From Midgard to Valhalla

http://www.celebrities-events.com/en/

Hail Vikings,

In France, there will be an event called: From Midgard to Valhalla this will take place at the Hyatt Regency Paris Charles De Gaulle on 16 and 17 Septembre. 

Announced (#extra) guest:

Helga (Maud Hirst)

Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland)

Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig)#

Rollo (Clive Standen)#

Ivar (Alex Høgh Andersen)

Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith)

Torvi (Georgia Hirst)

Tickets start from  € 140,00 packages, extra's and other things will be announced in a further stadium.

http://www.celebrities-events.com/en/

Vikings: Bataviawerf, Oseberg Vikingship Videos

All videos made by Tamara Bakx

Vikings: Bataviawerf, Oseberg Vikingship

Hail Vikings,

Today 14/10/2017 I went to the symposium I talked about in the blog from 07-10-2017

https://tamarabakx.blogspot.nl/2016/10/vikings-month-of-history.html Before I start I had some problems with my phone so my notebook didn't save my notes. Unfortunately, I can't recall everything from the day. So sorry if I forgot something or that my photos are bad.

I had to come early and see the preparations from Thomas Finderup for the afternoon chop/splitting and carving reading so there were only a few persons on the Bataviawerf. After his preparations, I went to see the different aspects that you have on a ship like the sails and the woodwork maker. That was before I started a guided tour. A guided tour is the opportunity to ask your questions and can take up to two and a half hours and you could choose to leave when you like.

As the tour started I had one and a half hour before the symposium started so I didn´t do the guided tour maybe next time. I got distracted a lot during that tour although I choose to go on an English tour instead of the Dutch tour, not because of the guide. When we visit the `Batavia`I lost my concentration completely. The ´Batavia` a 17th-century ship with amazing woodwork and was able to see how detailed everything was. I listened to the guide but actually I wanted to explore and find out myself. Although I was able to do that I  was thinking about the boatbuilding of the Vikings when the guide told some part of the ship is a construction invented by the Vikings. My distraction was gone immediately I heard the word Vikings and the concentration follow the guide was completely there again.

After my lunch, the symposium started I got seated next to the team of the 'Kamper Kogge' and they are also responsible for lifting the wrecked ship the 'IJssel Kogge' at first when they had lifted the wrecked ship I thought it was a Viking ship. It has the same plank structure on the outside as a Viking ship. But unfortunately, it isn't. They haven't found a Viking shipwreck in The Netherlands just yet.

The readings are very interesting and learned a lot about preserving methods and reconstructions. How they do it but also if you can imagine what the difference is in 2016 they only build a ship in a couple of months until 2 years depends on what kind of ship they construct from history in The Netherlands. In the Viking time, it would take years to build such a fleet to go to Paris, even if they had enough people it would take about 2 till 5 years to build only one ship. So when they concur other ships they could use that to get a greater fleet.

Left picture: Presentation Thomas Finderup Vikings iron or wooden front
Right picture: Tamara Bakx Dutch  wooden front 17th century

They always have used mythology on the ships. That is how they recognized from which country you came from. That is how they recognize the Vikings because they used the same front and back on the boat with different mythology themes. In front always an animal like a dragon, it depends on the country mythology, under the dragon, there was some mythology. 

He also talked about the 'Oseberg' they found it almost completely on a burial site. On that burial site, they found the tools to make a ship it could be a warrior as well because of the axes they found. They found multiple on multiple sides. He also talked about the ritual that comes with a Vikings dead and how amazed they really where to find a lot of boats intact while they knew that a Viking boat were burned with the dead in it. They also find two warrior women on one of the sides. They had a lot of axes and tools to make weapons.

After the talk, we went outside to split and chop a tree and get different demos with different axes. He also told how they made planks for the boat. When finding oak wood they use frames on the tree to find fitting wood for a boat. Those frames used to cut the tree as economic as possible. They burn or steam the wood in the right positions. Did you know they only need to get rid of the bark to see if the tree was good enough for preserving, without disease, and if the wood was hard enough to build a boat? 

