"Let the man who thinks he is descended from the gods, learn that he ishuman after all..."

I thought for this blog I'd back track a little and take you through the latter stages of the shield making process that I kind of skipped over. Last time I left off just as Happy Viking Carpentry Ltd(that would be dad and myself) had distributed the labour equally between us. So whilst dad was doing the dangerous tasks of measuring(yes it's dangerous! There's splinters and such) and sawing, I got all arts and crafts with some of the more aesthetical aspects of the shields.

First up was sourcing some thick weave black canvas to cover and strengthen the front surface. It's not as easy as you'd think to come by. But Threads of Green in Kilkenny got me sorted and at a reasonable price. We hummed and hawed over whether to actually cover the wood because the grain was so unique and we thought it would look really good with just a stained finish. In the long run, because of the design idea I had for the front of my shield, we used the canvas. And before anyone says anything about my apparel in the picture, yes, the pink heart shape pj bottoms are official Viking/Carpentry wear!

My concept for the front of the shield was quite simple. I wanted to replicate Lagertha's shield but invert the colours. It was partly to do with the canvas being black and it would be less messy to only have to paint the V design on top. But also because there are a lot of replicas of that shield and I wanted something unique. A one of a kind. I also had the idea of incorporating the Vikings TV show logo into the design. So I got busy making a stencil to avoid doing an awful free hand attempt and messing up the whole thing. I'm happy to say that despite having to make use of a scalpel to cut the stencil, I still have all my digits. Whoop whoop for small victories. It's still high fives all round :)
The next stage was staining the wood that we'd prepped by sanding. To

preface this section I think it's important to note that my dad's garage is like a DIY/Handiman's heaven. It's an emporium of random but useful things that have been collected over an entire lifetime. For example, I was informed the screws that secure the boss to the shield are originally from a washing machine that was being scrapped. Too good to just get rid of the whole thing, dad dissembled what was worth holding onto to repurpose for something in the future...so that's the story behind the screws. However, I've had to question my entire relationship with my father over this next phase of production. When it came to the task of staining the wood he was pretty insistent I hold off on my shopping trip to Woodies to allow him time to see was there anything of use in the garage(because this one time at band camp he needed wood stain for something so it was a safe bet he had something lying around). I kid you not, the man emerged clutching a tin of mahogany wood stain that may very well be from the Viking era! With a nostalgic gleam in his eye he recounted fondly that it was more than likely older than I am...I think he's more proud of that wood stain than he's ever been of me hahaha. And though it is 30+ years old, it did the trick.

The next step was attaching the canvas. Possibly the trickiest part of the whole thing. Mainly because we were using fibreglass resin which hardens really quickly so we had to be efficient and meticulous when applying the canvas to make sure we got it secured right and to eliminate air pockets. Oh and it stinks! Once that dried, I got to work painting on the design. In hindsight, I probably should have been wearing a mask because between the resin and paint fumes it would not have been advisable for me to be operating heavy machinery or anything for that matter. Fume intoxification aside, it had no bearing on how the painting turned out. I was pretty happy with it(even if I had to tidy up some parts with a black sharpie...).
And then disaster struck...

One faithful evening as I was in work(aka the day before I left for The Big Viking Picnic), I received a phone call from dad...he had varnished the shield bosses! Now this would have been grand had it been clear varnish...But no, this was tinted varnish that turned my lovely bosses a goldish colour...which completely made pointless the time I spent searching for shiny silver ones that would go so well with the blue paint I was using to design the front of the shields. Happy Viking Carpentry Ltd became Disgruntled Viking and Repenting Viking Carpentry Ltd for a little while and was very nearly forced to close up shop. But as it turned out it didn't look TOO bad. In fact, I left one shield completely black and the boss looks great!

In total, we estimated the cost per shield averaged out at about €65 and that's excluding our labour.
But as they say: Getting your handcrafted, one of a kind shield signed by Travis Fimmel...priceless!
For everything else, there's MasterCard.

#LikeAViking

Title Quote: Season 1 Episode 5 Raid

Earl Haraldson 

"I say yes. I will fight with you..."

Now that things have settled down after an epic weekend(yes, I know we are on the cusp of another weekend but that is how hectic my week has been since getting back to modern civilisation), I finally have a moment to update you all.

I had the utmost pleasure of spending my weekend in Grove Gardens, Meath helping out at the Big Viking Picnic in aid of Aoibheann's Pink Tie. If you attended, that was me ushering you into our lovely car parking field(with Tara on the hill doing her best Braveheart impressions to catch your attention as to where to locate your vehicle). I'm delighted to say the event was a resounding success with over €20,000 raised so far and further funds to be collected through items donated to the Picnic that will be auctioned off online.

