Jork Viking Market, Part 2: Fight Show

Normally, Early Medieval fight shows follow one of several patterns:

• King A attacks the lands of King B. They trade insults, maybe have a fight of champions, then bash each others' heads in. Works well with large numbers of warriors (150+), especially when line fights are included such as during the Danish Moesgard market during the last weekend of July.

• Thorstein the Wild enters a village with his men with the intention of pillaging and plundering. Well, they might have some other intentions, too, but in view of all the families on their weekend outings they pretend they don't. Usually short exchange of demands and insults, followed by 48 seconds of fighting. Often used in small locations and with small groups of warriors.

• The fighters present just want to find out who the best fighter of the market is - they fight a so-called Circle, man against man, with or without honour (without or with backstabbing allowed). When the Circle is all that is shown, the audience is welcome to watch but at times is considered more of a nuisance than anything else.

• Someone explains to the audience the various weapons that existed during the Early Middle Ages, who would own what and then have two warriors demonstrate how one would fight with the weapons. Very educational, often used with very small groups of warriors. Can get tedious after a while if too much is narrated.

Often, of course, the fight show consists of a mix of events, and sometimes new, rather enjoyable bits are added, as happened in Jork on May 24.

The 30 minute fight show started with an unusual overture:

A band of wild Vikings, lead by Einar (names all fictitional), enters the village of Jork and demands silver, children and women from the locals. They try to grab a child or two, pry some rings from fingers but meet no real opposition.

When over the hill comes Sigurd, a local cobbler. He walks up to Einar as if this were the most normal thing you do under these circumstances and starts to reason with him. Alas, to no avail. So Sigurd appeals to Einar's honour. Einar is a very honourable man, of course, and thus immediately agrees to a fight between the two to settle the issue once and for all.

But wait, in a duel you should have a second and when Sigurd agrees, Einar places one of his men nearby. Oh, and a rich man should also have a second second, and a third. And since that looks strange, there should be a fourth second and so forth.

And before Sigurd can say "hey" or "wait a minute" or "what the hell do you think you are doing here with your thirds and fourths and fifths and sixths and sevenths and eighths", all of Einar's men are placed in a close circle around the two.

Einar placing his umpteenth second around Sigurd

I suppose you can see it coming just like we did: before Sigurd can draw his sword, Einar's men overwhelm him, beat him unconscious and drag him quickly to a remote corner of the field. Einar, of course, is more than happy with his band of Vikings...

Einar flashing a big grin

Just in time they turn away from poor Sigurd. For now Eric, the fisherman, approaches. He also believes in the honesty of men and falls for Einar's spiel - and ends up right next to Sigurd.

When next Thorgil, the cooper, approaches, Sigurd weakly tries to warn him by raising a hand but falls unconscious again. And once again, Einar outsmarts the local yokel.

But then little Leif appears, seemingly from nowhere. He doesn't look like much but he carries a somewhat heavy-looking leather bag.

Einar stops him and asks him whether he too wants to fight for his village. Leif shakes his head. He wouldn't dream of trying to fight such a mighty warrior, he has come to bring the invaders a bag of silver as tribute. Einar smiles and commends little Leif for his actions. When Leif announces he will now give the bag to their leader, Einar steps forward greedily but is thoroughly surprised when Leif walks right past him and turns to Bjarni who, if truth be told, looks much more fearsome than Einar.
With a flourish bow, Leif gives the bag to Bjarni, then quickly steps aside as Einar - and everyone else - tries to grab the bag from Bjarni... and while they squabble and pull and push and start to hit each other in the stomach or on the chin, little Leif raises his village neighbours and together they attack the unsuspecting invaders who have just discovered that the heavy bag of silver was filled with nothing but river stones...

Leif, Sigurd, Erik, and Thorgil celebrating their victory

The audience - not just the kids, mind you - got quite involved. They tried to warn the somewhat simple Jork villagers of Einar's treachery, and there was, of course, happy cheering when Einar and his men were outsmarted and the villagers once again gained control of their village.

And this humourous overture laid the groundstone for the audience's reactions to the rest of the show:

• Two clans fighting for the supremacy of the area - two "armies" clashing against each other.

Dragon and Raven Clans battling it out

• Then each clan fights a Circle of Honour (man against man, no backstabbing) to establish their best fighter each.

About to see Odin's face...

• And finally, the two winners fight each other to the death, to be raised by Odin to feast at his table in Valhalla.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and so did the audience. Our thanks go to Timm, the Jomsvikings and guests.

The fighters at Jork