Viking Therapy - BBC News

It looks like the set of Game of Thrones. Once a year Wolin in Poland hosts a huge Viking festival - with a twist. Enthusiasts come from around the world not just to re-enact battles, but to win them, fighting competitively. One organiser of these battles has found that this Viking scene can offer positive benefits to men who have been defined by violence in their past, and are now looking for a way to escape.
Video Journalists: Dougal Shaw and Charlotte Pritchard
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[@SolarDragon007]

It's sad that reenactors put more effort into having historically authentic weapons/armor than professionally produced shows like "Vikings" or "The Last Kingdom" do.

[@harryh4rp4n31]

Well yeah, those mainstream shows shit on Scandinavian/ European heritage on so many levels

[@goodcomrade2949]

in vikings they act like vikings tat is for me the most inportant and the clothes are alos realistic but the armor and weopons i can agree and also that they are always dirty is stupid beceuse the scandinavians where very clean people

[@Krompierre.]

Well, wolin is worst when it comes to authenticity. Check out Marobud and group from Hands on History

[@neverhi4930]

It s like air soft but medieval style.

[@moggtheboss3087]

you're not wrong

[@viktorsilva4017]

Pretty much...

[@SirAbraxas]

Any Historical re-enactment has multiple benefits. It combines physical & intellectual stimulation. It is an academic Time-Travel experience... a time to temporarily stop the modern "tech rat race" and return to the Archetype of our species. You can call it Viking, Spartan, Roman, Samurai, Apache, Zulu or even a fantasy Hero. It is like living twice.

[@david8j796]

4:54, imagine firing this guy from his job and then seeing a fleet of longships coming upriver

[@xavier5557]

I want that kind of therapy.

[@danielsellers8707]

Me too!

[@TihonTheDED]

How to join them?! I'm packing my bags!

[@cazek445]

if you live in europe, its quite easy to find a group (especially in the slavic world). But if you live in north america, i believe there arent much groups.

[@andrei1151]

@@cazek445 oof

[@stevenclark6209]

really cool plenty of people having good fun looks really smart

[@ziemowitfincek4060]

Hold on there.. It's Slav & Viking festival. Sława and Skal!

[@osborne3]

Could Poland get any better you guys are doing it right over there

[@ruans.p.5323]

This is awesome. But as a latin, I'd still rather go with the Roman Empire.

[@ingridf9178]

Norman is a true viking in heart and soul!!!

[@matimus100]

Not sure if Norman has a soul

[@Jp82911]

I would like to start a group like that in the U.S. we used to have something similar, called the Society of creative and achronism/ SCA for short. It was based on Medieval Times. We would dress up like knights in armor, & people who lived in medieval times. We did sword fights, archery, & stuff like that. We wood barter, build our own huts, travel, make your own clothes, armor, swords, Jewellery, even our own money out of real gold, and silver, we would have competitions, and we had our own languages, & songs. This was a very interesting & fun way of learning history and learning how to experience life in a new way, & meet people. I think it was very fun for the adults, as well as the children, but I like the Viking era a lot better. I think it would go over a lot better as well.

[@dougalshaw]

There is already an American scene. One of the Vikings in this video is from Texas: www.vikinginvasion.org/

[@stevenclark6209]

Joshua Plowman Vikings where before knights. they use to come from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland and rob and steal and of course kill people of the UK but it wasn't UK then all different kingdom's anglosaxons, Celtic's which I am I stay in Scotland it must have been freighting to see all these men coming from the sea ,load's of people paid them off which was stupid because they just came back for more lol yes it looks good fun

[@Jp82911]

Dougal Shaw thanks for the info brother appreciate it

[@sangode]

Joshua - you are so right! I think there are remnants of people who participated in that in many festivals around the country that seek to re-create that environment (my brother in law, sister and nieces are active in it).

[@jjkhjgkjhkjbhgjhghnjn416]

great lets bring guns and enact cowboys

[@frogmanthelibertarian1482]

0:23 What an aryan viking It's a joke I'm not racist _lul_

[@felixia7856]

It’s racist to say aryan because it refers to Hitler The real word for it is Germanic

[@anthonychilders9549]

Mr oofersen Oof Which is ironic because Aryans were historically NOT Germanic or Nordic.

[@felixia7856]

Anthony Childers Not according to Hitler The “race” “Aryan” is basically kids with blue eyes and yellow hair His ideology is retarded if you ask me

[@everestfalls]

That's actually pretty cool.

[@VerusVault]

Me when i find out i have 2% scandinavia blood.

[@Lieu3C4]

3:59 "Affirmation" and "belonging" are two possibilities; but "a need to idealise" people? Let alone that either of the former two are "needs", as distinct from "what socialisation implies". A tendency to accept people who are less than ideal, perhaps; but idealise people? As a need ? "Aspire of a similarity", that I can understand, but as a need it sounds more like a pathology than a genetic necessity.

[@jiayilim1986]

We do have an inherent need or strong desire to seek for people who embody ideals. Without having people to aspire to, concrete examples to look up to, we tend to lose hope. It's almost life sustaining to certain people prone to feeling dejected and hopeless.

[@anubisswift]

POLAND YES

[@gloryorvalhalla3133]

I wish I could go and do this I just cant get ahold of the money to even go there let alone get back home after

[@JoVallgg]

Does someone know the name of the song at 3:23?

