The City of Dunfermline boasts the original Carnegie Library. This fine Victorian building was extended a few years ago and a new museum was part of the deal. Several interesting exhibitions have been staged and the opening of Viking Heroes sounded promising. There was the added bonus of visiting the café, now trading again after falling victim to Covid.
The Vikings invaded various parts of the British Isles and in AD 795 they established a foothold on Rathlin Island, just off the northern coast of Ireland. The aim of the exhibition was to explore the heroic stories of Viking leaders and examine their impact upon our modern definition of a hero. Interest in Norse culture underwent a revival in Victorian times, when several of the epic sagas were translated into English. The first display we encountered was a recreation of a Viking tent, typical of those found on an encampment. In 1904, a longboat was found inside a Norwegian burial mound. The tomb had been constructed for two wealthy women, whose remains were found within the ship, dating from 820. The craft was filled with a selection of grave goods, including chain mail, a heraldic banner, two tents, a wooden chair and other furniture. Across the gallery, a wall was adorned with wooden carvings, depicting famous leaders such as Canute (Cnut), Emma of Normandy (wife of Ethelred the Unready, and subsequently Canute), Harald Bluetooth and his son Sweyn Forkbeard (father of Canute). Also featured was Aud the deep minded, pictured above. She commanded an expedition that sailed from northwest Scotland to Iceland, via Orkney. Also present was Eric Bloodaxe, the last Viking ruler of York, and Leif the Lucky, reckoned to be the first European explorer to set foot on American soil. The Vikings had a reputation for venturing into the unknown and I was particularly impressed with the hanging tapestry that showed the extent of their territory, including parts of what is now Asia and Russia. Closer to home, there are accounts of Vikings reaching the Fife coast and slaughtering monks on the Isle of May.
A rather gruesome exhibit was an array of bones within a glass cabinet, each displaying signs of damage caused by various weapons. In my humble opinion, the main problem with the exhibition was the text-heavy nature of the surroundings. I enjoy reading information panels but to me it seemed a case of overkill and there were too few artefacts within the gallery space. There was an adjacent room with child-friendly activities but I gave that a miss. It was interesting to learn about the female Viking figures and join a few dots in the overall history of the Norse people, but I would award the experience just five out of ten. Worth a look if you are in the vicinity but I wouldn't recommend travelling specifically to see this event. The café was inexplicably preparing to close as we arrived, despite the museum and library being open for another hour. Not to worry, we decamped to the coffee shop within Abbot House just along the road. Delicious cakes can always be found there. You can't expect every museum installation to hit the spot. Hopefully others get more out of it than I did. The post title is a nod to the ice hockey side who competed in the 1950s.
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