Viking festival in Göhren: Loud roars, swords, bows and arrows

The showdowns between the mostly well-known, if not friendly, clans are just one part of the program. Around the Kurplatz in G&umlren, you can quickly get the impression that you have stepped into a time machine and been hurled straight into the Middle Ages. Mead, the honey wine that the Germanic tribes and Vikings regarded as the drink of the gods, is served at many stands. On the large stage there’s live music with medieval instruments such as bagpipes, drums or hurdy-gurdies and many unusual sounds. In „Jens sien Backstuuv“ meanwhile, so-called Lügen breads are sold, with names such as “3Käsehoch”, “Rittersmahl”, “Scharfer Stecher” or “Die unscharfe Schwester”, but in reality „nur“ für gut „Gefüllte Pizza“ stehen. A few meters further on, topless guys try their hand at the art of archery, there is a falconry show, tree sausages made according to a medieval recipe and also many stalls where craftsmen offer colourful garments and fine jewelry - exhibits that are also based on the Viking era. If you want, you can take a quick course in Viking studies in Göhren, culinary delights included.

In fact, the Viking festival in Göhren is a highlight of the year for Jaromir and Norde. The camp right on the beach is a dream come true. Even if it is very, very time-consuming to lug all your stuff here.“ Norde also laughs and adds: „We carry the sand around with us all year and then bring it back next year.“ Incidentally, both are also good fighters, which will become apparent during the course of the day during the show fights on the battlefield on the beach. In the first edition of the battles, the two will face each other in the final. Do injuries occur from time to time during the show fights? „Rarely“, says Michael Rietschel, who moderates the show fights on the beach, „Most of the fighters are well protected and know what they are doing. They train regularly for the fights, which are practiced as a separate sport with special rules.“ The fact that women with swords or bows and arrows also take part in the show fights in Göhren is, by the way, in line with historical facts. In the Viking Age, women defended their homes and farms while men raided foreign lands. The only difference is that at the end of the show battles in Gähren, the hordes of children between the ages of 5 and 15 pounced on the Vikings with a roar and threw the mighty ruffians into the sand, a story that has probably never been told in any history book. But it was definitely a lot of fun.