the vikings are here! Auckland Museum, 21 July - 8 October

VOLVO VIKINGS
21 July - 8 October 2006
Ground Floor

Auckland Museum is proud to present the long awaited exhibition Volvo Vikings. For the first time in the world, this stunning collection of priceless artefacts and treasures come together to tell the story of history's most infamous warriors, traders and navigators. These remarkable objects will never be seen collectively again making this a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore the world of these people who left an enduring legend of terror, legend and admiration that continues to capture our imaginations.

Lewis Chess Piece Beserker The berserker, gnawing his shield in frenzied anticipation of battle, was one of the Viking age chess pieces found on the Scottish island of Lewis in the 19th century. Berserkers were the most feared Viking warriors. Cult followers of war-god Odin, they worked themselves into a trance-like state to become oblivious of pain. Their name has been interpreted as ‘bare skin’, without shirt, or ‘bear skin’, suggesting they wore animal skins. Photograph: National Museum of Scotland

'In this year (793) terrible portents appeared in Northumbria, and miserably afflicted the inhabitants: these were exceptional flashes of lightning, and fiery dragons were seen flying in the air, and soon followed a great famine, and after that in the same year the harrying of the heathen miserably destroyed God's church in Lindisfarne by rapine and slaughter' The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

For 300 years the Vikings spread out from their Scandinavian homelands, sweeping the world from Baghdad to North America. Their name remains legend for terrifying raids on the coasts of Britain, Ireland and Europe in the 8th and 9th Centuries.

Ferocious and fearless, they valued glory and valour above all things. A warrior's death meant a place in Valhalla. But they were also skilled boatbuilders, expert navigators and superb horsemen. They formed large trading centres in their own lands and in other countries, where they practised crafts like wood turning, jewellery making, blacksmithing and textile work. Their societies were loosely democratic, and Viking women often had power and status, running estates while the men were gone.

The Vikings lost their pagan beliefs as they settled in Christian countries and as Christianity spread into the North. Their societies changed with the Mediaeval world. The age of the Viking was over, but they made a mark never forgotten.

"Deliver us, O Lord, from the fury of the Norsemen. They ravage our lands, they kill our women and children!" 8th Century English prayer

Most of what is known of the mighty Vikings comes from accounts left by others and from archaeological finds in the lands they raided. As a result, numerous prestigious international collections have been drawn from to develop Volvo Vikings including: National Museum of Denmark; Museum of Cultural History, Oslo, Norway; Museum of National Antiquities, Sweden; Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde, Denmark; National Museum, Scotland; Orkeny Museum, Scotland, Yorkshire Museum, England and Australian National Maritime Museum.

Representatives of these important institutions have accompanied the objects to supervise installation and to ensure the care and housing whilst in New Zealand is world class. Known as couriers, their knowledge of Viking history and culture is vast and interviews with these experts are limited. Be quick.

Interpretation is an important part of presenting a thousand year old culture and Auckland Museum has secured the Auckland Norsemen to re-create Viking life every weekend and during school holidays for the duration of the exhibition. These Norse culture specialists celebrate all aspects of Vikings life from battles to crafts. Join them in story telling, war-craft, battle simulation and much more.

Opening weekend features a full Viking battle outside the Museum and a full programme of living history including stories, traditional crafts and armoury craft. Activities will continute for the duration of the exhibition. Check out our purpose-built Longhouse for more family fun. Make armour, jewellery and clothes. Try your hand at fortune telling with rune stones.

Due to overwhelming public demand, Auckland Museum is bringing back its popular Late Night Wednesdays which allow a more refined enjoyment of the exhibition combined with a selection of lectures investigating Viking arts, history and mythology.

Naming sponsor Volvo have embraced the Viking spirit with some unusual promotion to mark their involvement with this landmark exhibition. Wallis Dumper, Managing Director of Motorcorp Distributors, is unashamedly excited. "The Volvo Vikings is giving us an opportunity to extend a 'warm' welcome to Volvo drivers nationwide. In true Viking spirit our "Raid Auckland" Volvo test drive promotion will give any Volvo test driver a chance to win tickets to the Volvo Vikings exhibition in Auckland and much more."

Admission charges apply: $12 adult, $6 child, $27 family (2 adults, up to 3 children Ð save $15 off single admission), $20 member families (totalling a $22 saving), $8 seniors/students/members.

VOLVO VIKINGS PUBLIC PROGRAMMES

TALKS, LECTURES AND SYMPOSIUM

Exhibition Opening Weekend
SATURDAY 22 JULY & SUNDAY 23 JULY
Join us for a weekend of living history with Vikings; not marauding raiders but skilled artisans, storytellers and warriors.