The different tools used after the split of the tree. Photo: Tamara Bakx

Chopping with a special axe Photo: Tamara Bakx

Photo Presentation Thomas Finderup

Photo Presentation Thomas Finderup Frames on the tree

Photo Presentation Thomas Finderup Mythology on a board

Photo Presentation Thomas Finderup

I needed to think about Ragnar when he introduced Bjorn to Floki where we see exactly the same thing happen. The presentation I needed to think about Floki and how we see him as boat builder and warrior. If the burial was from Floki it would look like the same as Thomas Finderup told us.The part of the mythology I liked as well. There are a few stories about boats in Norse mythology Naglfar is also used in the presentation a ship that exists only of toe and fingernails. The other ones are Hringhorni, Skíðblaðnir and Sessrúmnir.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sessr%C3%BAmnir

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hringhorni

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naglfar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sk%C3%AD%C3%B0bla%C3%B0nir

     

Vikings: Month of History

http://www.osebergvikingskip.no/documents/bildedagbok.php?title=thomas-finderup-tar-over-etter-egil-mikkelsen&entry_id=1280322991 Photo source: © Jørgen Kirsebom 

Hail Vikings,

In The Netherlands, October is the month of History. When I received the newsletter about this I went to see how much events about the Vikings I could find or I would see in this month. I came back very disappointed by the first things I saw. In total three events, I came across that had to do with Vikings. Things I already had done and all in one weekend. But the last event tricked me on the 14th of October.

I already knew that this year theme is about borders between lands, sea and everything to do with those borders. About that last event, I found. It is a symposium about Historical reconstructions of ships. The theme of this symposium is Authentic and Sustainability. At first, it has nothing to do with Vikings for one exception. Later I will tell you about the exception.

I will tell you why in our History the Vikings are not that important because it is not the Dutch history our history starts in the Dutch Golden Age the United East Indian Company time 17th century (V.O.C.) . For me also an interesting subject. But enough about that.

When I saw the leaflet surprised as I was to see that there are two presentations by Thomas Finderup. One about the reconstruction the Viking ship 'Oseberg' and one how to chop/split and carving the wood. I wouldn't want to miss this for a second. I will try to make a blog about this next week or in a fortnight.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oseberg_Ship

http://www.khm.uio.no/english/visit-us/viking-ship-museum/exhibitions/oseberg/1-osebergfound.html

https://thornews.com/2013/04/07/the-oseberg-ships-mystical-runic-inscriptions-man-knows-little/

http://www.osebergvikingskip.no/eng/documents/reconstruction.html

http://www.bataviawerf.nl/what-is-there-to-see-and-do.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Golden_Age

Jarl the Vikings tile laying game by Catalyst game labs

http://www.catalystgamelabs.com/casual-games/jarl-the-vikings-tile-laying-game/

Today Catalyst game labs showed us what the game will look like and revealed it will be coming spring 2015.

The design and board are like checkers and by moving around the board you could strategies to the victory.

It is a board game for two players.

It will take about 15-25 minutes to play. It is for 13 years of older age categorised.

http://www.catalystgamelabs.com/casual-games/jarl-the-vikings-tile-laying-game/

Did we miss something or do we have a totally different opinion then those who are in the jury of the Emmy’s nominations?

Photo credit: Jonathan Hession

I was shocked when I heard the Emmy’s nominations. My beloved Vikings didn’t get any nomination in the category of actors, actress and even not the writing staff. The only nomination we got was in SFX.

Vikings had a lot of categories they were in. and didn’t get what the fans wanted. A nomination in all categories. Travis Fimmel does a lot of acting without words amazing. Katheryn Winnick is stunning throughout the whole series, Clive Standen went from a warrior into a drunken Rollo and then get up again.

The writing team did an amazing job to get the show much better than last year. Still they don’t see the show who is back for a third time next year as an Emmy’s nominee. I didn’t I was all the way convinced that we would be nominated for all the categories we were in.

A strange idea we will raid again and next year we will beat them all. We will raid the Emmy’s nominations and we will win because we are the Vikings.

Vikings set will come to Comic-Con

Photo by John Sciulli/WireImage

The Vikings will be back this year at Comic-Con. Last year you could do a longboat race. Ever wanted to play a Viking on set?  This year you could be a Viking on set and it will all be filmed. 

