1977 - Associated Press - Viking Battle.mp4

1977 - Associated Press - Viking Battle.mp4

Associated Press coverage of an event at an unknown location, which features knights and an onager-like siege engine erroneously described as a ballista.

Among the combat, Gerry East can be seen at the end, flailing wildly at a knight and then being taken down by multiple opponents.

1:13

Associated Press

Just to remind us how lucky we are these days, the Norse Film and Pageant Society staged a small episode in the life of 9th century Britain. They were the days of the Vikings, ferocious sea wolves who swept in from the frozen north with murderous regularity, killing, plundering, burning and doing things a gentleman shouldn't mention.

The war machines like this ballista look nastily real.

The society who staged the fight are very active - this is their 50th pageant. Customs and costumes of the times are seriously studied. There's nothing phoney about the swashbuckling either - armed Viking combat is practiced till perfect. Some of today's Vikings might have raised a chuckle in the Skaggerak, but at least one of them could have stepped straight out of history.

But like all baddies, the goodies get him in the end, and I'd like to know what happened to the ref!