Gudvangen in Sogn, Western Norway – a suitable place to build a Viking village. (Photo: Leif / Wikimedia Commons)
In May 2017, phase one of Njardarheimr Viking Village is ready. The construction starts in August and the village will consist of about 20 small and large timber buildings – totaling 1,500 square meters when completed.
In December 2014, ThorNews wrote about the strong-willed Vikings led by Chieftain Georg Olafr Reydarsson Hansen:
The four Vikings who had shown up in the Municipal Council in Aurland in Sogn og Fjordane county got the answer they have been waiting for: After two decades, the dream of building a Viking village in Gudvangen becomes a reality.
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Njardarheimr Viking Village – Overview. (Photo / Illustration: Gudvangen Utvikling AS)
Hansen moved to Gudvangen with the motivation to build a Viking village. Since then, he has made a living as self-appointed Viking chieftain, among others as responsible for the Viking market in Gudvangen, located at the end of the Nærøyfjord where Nærøydalselvi River empties into the fjord.
Now, a more than 20-year-old dream will finally be realized.
Visitors Welcome
The first phase of the construction starts in August and will be completed in May 2017. It includes the smallest wooden houses in Njardarheimr, Chieftain’s longhouse and outdoor area.
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Njardarheimr Viking Village – The Chieftain’s Longhouse. (Photo / Illustration: Gudvangen Utvikling AS)
A temporary location for ceremonies is planned and the whole village is surrounded by a fence.
– We are going to build in the winter and be hosts in the Viking village during the summer (Editor’s Note: May – September), says Torill Hylland, Chairman of Gudvangen Utvikling AS, responsible for the construction, to local newspaper Sogn Avis.
However, guests are also welcome in coming winters to join various events.
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Njardarheimr Viking village – Bouthouse by the Nærøyfjord. (Photo / Illustration: Gudvangen Utvikling AS)
The banquet hall, ceremonial building and the other longhouses will be built when the project proves to be viable.
Njardar Viking Association
The name “Njardar” means “devoted to Njord” who in Norse mythology is a god among the Vanir associated with sea, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth, and crop fertility.
Njardarfjordr was the original name for the Nærøyfjord.
Njardar Viking Association (Norwegian: Njardar Vikinglag) established in 2003, has about 100 members who participate in groups specializing in archery, edged weapons, cooking, music and other Viking activities.
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Members of Njardar Viking Association and visitors at the traditional Viking market in July. (Photo: njardar-vikinglag.no)
In mid-July, the association organizes the Viking market as the most important annual event.
If you have any questions to Njardar Viking Association, feel free to contact them on Facebook.
Text by: Thor Lanesskog, ThorNews
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Categories: Culture, History, Vikings, Western Norway
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Reblogged this on The Feed By Our Pantheons Way.
That’s fantastic! I look forward to hearing how the project goes!
Reblogged this on Arctic Specter and commented:
Looks pretty awesome! I might have to work up some funds to go take a sabatical and check this out.
Any chance to participate in the buildingprocess?
HI Jo, Just looking through this site and saw your question about the building process. We are in need of hard working guys with a little experience wood
Would love to know if it is a year around village or just for tourists …
It is a all year round town for reenacts and tourists
This is beautiful. I hope to be able to visit it one day. I would love to be a part of this!
I am beyond thrilled to read about this and that you are doing this in Sogn og Fjordane, where my family is from. I cannot wait to come visit.
Wonderful! Jubilation!
Not only would I love to help build this, but I would spend my life here if granted to do so
Look up viking valley gudvangen on facebook! Updated photos, info about being a part of the project etc etc
Wow how cool
I’m an asatruar
Be amazing to see it
Takk
Please follow us on facebook: viking Valley Gudvangen
Why is it that the houses are not of the “wild boar” type? They all seem to have straight/even roofs?
Why is it that the houses are not aligned in any way, pointing in totally random directions?
Why is it that the misnomer “Viking” is used? (this is a nice choice for tourism but a sad word to choose for a place of daily living, considering the meaning of it, no peace would be found in that city)
Why is it that houses have small gardens with primitive picket fences, looking like a modern day suburb?
Why is it that even the art is misrepresented (eg the beast on both sides of the gate has only two legs)
Why is it that the city has a layout plan that is – to put it directly – impossible to defend against attacs?
Where does food and water come from?
What historical, archaological and/or spiritual/traditional sources have been used to determine what would be right/autentic to do and what would not be so? Or, is autenthicity not an object at all, is “look-a-like” enough?
I have many more questions. These are the most pressing.
I am all for people living out their dreams and trying out alternative lifestyles. I am impressed that people have been working on this for 20years. I like the idea. Congratulations on getting the permit (was that 20 years of waiting for a constrution permit? In Norway?) – and on everything else.
I just think that some (well, quite a lot of) caution should be taken in order not to suggest even in the slightest way that the ways of our forbearers were exactly like that.
Best of luck.
Til árs ok friðar
Addeddum: In this case “Viking” is not only a misnomerr, it is double misnomer, as when you “go viking” (viking is something you do, not something you are) you live in camps or at sea, not in a city.
I sincerely hope that the people founding this city will either (1) do much more to ensure compliance with history (not the christian one that is) and the archaeological record, or (2) re-label/re-name this as “primitive living”, “modern paganism” or similar. A lot of people even in our times are quite sensitive to misrepresentation of their forbearers, and sometimes it takes only a very little action to make a big mistake. It would make sense to avoid this altogether by not claiming to be a representation of any historical period or fact, and people could still live out their dream. Just not claiming to be something that might conflict with the views/traditions of otherwise like-minded individuls, or directly upset others.
Thnks