Karmoy, Viking farmstead, festival place

Norway, at Avaldsnes on Karmoy, near Haugesund, August

During preparations to our Norway tour we've re-read both Edda's and several Sags. That's why one of trip's points was to touch the spirit of Vikings' age.

Unfortunately a very few artefacts are still alive in Norway and Sweden. Even the Viking exposition in Stockholm Historical museum is scanty and unsystematic. One of the most interesting things that we've seen this time was reconstructed Vikings' camp in Karmoy municipality near Haugesund.

If you are coming to Haugesund from the North you'll see the high Harald I Haarfagre (Fairhair) stellar. The monument was designed in XIX in honor of Harald's victory in Battle-of-Hafrsfjord, 872 A.C.

After Haugesund, road 47 is smartly turning right and crosses a gulf via bridge. Drive 3 minutes (2.9 km) after the bridge till 1st roundabout . By left hand you will see a church dominating the whole place. This is your target. Turn left on the circle and drive 1 kilometer more. GPS-location: (59.355902, 5.291333).

This old church is known as Avaldsnes Kirke:

"Ergonomic" bronze handle of the church:

The Vikings' camp was located at the island not far from the church. It's very easy to reach by feet (click the map to enlarge):

Back view from the island:

General view on the farmstead (clickable):

Everything was closed but we were lucky to penetrate into... here is interior:

The staff inside is made as accurately as possible from archaeological finds and information from the Saga's:

"Dragon" (wolf?) head at roof ridge (finial):

This 25-metre long house looks like an boathouse (hangar):

And just in front of it you can see a reconstructed light 12-seats rowing boat on water:

Here is a well-done model of its older brother at Stockholm museum:

...and full-size Viking battle ship from Harald's stellar bas-relief:

Karmoy Viking Festival

Should be noted that in late June this place is very noisy. We met here charming young women, a doctor from Russia, here (She lived in Haugesund now in Oslo maybe). She described vividly how it looks like during the fest weeks: role battles with simulation arms, hills of empty alko bottles rise around, every breath brings a smell of smoking grass, and stares of participants are vacant and wild — berserks actually... Be there! :о)

Just to detail: the festival takes place yearly in June; here is its official site. Also the farmstead is used as a school camp (from B/March to B/June and from E/Aug till E/Oct) where children "get a real feeling of the everyday life in the Viking age".

Вверх ^^

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