It takes special people to come up with the concept of such an event(as a standalone festival this was always going to be a lot of fun) but, with such kindness and generosity of spirit to partner with a children's cancer charity as a nonprofit, it gives you a sense of the goodness in the people who organised such a

day. And you need look no further than main organisers, Natasha White and Marta Jadach. It was an honour to work along side you both and even more so now to call you friends. What they achieved with this festival is beyond impressive. It took a Herculean effort to bring such an idea to fruition let alone pull it off with no major hiccups. And they thought of EVERYTHING!

Around every corner, and in each nook and cranny, there was something to draw your attention. Whether it was the intricate crafts for sale or the sword fighting demonstrations hidden away by the Viking settlement, to the presence of Kíla, the imposing but friendly Irish Wolfhound. And that's not even mentioning the wealth of talent that graced the stage or field(very nearly became an accidental extra in one group's performance of Michael Jackson's Thriller such was their stealth at flash mobbing) or the worryingly realistic SFX wounds being inflicted upon willing attendees. If a refreshing beverage was what you were after to quench your battle earned thirst, Ragnar's Inn was the place to be to pull up a straw bale and sip a Brú craft beer or cider before heading back out to the masses for a record breaking shield wall around the real star of the weekend...the Ardglass Vikings longboat, Skiðblaðnir. Everything on display or on offer helped set the atmosphere for the weekend with everyone getting into the spirit of things(thank you to the kind lady who brought us water in the car park. You'll never know how much we appreciated it!). The effort that everyone went to putting together their outfits and shields. Entire families in matching costumes. It really was an amazing spectacle and the culmination of months of planning and fine tuning.

I also had the honour of meeting charity founder, Jimmy Norman, whose tireless efforts to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer in his daughter's name are as remarkable as they are heartwarming. I've seen first hand how much support he offers to families going through such hard times. The calming and welcoming effect he has when talking to kids and adults alike. This man and this charity are making a real difference in a time when budgets and support are being cut all around. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. I'm proud to say I support the work they do and would encourage anyone else to support them in whatever way they can. Little things are often the big things and it all makes a difference.
Though initially attending as a member of the press(sorta), I'm happy myself and fellow Viking Tara involved ourselves as volunteers, mucking in wherever help was needed. To see the reaction of the festival goers to the set up, entertainment and trade vendors was better than any question I could have asked Vikings actors Travis Fimmel and Alexander Ludwig who attended the event. Even better than that was getting to spend time with some of the kids and their families who have been battling this illness so bravely. Hearing their experiences and how Jimmy through Aoibheann's Pink Tie has helped them, I got a sense of just how big an impact this fundraiser was going to have on so many people. What struck me the most was the hope and happiness of those we spoke to. It really was an unforgettable experience in every way.
And then two Vikings showed up in the hospitality area reserved for the children and families of St. John's Ward Crumlin. Little smiles appeared on tiny faces as they got to spend a bit of time and have a chat with charity ambassador, Travis, and his co star, Alexander. In that time, you got a sense of the men that these much loved actors are. Moments after having my picture taken with Alexander he was thanking everyone within range personally for showing up and supporting the cause. Both took the time to speak with those gathered and ask the correct spelling of names before putting Sharpie to shield or poster(or cleavage in one case! Just to clarify, NOT MINE.). Later, out in the main event area, they both took their time trying to ensure everyone got their little moment with them whether it was a picture or something signed or both. Upon being gifted with a pendant specially designed by Gall Gael Crafts for the Big Viking Picnic, Travis refused to accept it as a gift and instead paid for it. And in another moment of trying to spend as much time with those who had waited to meet them(filming ran late that day and so they were a bit behind arriving to the festival) they both ignored the requests to stay on the main stage for photos and jumped straight into the gathered group of kids, warriors and shield maidens to get in the spirit of things and pose for any event photos that were to be taken.
And then all too soon it was over. We all would have done it all over again the next morning if we could have. The armor(newfound respect for the cast and extras moving around in those things for long hours on set...I've done my practise. I'm waiting for that call!), the camping(in fairness we practically had a three bed semidetached house for the two of us compared to some of the other two man tent setups), the camp site sessions with the Ardglass Vikings(Grandpa Pad's Homebrew Sloe Gin until all hours of the morning) and the countless laps of the festival site helping out and taking it all in. Same again next year? ;)

#LikeAViking #BigVikingPicnic #AoibheannsPinkTie #FightLikeAChild

Title Quote: Season 1 Episode 9 All Change
Rollo to Jarl Borg