Guidelines for authenticity

The purpose of these guidelines is to give everybody a great experience during living history events, both participants and visitors. We expect every living historian/reenactor to have an interest in disseminating the late Scandinavian iron age based on the best available sources. The guidelines are mainly written for use during Midgard Viking Festival and Viking summer but should also be followed as close as possible during other historical events at the site.  

Midgard Viking Centre has the right to ask participants to remove or improve clothing, equipment, and trading goods that according to the museum are not based on Viking age sources or are not considered fitting at the festival.

• As the area also has a rich history from before the Viking age, clothing and gear from the Merovingian period is also allowed. It should be clear to the public that you are not a Viking, and you must inform us in the application.
• If asked, all participants are required to have historical sources for all gear and trading goods.
• All participants are expected to keep a high level of authenticity even outside of opening hours.
  • This means that all trash after activities outside of opening hours MUST be removed at once.

The following guidelines should be followed when participating in historical events at Midgard Viking Centre.

• All participants/reenactors are required to wear Viking clothing/equipment and should have no visible modern clothing. This rule should also be followed outside of opening hours.
  • Modern shoes are not allowed, use historical shoes or walk barefoot.
  • If bathing in modern swimwear, please change clothing at the beach.
  • All visible seams should be handsewn.
  • The apron dress should only be used with narrow straps and in combination with oval brooches.
• Our audience is paying to get an authentic view of the Viking age. Because of this, no furniture, symbols, clothing, or other gear that is not based on Viking age sources is permitted.
  • For instance, African chairs, leather belts wider than 2cm, fiberglass bows and the use of symbols like Ægishjálmur and Vegvísir are not permitted.
• Keep necessary modern objects hidden in the tent.
  • The exception to this rule is metal fire pits, as these are required for all campfires at the site.
• Smoking, both indoors and outdoors is not permitted on the museum grounds.  
• The museum grounds are a public area, and by Norwegian law participants are not permitted to drink alcohol on the site.

To increase the visual authenticity of the festival, we would encourage all participants to avoid cotton tents if possible. Cotton is a material not available in Scandinavia during the late iron age and should be avoided.

• Modern price tags, display cases, clothing hangers and other modern elements are not permitted.

• Everything that is for sale must be based on historical sources and made of materials available to the Vikings. 

• Visible modern protection is not permitted.
• All visible protection should be based on historical sources, except for fighting gloves.
  • Gloves for fighting should be made or covered in such way that they don’t look modern.
  • Leather helmets or armor is not permitted. Lower arm and leg protection made of leather is permitted when fighting eastern style/huscarl, but not for western style.
  • We encourage all fighters to use transparent tooth protectors, as they are less visible for the audience.

If in doubt whether something is allowed, please contact the museum directly.