Viking links
Here are a few links to Viking websites that you might find interesting:
Jorvik Viking Centre: this is where I started my research for "Saving the Unicorn's Horn" and it's well worth a visit. Also on the Viking theme is the city-wide Viking Festival all around York in February each year.
Viking Answer Lady: a fantastically useful source of information about all things Viking, recommended to me by a friendly Viking re-enactor.
BBC history site for kids: a pretty good place to look if you've got Viking homework to do!
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If it's ships you're interested in, Peyton and Bridget in Kingston sent me a link to a page which starts out talking about Viking Ships and Rowers, but then has a whole host of links to other really interesting Viking pages about various topics.
The burning longship at Up Helly Aa
© Anne Burgess
Another interesting link was sent to me by Eliza Chambers, this time about Viking Funerals: death rites in different cultures are always fascinating, and the Full History of Funerals from the Viking Age pages explore all sorts of elements relating to Vikings that were new to me.
If you'd like to experience daily life as a Viking, The Vikings are one of a number of re-enactment societies who take part in history festivals all over the country. I met members of this society at the Chalke Valley History Festival in 2013 and 2014, and found some very friendly Vikings to help me out with getting my facts straight for Saving the Unicorn's Horn'!
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If you can get your parents to take you to Lerwick in the Shetland Islands(!), there is a Viking festival called Up Helly Aa on the last Tuesday in January every year. It looks terrific!
If you're a teacher looking for resources to teach children about the Vikings, help is at hand for you from Save Teachers' Sundays website, where you can find Vikings KS2 planning and resources.