Gimli Icelandic festival may smash attendance record

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This article was published 01/08/2011 (5361 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The clash of metal on metal and the grunts and cheers of battle-hungry men closed off a sun-kissed Icelandic festival that organizers say was likely the most popular to date.

The Viking combat demo was the final event, following a long weekend of of Icelandic activities, such as the screening of the short film Where is the Snow and the Viking Village.

For the combat demo, a group of 15 men squared off against each other in a variety of scenarios, demonstrating axes, knives, spears and armours — and giving each other blows that seemed awfully real. Axes collided with spears and knives landed within centimetres of flesh.

After the bout, the fighters gathered and a leader asked: “Was there anything that happened out there today that made you feel unsafe?”

But the warriors train carefully, and they say there has never been an injury more serious than a bruise, in the many fights that happen at Viking re-enactment celebrations around the country. Many of the reenactors travel from city to city.

While the fighters debriefed, kids lined up for a battle lesson.

Oliver Merrett-Hiley, 11, wearing a bathing suit and holding a plastic sword, was first in line. His eyes widened when he talked about the fight.

“It’s all about the action. You can’t have the fight without the action,” he said.

“Maybe a few flips in there would have been nice but it’s kind of hard with 50 pounds of armour,” he allowed.

Between 50,000 and 60,000 people went through Gimli during the festival, with many of them attending the Icelandic festival, said Shelley Norfason, the festival’s executive director.

Though final numbers won’t be out till later this week, Shelley said, “I think attendance at all the events was up,” she said.

“It seems we rely so much on the weather and the weather was fabulous.”

william.burr@freepress.mb.ca