Bay Ridge Vikings (Image courtesy of David Tan).
What two things do marauding Vikings and Madmen character Peggy Olson have in common? A Scandinavian background and Bay Ridge of course!
And with the recent success of the History Channel program Vikings, Scandinavian history has come into the foreground of American pop culture. What better time to learn about the notorious raiding Northmen than now?
In this world of global trade, it may prove important to learn from the fierce Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes who not only preyed on coastal European communities from the 700s to 1200s – but also navigated unknown waters to form new trade routes that would eventually spread goods and ideas throughout the world, and even traveled to North America hundreds of years before a certain Genoese explorer named Colombo.
This Saturday, May 18, at Owl’s Head Park, you’ll get a chance to learn more about both the fury and the logic of the Northmen with a replica Viking ship complete with a crew of re-enactors, historic arms and armor, exhibits by the Society for Creative Anachronism, and a multi-ethnic dance recital, in addition to the rides, games and food you’d expect at any outdoor festival.
Music will include pipers, step dancers, and Byzantium-styled compositions, as well as a guest band from Norway.
The event is sponsored by the Scandinavian East Coast Museum, which exists to tell the often overlooked story of New York’s Scandinavian immigrant community.
Co-sponors include Councilman Vincent Gentile, the Norwegian Consulate of New York, the Brooklyn Arts Council, the 17th of May Committee, and the Bay Ridge Baptist Church.
Continue reading for the performance schedule…