Viking Battle
SATURDAY 22 JULY, 1 PM
Watch a full battle re-enactment between opposing Viking sources on the grounds outside the Museum.

Kids Battle Drill
SUNDAY 23 JULY, 1 PM
Kids, come dressed as a Viking (no horns on helmets please), make a sword and be trained by a Viking Staralee (General).

Vikings Family Weekends
EVERY WEEKEND: 21 JULY - 8 OCTOBER
Every weekend of the exhibition the Museum hosts The Auckland Norsemen, Viking age re-enactors: not marauding raiders but skilled artisans, storytellers and warriors. Visitors will be able to meet an armourer, or a weaver or other amazing Viking craftspeople every Saturday and Sunday.

Live Craft Demonstrations
EVERY WEEKEND, 10AM - 2PM, EDUCATION ROOM
Join our Vikings each weekend make armour, jewellery, decorative adornments, clothes and runes stone fortune-telling.

Vikings Storytelling
EVERY WEEKEND, 2PM, EDUCATION ROOM
Experience the tales of Viking adventure and tragedy, Norse myths and legends as told and interpreted by the famed Auckland Norsemen.

Volvo Vikings Late Night Wednesdays
2, 9, 16, 23 AUGUST, 5:30-7:30PM
Relax! Avoid the hustle and bustle of the day and take in the Vikings exhibition and a Lecture. This exhibition sees the popular late nights return to accompany the Vikings Lecture series investigating Vikings arts, myths, legends and their incredible expansion and settlement throughout Europe.

Over 7's Winter Workshops - After school activity
$9 PER CHILD, $6 FOR DINOMITE MEMBERS
BOOKINGS & PREPAYMENT ESSENTIAL. PHONE 09 306 7048 TO SECURE YOUR PLACE. WORKSHOP SPACES ARE LIMITED, MUSEUM MEMBERS HAVE PRIORITY BOOKING AND GENERAL BOOKINGS OPEN ON FRIDAY 23 JUNE.
Go Viking!
WEDNESDAY 26 JULY , 4PM
Go on an adventure through our amazing galleries! Become an explorer in your own Museum, and find out about the treasures you discover. Adventure into our new special exhibition, Vikings. Learn about how the real Vikings lived and discover their treasures, then make your own to take home.

VOLVO LECTURE SERIES: Vikings
ADMISSION PRICES - $18 PER LECTURE $36 FOR THE SERIES. CONCESSION - $13.50 PER LECTURE, $31.50 FOR THE SERIES AUCKLAND MUSEUM MEMBERS, FULL-TIME STUDENTS AND UNWAGED]. VIKINGS EXHIBITION ENTRY ONLY $6 FOR THOSE ATTENDING THE SERIES. BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL: PHONE CCE ON 0800 864 266.
The Volvo lecture series is developed in partnership with Auckland University Centre for Continuing Education (CCE). The Vikings exhibition will be open from 5.30 pm prior to each lecture. Scandinavia, England and Viking Arts
GREG WAITE
WEDNESDAY 2 AUGUST, 7:30PM
APEC ROOM, GROUND FLOOR
The lecture will survey Viking art-styles, and examine examples of Scandinavian influence in works surviving from Anglo-Saxon England and other parts of the British Isles. The impact of the Vikings upon England was profound and prolonged. English language, culture and politics were all changed as a result of invasions and settlements. Prior to 793, both the English and Scandinavians were pagan, and later when the English had converted their neighbours to Christianity not only in England but also in large parts of Scandinavia, productive artistic interchanges occurred.
The Vikings in England: Myths, Legends and Atrocities

STEPHANIE HOLLIS
WEDNESDAY 9 AUGUST, 7:30PM
APEC ROOM, GROUND FLOOR
This lecture examines literary and visual evidence for the visual legends and beliefs of the Scandinavians who invaded, settled and ultimately conquered England (c. 800 - 1016). Particular attention was given to the ways in which the contemporary Anglo-Saxon accounts of the Viking invaders reflect Scandinavian myths, legends and beliefs. We will focus on two well known Viking atrocities recorded, the murder of King Edmund in 870 and of St Elphege in 1012, and explore the possibility that these atrocities reflect a scapegoat or sacrificial ritual associated with the myth of the death of the god Baldr.

