Todays Jorvik (York) Viking parade 2025. https://youtu.be/pz7ZSV4EbaM?si=ytMSm_d5jLB9Ezpa

Some bits and pieces from Jorvik Viking festival, York, England.

Hámundr and Ulfr raised this stone in memory of Hrólfr, their father; Eybjǫrg in memory of her husband. They owned the estate of Sleðabrú, Freysteinn and Hrólfr, þegns of strength.

Runestone Sö 367
Släbro, Nyköping

Dated to somewhere between -
980–1015
( Viking Age )

Rune reading
hamunr : ulfʀ raisþu : stain : þinsi : efti : hrulf : faþur : sin : ayburg : at : unir sin þaiʀ otu : by : slaiþa:bru + fraystain : hrulfʀ o^þru<toʀ> <þia>k<n>a

Old West Norse
Hámundr, Ulfr reistu stein þenna eptir Hrólf, fǫður sinn, Eybjǫrg at ver sinn. Þeir áttu bý Sleðabrú, Freysteinn, Hrólfr, þróttar þegnar.

This is one of my favorite runestone .

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bLqy6rIv-5c

#vikings #sweden #runestone #ironage

Well, it’s taken only about 25 years, but I think I’m biting the bullet and getting some new tattoo work done, and I can think of none better then some of the folks here for advice on something…
My particular heritage is primarily French from Québec, with both sides of the family having solid roots in Normandy.
I fell into the DNA rabbit hole a few years back, and even invested in a few tests (while they were on sale) to compare… French was naturally prominent, but there were surprises.. Some Scandinavian traces were still there even from French communities where very few ever left the Saint Hyacinthe area.. To this day, my mother and I are really the only two of three in the family that left & speak English lol…
Comparing it to archeological dna services like mytrueancestry has definitely been revealing, especially when it highlighted an ancestral link to Visigothic and Danish roots (with many other Germanic influences, including a smidgin of Norwegian)..
In any case, I’ve always been fascinated with the Elder Futhark and all things proto-Germanic.
I currently have a camel spider tattooed on one hand, and a scorpion on the other.. Due to a promise I gave to fellow soldiers after our 1992-93 Somalia tour that I’d “fight” them on a bar table once we got home to remind us of our only entertainment out there lol.
The idea is to add runes on my fingers…
I have tried to research the proto-Germanic inspiration for the Nordic influence of Huginn & Muninn.. These would be transcribed using the Elder Futhark, and figured these to be Hugiz and Muniz.
Any thoughts by those with a bit of knowledge in this area?

Once settled, I also have an itch to get the Visigothic Eagle on one side of the neck, and the well known Raven from Vikingtid banners on the other side… Both would be fair homage to two ancestral links.

Light show on York Minster as part of Jorvik Viking week, York, England. (The Viking section).

- Végautr raised these stones in memory of Þorgautr, his brother -

Runestone Ög 197 -
Dated to 980-1015 ( Viking Age )
Mjölby, Sweden.

Rune reading
⁑ uikutr ⁑ risþi ⁑ stina ⁑ þisi ⁑ ift(i)(ʀ) ⁑ [þu]rkut × bruþur ⁑ sin

Old West Norse
Végautr reisti steina þessa eptir Þorgaut, bróður sinn.

Making the tables for the Viking Feast. Wanted tables that would look like they were from the Viking Age, but they also needed to be able to be taken apart and stored or transported. Used the style of leg joinery that is found in stools and benches from various finds and sandwiched the 2x4 in between 2x2s and put two dowels through all 3 boards. Just have to remove the dowels and the legs come out.

Our first Viking Feast that we put on as a pre-event for Viking Fest Minnesota (www.vikingfest.com). The space we used is Asfolk Viking Martial Arts (www.asfolk.com) located in Eagan, Minnesota. A friend and I built all of the tables in just two weeks before the event.

For the next feast, we are hoping to double the number of tables/attendees.

Feast was fully catered and I worked with the caterer to make sure the food was historically accurate. Entertainment/storytelling provided by friends and fights provided by Asfolk.

These pics were made by me Saturday eve... it's around my place. Look at them and you feel the urge to await my Viking friends come around!