly by Vikings.

1001 The last recorded raid on a church was Sitric’s raid on Kilclief. Having established a fortified position here, he moved inland and raided the church at Inch (Inis Cumbscraigh) many of the inhabitants were carried off into slavery.

1098 Magnus Barelegs, grandson of Harald Hardrada, becomes King of Norway. He sets out on an expedition to bring his widespread empire under control. On his return he is given his nick name “Barelegs” due to his adoption of the short tunic traditionally worn by the Gaels of Scotland and Ireland.

1101 Magnus turns his attention to the conquest of Ireland. There is some talk of an alliance with King Muirchertach O Brian, with whom he may have raided Tir Eoghain and possibly occupied Ulaid and O’Brian

1103 King Magnus enters the Quoile system by boat to await a herd of cattle promised to him by Muirchertach. He is taken unawares and slain by the Ulaid and O’Brian. It is however possible that the attackers were local men who did not know who Magnus was and believed him to be stealing their cattle. He is officially believed to be buried close to the site of the modern day Downpatrick Railway Museum under a mound adjoining a clump of trees near Horse Island.

The Magnus Viking Association Education Programme For Schools

Our education programme for schools introduces the students to Viking family life by re-enacting the family unit, in the form of husband, wife, slave girl, trader and Viking warrior. The programme is very interactive.

Our first education days were held immediately prior to the 2004 Magnus Barelegs festival. Since then thousands of school children have enjoyed this living history programme, as referenced by the lively and entertaining letters of thanks that we have received from them. In the true pioneering spirit of the Viking people, distance poses no obstacle to our work and over the past few years we have taken our education programme far and wide. Most recently we travelled to Drumchor in County Louth where we worked with two primary schools and a group of students with special needs.

In the true pioneering spirit of the Viking people, distance poses no obstacle to our work

The Annual Magnus Barelegs International Viking Festival.

The festival has developed over the past ten years into the most successful and longest running period festival in Ireland. It is a joint project hosted by the Killyleagh Social Partnership in conjunction with the Magnus Viking Association. Re-enactors travel from all over Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe to take part.

This event takes place over two days. The first day involves Viking living history and re-enactment. The theme of the festival revolves around the last days of the life of King Magnus of Norway, which were played out on the shores of Strangford Lough in 1103 and culminated in his violent death at the hands of the Ulaid warriors. Spectators are treated to dynamic displays of sword fighting, archery and hand-tohand combat. Sadly we all know the out-come for poor old King Magnus and the day draws to a close with his funeral procession and the burning of his long-ship as his funeral pyre.

The theme of the festival revolves around the last days of the life of King Magnus of Norway

The Dark Age Village

The Magnus Viking Association has been enhancing the festival by building new props year on year culminating in a Dark Age village worthy of any film set.

As well as all those battles, during Day One of the Magnus Barelegs Festival, visitors can explore the daily life of the people of the Dark Ages through the interactive exhibits and activities set out in our historically authentic village.

And the good news about the village is that it’s not just a static display! Most of our props, including our longhouses, are fully mobile and have been transported to various places in the past including the Olaf Scabby Head Festival in Athlone County Westmeath, the Annagassan Viking Festival County Louth, the Down County Museum and the Antrim Viking Boat festival in Lough Neagh.

The Boat Races

Day Two of the Magnus Barelegs Festival consists of international charity boat races which are held in Killyleagh Harbour. Competing teams come from across Europe to fight for the honour of becoming the champions and holding the perpetual trophy for the following year.

Our participation in other Viking long-ship races have included, the Yorvic Viking Festival in York, England and a number of festivals in the Republic of Ireland.

Competing teams come from across Europe

Boat Construction

One of he main achievements of the MVA is the construction of three fully sea-worthy Viking long-ships. The craft are of timber construction with a length of ten metres and a beam of three metres and need a crew of eleven, including the steersman, in order to operate them . They have two means of propulsion; oar and, given a fair wind, sail. They were designed from start to finish by one of the members and built by MVA volunteers - none of whom had any prior experience of ship-building.

The first two ships were launched in May 2004. Their names were chosen in a competition which was put out to local schools and the two winning entries were, “Sleipnir” and “Strangford Warrior” . The third ship was launched in May 2009 and was again named by competition, the winner on this occasion being “Dragon Slayer”.

The Viking King of Dublin and York, was killed by Norse in a sea battle fought in Strangford Lough

Film and Television Work

The first of the Magnus Viking Association’s television roles was in Channel 4’s “The Worst Jobs In History”, hosted by Tony Robinson. This involved illustrating how much stamina was needed to row a Viking long-ship and the less than pleasant details of how they transported ships over land, known as “portage”. All aspects were demonstrated by Tony Robinson who was assisted by MVA members.

The MVA has subsequently gone on to work with

The BBC’s “Earth Works” series hosted by Daryl Grimmason, taking one of the Viking ships up the River Blackwater in County Armagh.

The BBC’s “Pocket Book History of Ulster”, hosted by John Daley.

Channel 4’s “Viking Boat Race”.

RTE’s Brian Boru Documentary

All aspects were demonstrated by Tony Robinson who was assisted by MVA members

Working with visiting groups

The PEACE III Viking Day at Saul

The MVA entertained and educated a number of Community groups from around Down District, North Down and the Ards on the theme of Viking life, as part of the “PEACE III” Community History Project. The visitors enjoyed a tour of the Dark Age village where they witnessed the skills of a weaver, spinner and herbalist, as well as taking part in some archery and weapons training.

‘The Young Ambassadors Program’ Viking Boat Trip

A group of young American visitors also availed themselves of the services of the MVA this summer, when we took a party of representatives from the St Patrick’s Centre’s Young Ambassadors Program out on a day’s tour of Strangford Lough on one of our Viking Longships. As well as being given the chance to learn some rowing skills, participants were also treated to a “potted history” of the Lough.

Both trips culminated in some legendary Viking hospitality - no, sadly not, mead filled drinking horns and roasted oxen, but a pretty passable barbecue instead!!

participants were also treated to a “potted history” of the Lough

The International Connection

The MVA has a strong and long standing association with the Haakon Haakonson Viking Group from Bergen in Norway. The Norwegians regularly attend the Magnus Barelegs Festival, taking part in both the re-enactment and the boat races. A party of twelve members of the MVA have also visited Bergen on a four-day cultural exchange.

A little closer to home the MVA also has an excellent working relationship with the Annagasson Historical Society in County Louth. Extensive cross-border work has taken place between the two groups, including the MVA’S participation , in full Viking kit, at the official opening of the Annagassan Historical Society’s Museum of Local History and a visit by some members of the MVA to meet with Finnish Cultural Ambassadors as part of a tour of the Lindugal archaeological site. In return a delegation from the Annagassan Group attended the launch of the MVA’s long-ship, the “Dragon Slayer”.

The Norwegians regularly attend the Magnus Barelegs festival, taking part in both the re-enactment and the boat races