Welcome to Österhus Vänner

The viking society Österhus Vänner was formed during the summer, 1996 and is an open and non profitable organization with a genuine interest in history. We are religiously and politically unattached.
The name Österhus Vänner is inspired by the Jamtlandic author Aksel Lindström's trilogy about the rune stone on Frösön. In present time the society has around 60 members who're actively working with the society's guideline.

The society Österhus Vänner's guideline is
- to benefit and develop the interest for the viking era culture
- to work in establishing a viking village and it's construction
- to embrace the members interests and initiative around the viking era
- to benefit and develop the interest for viking era sailing
We want to offer an unforgettable experience in a viking environment to the members of the society influenced by Jamtlandic originality.

Our viking village is beautifully situated on Norderön. The locations name is "Hovstan", which means "landing site for boats arriving to the court". Our feasts are kept in a 13 meter long house that is built by the society using mainly viking time techniques. ÖV sometimes holds feasts with intriguing food cooked over an open fire with viking era ingredients, song, music and dancing. On the yard we challenge each other in various viking games and competitions like - rövkrok - lugga björn - Österhusrus - axe throwing - archery and more. Suggestive tones sounds through the air lured out of instruments typical for the time. Feasts are held winter, summer (viking week) and autumn.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HRAFN
The society owns a 14 m long viking ship that comes from Norway. The name of the ship is Hrafn, which means Raven and she was originally built to be apart of a viking armada on Trondheims 1000 year jubilee. We have learned how to sail the ship by arranging sailing courses for the members, additional courses are planned to increase the interest for viking era sailing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The members in the society has learned a lot about the viking time history through study circles and lectures that the society has arranged. Some of the studies have been around
- sewing time typical clothes and shoes
- pottery
- tanning
- drum making
- flute making
- dancing
- stage fighting - jewellery crafting
- archaeological excursions on Norderö
and working on the construction of the viking village and long house.

Our ambitions is to increase our knowledge about the viking time continuously, more courses and lectures are scheduled, for instance in
- bow making
- time typical kiln construction
- lectures about viking swords
- "tovning"
- needle binding
- more stage fighting
- ring mail and helmet construction
- tent and hut construction
and much more, all based on the interest of the society members.

To see a report about an EU-project the society took part in, click here
(only in swedish)
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