Fit for a King

Christina here. As I mentioned in a previous post I travelled in the footsteps of the Vikings during the summer and I thought I would tell you about the second part of our journey which proved very interesting indeed!

After visiting Haithabu in north-west Germany, we continued into Denmark by car and headed for a small place called Lejre, just south of Roskilde. Here there is another open-air museum – Sagnlandet (literally “the land of fairy tales”) – where one of the attractions is a huge reconstructed Viking hall. I had wanted to see this for quite some time so stopping at Lejre was a must for me. And it was truly magnificent, not just in size but in the way it was built and the wonderful decorations.

First of all, the outside of the building was truly impressive. Set at the top of a slope, the king’s hall was about 50 metres long and 10 wide, with a slightly curved roof covered in wooden shingles. The gable ends were decorated with snarling beasts and there were rows of posts holding up the roof overhang. I imagined guards sheltering under there while on duty if the weather was inclement. The hall is based on the remains of one found nearby that used to belong to a Viking king, hence the large dimensions.

A king naturally had to have the best of everything. Entering the royal hall was like stepping back in time. You first come through the enormous outer doors with intricate carvings all around them and step into an entrance hall. I think this was separate from the rest of the building in order to keep the main rooms warmer. Another set of magnificent doors – these ones with lovely iron hinges and decorations – led into an ante-room. The guide said this is where lesser people were made to wait to see if they would be allowed to be ushered into the presence of the king.

Higher-ranking men and women would have gone straight through into the main room (through yet more ornate doors) and possibly, like me, stopped dead awestruck by the amazing space.

Double rows of pillars supported a soaring roof – at least 10 meters tall if not more – and these would have been painted in bright colours back in Viking times. They would add to other splashes of colour in the form of wall hangings, cushions, and painted shields, and possibly weapons decorating the walls. There were rows of benches on either side of the middle aisle. Unlike a normal Viking longhouse which only had one set of benches, here there were platforms holding three rows on each side. During mealtimes these would have also had trestle tables set up before them and the benches might have had sheepskins or cushions to sit on.

In the centre of the right-hand wall was the special dais for the king and his royal entourage. No ordinary bench for him, but a carved seat with armrests and probably a multitude of soft cushions to sit on. More lovely carvings adorned his chair and the nearby benches – I loved the way the craftsmen had carved heads of various creatures like dragons. It gave a feeling of opulence and made it feel special to sit there (yes, of course I had to try it!).

I also tried picking up one of the Viking shields and found it very heavy! The men using those must have been quite muscular, holding that with one hand and wielding their sword , axe or spear with the other.

Sitting in the king’s chair, I had no trouble imagining the hall full of feasting warriors and their families – chatting, laughing, eating and drinking. The long rectangular hearth in the centre of the room would have given off smoke and delicious cooking smells. There might have been skalds, musicians or other entertainers trying to make themselves heard. And of course, lots of servants or thralls bustling around serving food and drink. The king had a drinking horn with silver mounts, while his more important guests would have been given green glass beakers made in faraway Frakkland (the land of the Franks ruled by Charlemagne). Ordinary guests had to make do with pottery mugs. I would have been happy with anything, as long as I was allowed to be a part of such a feast. It must have felt very special!

Behind the hall I found a group of re-enactors cooking Viking food. There was some kind of stew in a big cauldron and others were making flatbread on a griddle held directly over the fire. Fascinating! Sadly I didn’t get to try any of it.

My husband had patiently waited for me to take hundreds of photos and make notes, as well as just sit there and absorb the atmosphere, so I figured he was due a reward. (He is, it has to be said, a tiny bit “Vikinged-out” and who can blame him?). I wasn’t quite finished with the Viking experiences, however, so I took him to Roskilde and the wonderful Viking ship museum there. I told him his reward was to help row and sail a Viking ship in the harbour there and that was something he truly enjoyed (as did I, even though I’ve done it before).

We set off with 16 other people and a ship’s dog – who seemed to take it all in her stride – and although some of the crew members could have done with a lesson in rowing, we had a marvellous time! My husband got to help raise the sail, which you had to be quite strong to do, and once that was up our speed increased significantly.

It’s an amazing feeling travelling in a longship on a sunny day and I think that was definitely the best part of our journey for him.

For me, it was sitting in the royal hall and dreaming of times gone by …

Learning about the past in a hands-on kind of way is always really useful for an author. Have you ever tried your hand at any skills from the past? And if so, did you enjoy it?