ONE thousand years ago, when the city of York (known as Jorvik) was under Viking rule, great celebrations and festivities were the order of the month during February.

They were called Jolablot, later to become Christmas and Yule as we know it, following the introduction of Christianity to the Vikings, and they heralded the coming of the new year and the survival of winter hardships.

More than a decade ago the Jorvik Viking Centre in Coppergate, one of the first museums to take history out of glass cases and make it really come alive, decided to revive Jobalot in order to get even more people interested in learning about Viking life. That was in 1985 - and the Viking Centre has organised a Jorvik Viking Festival ever since.

Back in 1985 the festival was a small affair, with events such as a boat race and a Viking beard competition, but it has now grown into a nationally-renowned event with something for all the family.

This year's festival begins tomorrow, Friday, February 13 (I trust that's not a bad omen, especially since this is the 13th Viking Festival) with a special all-day exhibition at the Jorvik Viking Centre entitled Viking Food. Sophisticated archaeological techniques allow the viewer to discover the intricacies of a Viking's diet and there is an enticing(!) display of Viking food.

Meanwhile the food theme is continued on Friday in St Sampson's Square with A Taste Of Norway. Visitors will be able to sample the culinary delicacies of the Bergen region of Norway in the company of Norwegian chefs. There will also be the chance to see a replica Viking longship close at hand and to speak to some of the competitors in Saturday's Jarl Of The River.

The busy opening day is brought to an end by a special service entitled Songs Of The North at York Minster. The Minster is set to resound with the sound of Scandinavian folk songs and hymns.

The festival really gets into its stride this Saturday, with the British Waterways Jorvik Longship Races on Kings Staith. Crews from the UK and Scandinavia will be racing replica longships for the coveted title of Jarl Of The River. There will also be a range of stalls and quayside activities for all the family.

Meanwhile an exhibition of traditional and unusual crafts, featuring live demonstrations, opens at the Merchant Adventurers Hall, Fossgate, on Saturday. This will run throughout the festival and finishes at 5pm on Sunday, February 22.

Saturday night is all right - for both eating and dancing! The Viking Feast is being held in the atmospheric surroundings of St William's College, where you can listen to the stories of the Skalds, participate in a little wassailing and try your hand at leg-wrestling before settling down at a six-course Viking banquet. Come in costume, if you like, to add to the fun.

If all that sounds a little much, then why not try the Jorvik Viking Ceilidh at the Bonding Warehouse in Skeldergate? There you can join the winners and the losers of the day's water-borne festivities at a traditional Ceilidh and dance the night away to traditional Celtic music.

On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, St Sampson's Square is the venue for The Sword Of Bloodaxe, a two-hour skirmish from noon in which small groups of Vikings try on their helmets and chain mail in an aggressive display of Norse weaponry.

On Thursday, continuing this warlike theme, the Jorvik Viking Centre in Coppergate hosts the Jorvik Viking Trials Of Strength.

Which of the Viking strongmen will be victorious in this trial of strength? The axe endurance is just one of the competitions.

The festival reaches a rousing climax on Saturday, February 21, with four exciting events. During the day, hundreds of Vikings will march through the streets of York from the Museum Gardens to the Eye of York in preparation for battle.

The battle in question is the Battle of Brunanburh in 937AD, when the Viking/Celtic alliance took on the Saxons. Will the battle be faithful to history or will the result be a complete surprise? Go to the Eye of York and find out.

The climax of the festival takes place that evening when the Viking horses line the River Ouse for the traditional boat-burning ceremony. Viking archers will fire flaming arrows at longships on the River Ouse until they ignite. This will be followed by a fireworks display. The festival finishes with a reprise - the Viking Feast, first held a week earlier at St William's College, will be repeated - as the festival concludes on a hedonistic note.

Organised and funded by the Jorvik Viking Centre, the annual festival has proved to be one of the country's most colourful historical pageants. This year promises to be no exception.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.