There is panel time again with less cast but it will be as awesome as last time. Our beloved Vikings cast will be there Travis Fimmel, Katheryn Winnick, Clive Standen and Alexander Ludwig together with Michael Hirst. All in 6 instead of hall H what is actually a bit disappointed because it has room for less people to go and enjoy the panel. 

Ever wanted an autograph by one of them there is time for that as well. Unfortunately I will not be there but I would love to go there some day. I will watch it live on the internet. And maybe one day I will enjoy a Comic-Con. Have fun fans who are going there.

http://historyvikings.tumblr.com/post/91468816617/hide-the-gold-were-raiding-comic-con

Q and A Clive Standen

Tonight there was a Q and A with Clive Standen who plays Rollo in Vikings.He did this because the first season and second episode in the UK was shown there.

I was able to ask him a few questions. He did gave me something to look up and now I know even more about the myth he liked.

Which other character would you like to play?

Clive: “I'm happy with Rollo but I can't wait to see where Michael takes the character of "Ivar the boneless"

Have you ever been in The Netherlands?

Clive: “I have...I did a theatre tour of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein in 2003 to Eindhoven, Utrecht,Gouda,Amsterdam and Rotterdam.loved it”

Which myth do you like most about the Vikings?

Clive: “look up the viking myth of how the phrase "cut your nose off to spite your face" was formed ... #Gruesome”

I then took the time to look it up and found out this:

There where nuns and the Vikings came there and in order to protect them from raping by the Vikings they cut of their noses. To find the full story click below on the link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutting_off_the_nose_to_spite_the_face

If you want to now more about Vikings and the TV series follow me and others on:

http://www.facebook.com/groups/431157483635596/

The things I like about the Vikings season 2 the journey so far

Photo credit: Jonathan Hession

This Sunday episode 5 of Vikings season 2 arrived. We are a bit behind, I know. What I would like to tell you is that everyone worked so hard to give us a great season. I found it hard to admit that I know already what is going to happen although I haven’t seen it yet.

I like it I can visualize it for myself first and then the surprise will be when the episode is finally there. The funny thing about that is that you can create your own opinion. I am happy to tell you I try not to spoil anything but fans who have already seen the episodes I will tell you this. I like the whole idea of Vikings and how they are in the old age. The point is based on facts and on creation everything is possible.

When I tell you I like the way they choose to get each character explain its own story. In every fight we see how they choose to fight. From beginning until episode 5 I got surprised every time I watched. The switching between characters. How they believe to be. Their denial, their fears, their fight with inner self most remarkable explained. I actually love these things. Each and every character in its own way have their love, fight, struggle and obstacles. The thing is they have it both in mind and on the battlefield.

I like the relationship between Bjorn and Floki that is extra ordinary and strange in a way. Floki has a kind of relationship with all of the sons of Ragnar.

The sight from Ragnar and Aslaug is also great to see. In episode 5 we switch from the one to another and into the battlefield it is something quite extraordinary I love the way they did that.

The anger Bjorn created in season 1 is still there in season 2 but different in many ways. I love the way we went from Nathan o’ Toole to Alexander Ludwig. Alexander did a great job the way he plays Bjorn you get to see where Bjorn now capable of. Support in battle. His kindness is one of the things I like about Bjorn.

Speaking of Rollo from warrior to drunken nobody to hero? I like the character Rollo in many ways he tried too hard and got disappointed in himself. Most of the people don’t like Rollo in a way. I like Rollo’s character in many ways. He took many steps and he could kill himself and his brother multiple times but he didn’t. If anyone could identify with him you wouldn’t unlike him at all. Is that a weakness I don’t think so. Sometimes we do things in an blink of the eye and then we regret that our whole life, Rollo is one of them who does exactly the same.

 

 

    

Viking fan and want to know more?

Vikings fan and want to know more take a look at this:

For swords:                     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6woycxQzA0#t=34

For building Vikingships:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moYFDa7nHn8

                                     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV2Admuklxs

Viking life

                                     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C9c_dEhzbE