FLAMES from a 25ft wicker wolf lit the dusk sky in York to welcome the return of the Vikings to the city’s Jorvik Viking Centre, which is set to reopen following severe flooding.
The huge wicker wolf was burned as night fell in a ceremony involving Vikings carrying flaming torches at Bustardthorpe Field on York’s Knavesmire.
The wicker totem, which represents the wolf Geri – a companion of Norse God Odin – burned bright as it was surrounded by Viking warriors and settlers.
The attraction was badly damaged by the floods which hit York on Boxing Day 2015 and following extensive work it will re-open for the first time since then on Saturday.
Sarah Maltby, director of attractions for York Archaeological Trust, said: “The wolf was used in Viking symbology to represent the hunter, which is entirely appropriate for the new Jorvik Viking Centre, as the first Viking character that visitors will see is a hunter heading back into the city with his dog as our visitors arrive in their time capsule.”
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