A History of Viking Expansion and Settlement
LESLEY PHILLIPS
WEDNESDAY 16 AUGUST, 7:30PM
APEC ROOM, GROUND FLOOR
"They came like a bolt out of the blue". The attack on Lindisfarne in 793 marks the beginning of 300 years of Viking expansion from their native lands in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. This lecture outlines the history of Viking activity and traces the settlement of the Danes in Northern Europe, the Swedes in Russia and Norwegians in the bleak lands of the North Atlantic.

Viking Navigation and the Sun Compass
WEDNESDAY 23 AUGUST, 7:30PM
LECTURE BY CAPTAIN SOREN THIRSLUND, ASTRONOMER, AUTHOR AND MASTER MARINER
APEC ROOM, GROUND FLOOR
$5, members $3. Attend this lecture aand view the Vikings Exhibition for $6 (open from 5.30pm to 7.30pm)
How was the Norse Navigator able to shape his course across the North Atlantic long before the invention of the magnetic compass? We know they did make such voyages and we know that they undertook them on a regular basis. But it wasn't until the discovery of the Viking Sun Compass in Greenland in 1948 that the question was answered. Sponsored by SAS.

Does your family have a Viking ancestor?
UNTIL 30 AUGUST
By taking part in this on-line survey you can register your family to be in for a chance to win a DNA analysis to prove or disprove your Viking background. The families whose research provides the most compelling reasons for believing they have Viking ancestry could be selected to win a simple DNA test to confirm Viking ancestry.

Genealogy Workshop - who were my ancestors?
30 AUGUST 2006, 7-9PM
APEC ROOM, GROUND FLOOR
$5, MEMBERS $3
Most of us know about our parents and grand-parents, but unless you have someone in your family with a real interest in the family's history, making a start can be a daunting process. This will be a practical workshop lead by the Museum's Bruce Ralston with examples of how family history can be researched and recorded.

Members Events - Members' Monday
Bookings essential, please phone 09 306 7048 or email us. For more information about becoming a Museum member phone 09 306 7070 x 883
Visit the Vikings Exhibition
MONDAY 28 AUGUST, 2PM
MEET AT THE MUSEUM TOUR DESK
Be entertained and charmed by our resident Vikings as they guide you through the exhibition.
Please note that unless otherwise stated all public programmes and events are included with the requested entry donation and bookings are not required. To book please phone (09) 306 7048 or email bookings@aucklandmuseum.com.

Viking Test Kitchen
WEDNESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 5:30 - 8:30PM
BB'S CAFE - MUSEUM FOYER
$35 PER PERSON * - BOOKING ESSENTIAL 09 306 7048
*Includes - special late night entry into the Vikings exhibitions, food and drink.
Be a part of the MuseumÕs Viking food test kitchen team, in a unique evening of Viking food re-discovery and experimentation. Explore with us the edible and drinkable elements of what would have made up the best part of Viking cuisine. Participants will be given ingredients and technical advice from our guests, and are expected to participate in food experimentation and preparation.
Successful refined recipes to be included in a "Viking Test Kitchen" Cookbook.

The Orderly
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS IN SEPTEMBER: 6, 13, 20, and 27 at 7pm

$16/$13 for concessions/members. Price includes viewing of the Viking exhibition prior to the performance. Exhibition opens at 5:30pm. Bookings are essential, call 09 306 7048.
Mind must be the firmer, heart the more fierce, courage the greater, as our strength diminishes... These words, spoken 1000 years ago by a dying Saxon warrior still carry meaning for the orderly, Peter. Set on what may be his last day at the hospital The Orderly weaves together the stories of Peter's mundane world with that of a heroic last stand at The Battle of Maldon, a ferocious encounter between Saxon defenders and Viking invaders. The Orderly blends laughter with sadness in an underdog story of one of life's foot soldiers, whose days in this world are coming to an end. The Orderly is a play based on the life of the now deceased Peter Russell, a small and frail man, who was an orderly during the week and fought as a Viking in the weekends as a member of a historical re-enactment group. The play is a solo show written and performed by Mike Downey who takes on all parts; ranging from the gorgeous nurse Bridget to a semi nude Viking berserker high on mushrooms and lust for blood. The OrderlyÕs mixes the world of the hospital with that of an ancient battlefield, immortalised in the epic poem The Battle of Maldon, and takes the audience on a journey across bloody battlefields and through empty hospital wards. Mike wrote The Orderly based on his experiences working as an orderly at North Shore Hospital, and it was performed at the Herald Theatre in March 2006.
"...The Orderly brilliantly succeeds in demonstrating how dreams of heroes serve to illuminate the banality of our everyday lives" - Craccum.