[@villain4937]

KSI - Cap

[@beachbumzgamer4714]

how do you join something like this

[@Dziki_z_Lasu]

Find a local Viking club and contact them.

[@massimookissed1023]

When they try to retake Topeka...

[@mrclarkson3812]

Exercise is the key.

[@h3egypt]

That early music ...When he screamed i thought he was going to say mortal combaaaat 😂😂

[@Rachiuwu]

I wanna join.

[@jacobdalling6938]

I want do this.

[@debe791]

watch Wolin 2011 battle

[@beingfunisfun]

whatever floats your boat i guess

[@beingfunisfun]

And my comment made you mad because..... wait... you're american aren't you?

[@MissKellyBean]

Enjoyed the video! This looks amazing. . (Sidenote: As per usual, I'm bored with all the "You know SJWs are gonna complain about this!" comments down here. Ever notice how there are 10 times as many crying comments ABOUT people being SJWs as there are ACTUAL people being SJWs? It's so old already. You guys sounds like a bunch of little girls crying about "Oh, I'm so persecuted by the feminists! They were mean to meeeee!" You're doing the SJW's work for them by giving them so much attention and pre-ruining everyone's enjoyment with all your lady-man whining.)

[@PaganRyan29]

Skål!

[@jonitan76]

Ok. Lets these vikings help catalonians against spain.

[@How.Dare.You.]

1.55 was he referring to online dating?

[@footymojo]

Anyone else think of the film "Role Models" whilst watching this?😂

[@hopenothate658]

Trust the bbc to find one black man

[@luisitosantiago6098]

Hope not Hate who cares bruh

[@SwompMonsta]

Men having fun? Won’t be long till the feminists try and put a stop to this

[@deliman7203]

Anger isn't just isolated to the male gender. Women have anger issues as well. Maybe the next phase is to have women Vikings as well.

[@Chocolettino]

Frazer Matheson Why would feminists be interested in this? Feminism is about equality between the genders, it doesn't touch men hitting each other over the head even tangentially.

[@chicotthejester9341]

Chocolettino “Feminism is about equality between genders”😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Funniest thing I’ve heard all day.

[@pingu4238]

I'm a feminist (not in the tumblr feminazi way) and i'm completely ok with this, as long as they won't start trying to attack the coastal regions of my country, like the real vikings did. :D

[@xguy592]

⛔️ A superior Viking therapy is VIGOROUS SEX❗️Ya just keep doing it until you become real THOR‼️ It's good fer ya‼️

[@nomad963]

The Black dude is my guy, just do what you want But you must never forget who you truly are

[@luisitosantiago6098]

ᛚᛖᛁᚠ ᚺᚱᛟᛞᛚᚨᚾᛞᛊᛊᛟᚾ huh? If he wants to be Viking 100% then he can be a Viking, that includes actually worshiping Odin the father of mankind.... look skin color really doesn’t mean shit. If he’s Norse at heart then he’s Norse

[@holextv5595]

@@luisitosantiago6098 you cant know if he is in slavic or scandinavian group :)

[@dongmingim]

Ooh~

[@google_admin1]

0:23 I quit watching this video.

[@cesarbellhagen8067]

Kind of shames our Scandinavian culture. Sure he could act as a mercenary or such and that would be fine but this man later says that he has a ring that says "law" in runes and that "where ever we went we was the law" and I assume that he speaks of the fierce northern European hirdmen and mercenaries. It is like a child playing a Indian when playing Indians and cowboys. Though he is an adult male and should realise he's not an Indian (viking in his case). And he has his own culture to be proud of.

[@cesarbellhagen8067]

@@sotaf4385 same here bud

[@kniter]

@@cesarbellhagen8067 A child playing an Indian is fine, just like a man of another race taking part of viking activity. Viking is a profession. Gatekeeping an activity like this is lame, and it only leads to division. Whats next? No one without Scandinavian heritage should be allowed to play? No one with a bloodline dated back to the viking age? Just dumb..

[@cesarbellhagen8067]

@@kniter ok boomer

[@kniter]

@@cesarbellhagen8067 ok, coomer.

[@Pegasus-yk5pi]

Interview a true veteran of a war. I'll be willing to.

[@juliuscaesar7984]

This aint "viking" festival its SLAVIC and NORMAN festival

[@hellasowb3036]

Need to introduce these people to hack and slash video games...

[@Michelle_Schu-blacka]

I feel like I'm going to regret having clicked on this video. *EDIT:* Seems interesting... Wouldn't mind doing one if there's a female battle even though I doubt female Vikings went into battle.

[@Luy22]

It's 2017, do whatever the hell you want dude.

[@juliushauck3981]

There is no female battle, but there are females in the battle ;-)

[@Barbwireamulet777]

Actually history is showing us that Women did fight on the battlefield!

[@luisitosantiago6098]

Yoruichi The Extra Terrestrial they are called shield maidens only Vikings had them

[@luisitosantiago6098]

Screwedupbut4given C. Rarely did they fight, the Norse were special because they were one of the few groups that allowed women on the battlefield. Spartans although did have fighting women they were not full blown warriors like the men but could fight, but the Norse has shield maidens which were full blown warriors

[@NS-ln7tf]

Not viking but slavs

[@baly4611]

black vikings? you know its 2019 when you try to recreate history, sigh

[@soupperson280]

There were probably some black vikings

[@tommydonahue924]

Just a guy trying to have fun! Why exclude him?