Saturday was a day for some housecleaning, a little yard work, and shopping, as Robbinsdale was celebrating Whiz Bang Days. There were multiple opportunities to pick up cheap DVDs (I like to embrace technology about the time it’s going obsolete; that’s when you get the sweet bargains!).
Sunday was Norway Day at Minnehaha Park (as previously advertised in this space), and it was a day worth waiting for. The temperature was moderate, and early clouds gave way to partly cloudy skies. The weather was dry, as has been our Viking Age Club schedule this summer. Some events have canceled altogether, and other usual venues have merely neglected to invite us this year. If it keeps on like this, we may be forced to raid a monastery.
I saw some friends and acquaintances, who stopped by. Some people who thought they might show up didn’t, but on the other hand some I didn’t expect did show up. One of them, Renae Allard, took some pictures of Ragnar’s and my second combat show, and I got her permission to share some of the best with you.
I like this picture very much. It’s like a screen capture from some good Viking movie (a phenomenon which does not actually exist in our universe).
Here we face off, fearless and bold:
And this is the inevitable conclusion.
I managed a couple of draws, but Ragnar cleaned up overall. I didn’t care. It was fun. I don’t think I’ll get another fighting chance until the Viking Meet in Elk Horn, Iowa in September.
Great picture except for the way the photographer happened to catch the other guy’s wrist just then. I can sympathize, as being a person who has rarely been captured on film with his eyes properly open.
The important thing is that I looked good.
That looks like more fun than I’ve ever had. I’ve been wondering, though, how you can have a meaningful competition without hurting each other.
Honestly, it looks more dangerous than it is. We’re two old guys. We can’t afford to take a lot of big risks.
First of all, we go through a training program where we learn to give only allowed blows. A number of strikes that would have been seen in a real duel don’t happen with us, because they’re too likely to hurt somebody (i.e., head shots, leg shots, shoulder shots).
We also wear protective armor, as you can see. I’m not sure if you’d have seen mail shirts in a genuine Viking judicial duel, but we usually wear ours for safety’s sake. I, being eminently sane, wear a padded gambeson under the mail as well. There’s no historical evidence for fighting gloves, but we wouldn’t be without them.
Well, then you won’t be killing each other anytime soon. That’s good to know.