Scandinavian Activities.

During the 1870's many settlers came to New Zealand from Scandinavia, to settle in an area known as "The Seventy Mile Bush". This is in the North Island, in the northern Wairarapa and southern Hawkes Bay. They settled in the towns of Norsewood, Dannevirke, Woodville, Pahiatua, Ekatahuna (then Mellemskov), Morrisville, and Palmerston North. Since the time of the Centennial Celebrations in the 1970', Scandinavian clubs have grown in many of these towns, and in the larger cities. The clubs run activities such as Hyggeaften (afernoon tea), dances, and cultural activities.

Every two years, these clubs get together for a "Gathering", hosted by one of the clubs. There was a gathering at Dannevirke in March 1997 and the first photos were taken there. The fifth was taken at the Norsewood 125 year celebrations at Easter.

Click for JPEG Brisbane Dance Group

This is a group of dancers who came to the gathering from Brisbane, Australia. They have outfits from a variety of places, and do dances from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. A highlight of the gathering was when they taught some of their dances to the rest of us.

Click for JPEG Norsewood School Dancers

Although few of the students at Norsewood school would now be of direct Norwegian descent, the school teaches the students Norwegian dance, and they perform at special occasions. Perhaps this is in atonement for the time when students were punished for speaking Norwegian in class.

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Folkraekt

Most of us make some attempt at wearing an outfit that relates to our particular heritage. I am told that we should use the name "Folkdraekt" rather than "Bunad", as the later implies a costume which meets a very rigid specification for a given district, and few New Zealand outfits would be even close. The folkdraekt my wife is wearing here contains elements from at least three Norwegian districts. The shawl does not belong to us....it was loaned for the photo, and is I think over one hundred years old.

Click for JPEG Norsewood School Belfry

My wife is standing beside the belfry at Norsewood school. The bell was donated by the Methodist Church, when their Norsewood chapel closed. This shot gives a better overall view of my wife's folkdraekt. I did all the embroidery. The skirt is not finished yet, but I am past halfway around.

Morrisville Gathering

These photos are of a gathering held at Morrisville West, once a moderate village, but now only a church and a few houses. As far as I can recall at the time of writing, this was in March 1988. Typicaly several hundred peple turn up at these gatherings, and we have a great time discussing relatives, dancing, drinking ale, eating, and so on. This particular gathering featured the burning of a "Viking Longship", similar to the "Up-Helly-A" festival in the Shetlands but on a much smaller scale. This does not take place at every gathering as not all sites are suitable. The custom began as a way of usefully disposing of a replica built from scrap materials for a parade float and not suitable for preservation. It can be related to Viking burial customs although the link is fairly tenuous.

Click for JPEG Dancing on the Village Green

A group from Palmerston North dances.

Click for JPEG The Vikings Arrive

Some of these Vikings were from a group called "The East Coast Mercenery Army", a medieval reenactment society. I'm the one in the yellow outfit with an orange shield near the right end. The emblem is a raven, the bird which "cleans up" the battlefield. In the background is the historic Morrisville West Church, and early settler graves may be seen.

Click for JPEG At the Althing

Disputes are settled at the Thing in the traditional manner. These are two members of the East Coast mercenary Army. The swords are not actually sharpened...but blood was flowing at the end of the bout. Even a blunt sword is painful if it hits your knuckles.

Click for JPEG Torchlight Procession

The Vikings (and others) form a procession at dusk.

The procession forms a circle around the pyre with the longship on top. After some ceremony including libations of ale, the torches are thrown into the pyre. On some occasions the pyre is lit by the oldest and youngest present.

Click for JPEG The dragon burns......

This shows the bows of the longship, well afire.

Click for JPEG ....from End to End.

This shows the scroll at the stern of the Longship.

Click for JPEG The Crowd Watch in Awe

This photo was taken just by the light of the fire. That's my mother, and my second son. He's a lot bigger now too.