LEAPING flames, savage faces, naked steel... it can only mean one thing. The Vikings are coming.

The effigy being burned in these striking apocalyptic images isn't that of a Saxon king or bishop of Eoferwic (York), however. As you'll know if you read Monday's Press, it is a 25 foot tall wickerwork wolf. And the flames were the highlight of a ceremony to welcome the impending return of Jorvik, York's underground Viking city.

The world-famous attraction has been closed since the Boxing Day floods of 2015. But on Saturday, it will finally re-open its doors to the public following a complete, multi-million pound refit.

Jorvik bosses have given away little about what we can expect to see - except that the time capsules will still be there. Visitors arriving at Jorvik in their capsules will be greeted by a hunter heading into the city with his faithful dog at his heels...

The wolf-burning ceremony was held last Friday to mark the official handover of the attraction to the York Archaeological Trust by RMA, the company behind the re-imagining of Jorvik. The huge wicker wolf was burned as night fell in a ceremony involving Vikings carrying flaming torches at Bustardthorpe Field in York. The totem burned bright, the flames licking into the air, as Viking warriors and settlers surrounded it: a powerfully pagan image.

York Press:

Up in flames: the wickerwork effigy of Geri burning at Bustardthorpe Field

We could only include a few of Frank Dwyer's dramatic photographs in Monday's Press. So to get you in the mood for the Jorvik re-opening, we have included some more in the gallery at the top of this page.

But why burn a giant wickerwork effigy of a wolf at all?

It's yet another clue to what the new-look Jorvik will be like, says Sarah Maltby, the York Archaeological Trust's director of attractions.

The enormous wickerwork totem represented the wolf Geri - a companion of the Norse god Odin. And it really is an apocalyptic image.

The new-look Jorvik will include a storyteller, you see - and one of the tales he will tell is that of Ragnarok, the great battle which in Viking myth foretells the end of the old world and the rebirth of a new one. Wolves have a part to play in that story, says Sarah. "They make an appearance in the visions conjured up by our storyteller when he tells the story of Ragnarok."

York Press:

Sarah Maltby at the 'old' Jorvik

So images about an ending and a rebirth were used to herald the arrival of a new start for Jorvik. Very appropriate, when you think about it.

Jorvik staff are adding the finishing touches to the new-look attraction this week, so you'll have to wait until Saturday to see for yourself how it has changed.

But the attraction is certainly planning to make the most of the re-opening.

This weekend will see a host of Viking-themed entertainments in Coppergate Square, including Norse sagas and storytelling, skirmishes and have-a-go sessions for potential new Viking recruits, starting from 9.00am on Saturday. To get people in the mood, Viking music - including some created especially for Jorvik's new galleries - will ring out around Coppergate.

There will also be a special treat for early bird visitors, says Sarah.

“The first 100 sets of visitors to arrive on Saturday morning will be presented with a golden ticket for a special limited-edition coin set, which they will be able to collect from our resident Viking coin-striker."

They could be collector's pieces in years to come. If the world hasn't ended by then...

York Press:

Flashback: A drowned Jorvik after the Boxing Day flood of 2015

  • From April 8 and throughout Easter Jorvik will be open from 10am to 6:30pm (last admissions). It will then be open daily from 10.00am to 5.00pm until 31 October, and from 10.00am to 4.00pm from November to March.

Tickets can be pre-booked online at the new JORVIK website, www.jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk. Ticket prices are the same as before the floods: £10.25 for adults, £8.25 for concessions and £7.25 for children.