In 1994 I was lucky enough to be one of four members of the Viking Age Club to travel to Norway for the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, the other three being Dennis Rusinko, Ron Peterson and Joel Brude.
I was the late comer joining them a few days after the event started for what was an event that I will never forget. In fact I tell people it was the best Olympics I never saw. We worked in a Viking Village of tents just down from the ski jump where we showed visitors how chain mail was made.
While there I came across a Scotsman who's nephew was the standard bearer for the United Kingdom, and he was damn proud of it too. This chap must have been a Highlander for he was just mad about the Norse and Vikings in general, even more obsessed then members of the club.
While talking I mentioned that I truly enjoyed the bagpipes and found the music they made just hauntingly wonderful. With that he called his son over, who must have been about 12 years old, and told him to open his case and play for me. The young lad, being a bit shy, refused but was told in no uncertain terms that he WOULD play. That's what you get when you have a proud Scot papa. Well, the lad took his pipes out and started to play and as he did a large crowd started to surround him and listen to his music applauding like mad when he finished.
Now close by where the Norse Giants. These two men where called the "Strongest Men in Norway" and I do not doubt it at all. Their job was tossing stones for the public. They did this by throwing a weight backwards over their head over what looked like an old style football goal post with a cross beam across the two upright poles. The object of this was to throw heavier and heavier stones and not knock the crossbeam off.
So as the Scot Lad finished his set for his new fans a huge meat paw came out of no wheres through the throngs of people that had been watching the Giants and now surrounded the boy and grabbed his shoulder. The Scot Lad look up, and up, and up into the eyes of one of the Giants causing him to turn shades whiter then the snow around us. With a booming voice the Giant said, "You. I want you to play for US".
I watched as this poor, scared out of his wits Scot Boy was dragged to the throwing area to play as his father beamed with pride. Crowds and even TV cameras started to surround the area as the Scot Lad played his pipes and the Giants threw stones giving many people memories that will never fade.
Eirik Farwanderer
21 November, 2009 Anno Domini.
I was the late comer joining them a few days after the event started for what was an event that I will never forget. In fact I tell people it was the best Olympics I never saw. We worked in a Viking Village of tents just down from the ski jump where we showed visitors how chain mail was made.
While there I came across a Scotsman who's nephew was the standard bearer for the United Kingdom, and he was damn proud of it too. This chap must have been a Highlander for he was just mad about the Norse and Vikings in general, even more obsessed then members of the club.
While talking I mentioned that I truly enjoyed the bagpipes and found the music they made just hauntingly wonderful. With that he called his son over, who must have been about 12 years old, and told him to open his case and play for me. The young lad, being a bit shy, refused but was told in no uncertain terms that he WOULD play. That's what you get when you have a proud Scot papa. Well, the lad took his pipes out and started to play and as he did a large crowd started to surround him and listen to his music applauding like mad when he finished.
Now close by where the Norse Giants. These two men where called the "Strongest Men in Norway" and I do not doubt it at all. Their job was tossing stones for the public. They did this by throwing a weight backwards over their head over what looked like an old style football goal post with a cross beam across the two upright poles. The object of this was to throw heavier and heavier stones and not knock the crossbeam off.
So as the Scot Lad finished his set for his new fans a huge meat paw came out of no wheres through the throngs of people that had been watching the Giants and now surrounded the boy and grabbed his shoulder. The Scot Lad look up, and up, and up into the eyes of one of the Giants causing him to turn shades whiter then the snow around us. With a booming voice the Giant said, "You. I want you to play for US".
I watched as this poor, scared out of his wits Scot Boy was dragged to the throwing area to play as his father beamed with pride. Crowds and even TV cameras started to surround the area as the Scot Lad played his pipes and the Giants threw stones giving many people memories that will never fade.
Eirik Farwanderer
21 November, 2009 Anno Domini.
That is an AWESOME story! I really enjoyed hearing it!
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