The Vikings fight again in York

Take yourself back to the year 1014AD when King Ethelred was on the English throne and fighting repeated Danish invasions. 

His unlikely ally is Olaf Haraldsson, a young Viking adventurer and heir to the throne of Norway. The two have already crushed the Danish force in London, pulling down London Bridge and capturing the Viking fortress, but Olaffs hunger for battle is undiminished. He scours the English countryside for the Danish warbands and any who might harbour them, coming at last to the outskirts of Jorvik.

 The annual JORVIK Viking Festival is a city-wide celebration of York’s Viking heritage. The festival attracts Viking re-enactors from across Europe and offers a programme of family-friendly events, lectures, guided walks and battle re-enactments.


The 2011 festival in February will re-enact events of the early 11th century  In the Festival’s finale Olaf Haraldsson, will lead a fight against the Danes with hundreds of armed warriors, fireworks and a boat burning at York Maze.

There will also be cultural events with specially commissioned theatrical performances and music, combat training and the chance to see some archaeological discoveries from recent excavations. 


Picture Credit - Visit Britian