Tuesday 9^th March 2021 marked a significant day for Year 5 that we’d all been anticipating in earnest: Viking Day! ‘Barbaric’ Bjorn the Viking visited our school to teach us all about, you guessed it, Vikings (since that’s our current topic). Read on, reader, to voyage through our incredible day…

To kick off the day, we trooped into the hall along with HB10 to learn all about Viking jobs with Bjorn. There was a blacksmith, a warrior, a loom worker, and much more. Some children had been chosen to demonstrate the different jobs. Back in the classroom, we a; picked our own Viking names, nicknames and jobs – and then wrote it all in runes on our own certificate! (I chose Ingirid the Wanderer, and trader.) After break, we handled some precious, intricate jewellery and coins. Did you know that Viking coins were called diems? In the hall again, Bjorn showed us how to use a quern stone to grind wheat into flour. We all got to try this too! Then, we examined and passed around some everyday Viking objects, some being a spoon, a wooden mallet, a wooden toy horse and a key to a lock. Yes, Vikings had keys and locks! Next, we played a popular game in the Viking ear called Nine Men’s Morris. It was like naughts and crosses, and I had lots of fun. We also played a mystery object game; the flint and steel really baffled us! Just before lunch, we were back in the hall, with Bjorn starting to talk about the goriest bit: the weapons. I found the most gruesome part when Bjorn was telling us about the deadly long axe. We were told by him, “This could chop off a horse’s head with a single swing.” We were all disgusted. After lunch, we carefully handed around axes, swords and helmets, all fascinating yet menacing.

Now came my highlight of the day: the Chainmail Challenge! We all got to try and lift a clinking chainmail shirt, it was heavy beyond compare. The burden it would’ve been to wear it into battle like the Vikings was unimaginable. None of us were ready to part with the chainmail until we learnt what we were to do next… a battle in the hall!

Each of us were armed with a spear and a shield, and Bjorn taught us three commands. Then the battle came; I was team Ravens, the opposing side were Badgers. It was very dramatic and crazy – we all went wild like the Vikings in war, especially as the last command meant we had to bellow “OOT!” at the top of our voices (it meant we were yelling at the enemies to get out). We’d never been allowed to shout so deafeningly at school! Unfortunately, Badgers won, but nevertheless, it was tonnes of fun.

It was a long day, but it was fantastically fun, fact-packed and a fabulous (phenomenal, even!) experience. Overall, I wish that the day could’ve lasted longer!