....Implored the sign at the park entrance. It's May Day and May Day is local park fair day. There must be many May Day fairs but the Vikings had chosen this one to grace with their presence. I have to say of all the attractions available, from Pony rides to Bouncy castles, Meet The Vikings is the one that fascinates me most. Not because I want to meet them but because I want to know how you become a Viking. Perhaps there are discreet ads in the local paper, have axe, need helmet kind of thing, like Elton John and Bernie Taupin did.
The Dog and I sidled past amongst a throng of interested people, all Meeting the Vikings. It's not the first time I've not Met The Vikings. They pop up all over the place at various events around the area and I realized, with some slight shock, I'd been not Meeting the Vikings for nigh on 15 years now. Today though was the closest I'd got, because today was the first time I'd ever seen anyone meeting them, let alone thronging and I'd never fancied sidling up on my own to find out what Meeting The Vikings was all about.
Of course I don't know if it's the same Vikings today as it was 15 years ago, I've not been as keen an observer as they perhaps deserve, given their dedication to Meeting people. The lineup may have changed, some may have passed on in burning ships lit from flaming arrows, passing the torch of their Viking core down the line in some Viking ceremonial observance.
I'm not really sure I'd want to meet real Vikings. I have this mental image that doing so would involve drinking ale from a horn before trying to split each others heads open with an axe, or the ripping of bodices from torso's whilst hams are banged on tables and devoured but then my Vikings look like Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas, these looked suspiciously like vegetarians and accountants. They also looked a bit Norman'ish too. No horned helmets and axes, more pikes and Norman nasal pointy helmets. Viking props are either hard to get hold of or my view of Viking history is heavily skewed by Hollywood. I suspect the latter but I have always avoided being disabused of this notion by failing to Meet The Vikings.
Perhaps next time, I'll summon the courage to disabuse my Viking vision and go and find out what Vikings were really like. Perhaps next time I'll catch them performing, 'see the warriors fight' or hear them 'telling stories' or see the 'slave market' in action, which are just some of the things they apparently do. I've only ever seen them sitting about in their tents with no one within a hundred yards, apart from when a stray football went into their tent and an errant youth was sent to get it back. Until today that is. Today was the first time I'd seen anyone Meeting The Vikings.
The Dog and I sidled past amongst a throng of interested people, all Meeting the Vikings. It's not the first time I've not Met The Vikings. They pop up all over the place at various events around the area and I realized, with some slight shock, I'd been not Meeting the Vikings for nigh on 15 years now. Today though was the closest I'd got, because today was the first time I'd ever seen anyone meeting them, let alone thronging and I'd never fancied sidling up on my own to find out what Meeting The Vikings was all about.
Of course I don't know if it's the same Vikings today as it was 15 years ago, I've not been as keen an observer as they perhaps deserve, given their dedication to Meeting people. The lineup may have changed, some may have passed on in burning ships lit from flaming arrows, passing the torch of their Viking core down the line in some Viking ceremonial observance.
I'm not really sure I'd want to meet real Vikings. I have this mental image that doing so would involve drinking ale from a horn before trying to split each others heads open with an axe, or the ripping of bodices from torso's whilst hams are banged on tables and devoured but then my Vikings look like Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas, these looked suspiciously like vegetarians and accountants. They also looked a bit Norman'ish too. No horned helmets and axes, more pikes and Norman nasal pointy helmets. Viking props are either hard to get hold of or my view of Viking history is heavily skewed by Hollywood. I suspect the latter but I have always avoided being disabused of this notion by failing to Meet The Vikings.
Perhaps next time, I'll summon the courage to disabuse my Viking vision and go and find out what Vikings were really like. Perhaps next time I'll catch them performing, 'see the warriors fight' or hear them 'telling stories' or see the 'slave market' in action, which are just some of the things they apparently do. I've only ever seen them sitting about in their tents with no one within a hundred yards, apart from when a stray football went into their tent and an errant youth was sent to get it back. Until today that is. Today was the first time I'd seen anyone Meeting The Vikings.
