James Graham-Campbell - Vikings and the Danelaw

Vikings and the Danelaw

Select Papers from the Proceedings of the Thirteenth Viking Congress, Nottingham and York, 2130 August 1997

Edited by

James Graham-Campbell, Richard Hall, Judith Jesch and David N. Parsons

First published in the United Kingdom in 2001. Reprinted in 2016 by

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Paperback Edition: ISBN 978-1-78570-444-4

Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-78570-453-6 (ePub)

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The publication of this book has been assisted by grants from the Dorothea Coke Fund of the University of Cambridge and from Historic Scotland

Cover image: Viking warrior on a cross from Middleton, near Pickering. Photo York Archaeological Trust

The Thirteenth Viking Congress, Nottingham and York, 1997

Patron

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales

Organizing Committee

Christine Fell

James Graham-Campbell Richard Hall

Judith Jesch

Congress Secretaries

Sue Drury

Samantha Murray

Student Assistants

Jayne Carroll

Betsy Springer

Philip Tallon

Members and Associates

Denmark

Ole Bruhn, Tinna Damgrd-Srensen, Gillian Fellows-Jensen, Peder Gammeltoft, Steffen Stumann Hansen & Anne Christine Larsen, Bente Holmberg, Michael Lerche Nielsen, Niels Lund, Anne Pedersen, Else Roesdahl, Marie Stoklund

England and Wales

Lesley Abrams, Michael Barnes, Martin Biddle Birthe Kjlbye-Biddle, Alan Binns, Mark Blackburn, Nicholas Brooks, Paul Buckland, Christine Fell, James Graham-Campbell, Dawn Hadley, Richard Hall, Katherine Holman, Judith Jesch, Michael Jones, Kevin Leahy, John McKinnell, David Parsons, Mark Redknap, Julian Richards, David Stocker, Tania Styles, Thorlac Turville-Petre, Andrew Wawn

Faroe Islands

Hans Jacob Debes, Arne Thorsteinsson, Hjrdis Trnd

Germany

Michael Mller-Wille

Greenland

Jette Arneborg

Iceland

orgerur Arnadttir, sds Egilsdttir, Anton Holt, Gumundur lafsson, Svavar Sigmundsson, Gurn Sveinbjarnardttir

Ireland

Donnchadh Corrin, Raghnall Floinn, John Sheehan, Patrick Wallace

Norway

Per Sveaas Andersen, Signe Horn Fuglesang, Jan Ragnar Hagland, Knut Helle, Sigrid Kaland, Claus Krag, Irmelin Martens, Preben Meulengracht Srensen, Gerd Stams Munch & Jens Storm Munch, Else Mundal, Ingvild ye, Heid Gjstein Resi, Berit Sellevold, Dagfinn Skre, Terje Spurkland, Anne Stalsberg

Russia

Evgenij Nosov

Scotland

Colleen Batey, Barbara Crawford, Christopher Morris, Olwyn Owen, Caroline Paterson, Brian Smith, Doreen Waugh

Sweden

Marit hln, Stefan Brink, Lennart Elmevik, Anne-Sofie Grslund, Helmer Gustavson, Birgitta Hrdh, Anders Hultgrd, Kenneth Jonsson, Thomas Lindkvist, Lars Lnnroth, Lena Peterson, Kenneth Svensson, Lena Thunmark-Nyln

USA

Benjamin Hudson

Student Delegates

Haki Antonsson, Ross Dean, Jonathan Grove, Mary MacLeod, David McCullough, Alex Service

Viking Congress delegates arrived at the University of Nottingham on the afternoon of Thursday, the 21st of August, the same day as the official opening of the Nottingham branch of IKEA. It seemed appropriate, somehow. Proceedings began even more appropriately with a welcome by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Colin Campbell, whom we toasted in Viking Ale. However, the serious business started soon enough, with the very first paper after dinner that evening: Dawn Hadley In search of the vikings, reproduced below.

On the Friday morning, we were again welcomed by Professor Nick Hewitt, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, followed by Martin Biddle and Birthe Kjlbye-Biddles lecture on their excavations at Repton (reproduced below). The afternoon was devoted to an excursion, in glorious weather, to Repton and Ingleby (stopping along the way at Derby Museum for lunch and Viking artefacts). Foremark Hall, between Repton and Ingleby, provided an appropriate venue for the conference photograph (see ). A full day was crowned with a reception and private view of the exhibition Vikings and Gods in European Art at the Djanogly Art Gallery, opened by Kate Adie.

Saturday and Sunday were hard-working days, with many papers delivered, not only on the main theme of the Congress, but also short research reports on other themes. A selection of the papers on the main theme of the Congress is reproduced in this volume. Evening relaxation on Saturday came in the form of an after-dinner performance by the Nottingham Choral Trust, including Icelandic and Swedish songs, before Andrew Wawn also gave a splendid performance in his public lecture on The Danelaw and the Victorian Viking novel, reproduced below. Sundays less serious entertainment was a showing of the Kirk Douglas/Tony Curtis film The Vikings , along with an insiders commentary on its filming, provided by Alan Binns.

Monday was entirely devoted to an excursion heading eastwards from Nottingham. Our first stop was Shelford church and its sculpture, followed by Southwell and its lintelstone, discussed extensively by Philip Dixon, Olwyn Owen and David Stocker, on site and in their paper reproduced below. Delegates were also treated to a tour of the church tower. The next stop was Shelton, where two small pieces of sculpture provided a perfect excuse to stop for lunch, magnificently prepared by the ladies of the village, and eaten in the pews of this tiny church. Evgenij Nosov proposed a vote of thanks from the pulpit. In the afternoon we were expertly guided around uphill Lincoln by Mick Jones and Alan Vince. Alan also gave a paper outlining the development of the city in the Viking Age, after delegates had been received by the Mayor of Lincoln at Greyfriars, where we also saw a small exhibition of Viking Age finds from Lincoln. The conference banquet was held at the Lawn, and Mr Dunns comfortable coaches, which brought us home to Nottingham, gave many delegates a chance to catch up on their sleep at last.

The last clutch of papers was delivered on the morning of Tuesday the 26th of August, after which some delegates went home and the rest departed on the post-Congress tour to York, calling en route at the church of St Peter at Barton-on-Humber, courtesy of English Heritage. Wednesday was spent partly as a walking tour of Yorks Viking Age streets, churches and possible saga-sites such as Kings Court, where Egil Skallagrimssons Head Ramsom may have been premiered. Other attractions included the Jorvik Viking Centre, and the Yorkshire Museums Viking Age galleries, where we were welcomed by the Keeper of Antiquities, Mrs Elizabeth Hartley. On Thursday we ventured forth in the hoof-marks of Erik Bloodaxe across Stainmoor to see the Scandinavian influence on tenth-century Cumbrian sculpture at Penrith, Gosforth, Lowther and Dearham. Investigations of similar influences on Yorkshire Dales dialect led us, inevitably, to sample the Riggwelter brew at the Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, on our way back. The final days excursion started at the home of the hogback tombstone, Brompton Church, before going on to St Gregorys Minster, Kirkdale, where Professor Philip Rahtz summarized the results of his recent excavations. At Middleton church Alan Binns re-visited the warriorcross and its companion pieces forty or more years on from his initial discussion of them; Sinnington church and Wharram Percy deserted medieval villages were also viewed. The tour culminated beside the River Derwent at Stamford Bridge, with respects to the monument commemorating Harald Hardradas defeat, followed by a companionable dinner above the rivers waters, like a previous Norse champion, in the Cornmill Restaurant.