A visit of interest was paid to Land and Forest Iceland in Gunnarsholt in early August by Viking combat enthusiast Reynir A. Óskarsson, who also refers to himself as a Viking age aficionado. Reynir is a highly knowledgeable individual who has been actively involved in collaborating with local and international professionals who share an interest in the combat techniques, customs, methodologies, and overall culture of ancient Nordic people.

For more than two decades, the Hurstwic movement has spearheaded extensive research initiatives. In addition to investigating ancient combat techniques, they have conducted various experiments. This summer, in Eiríksstaðir, Haukadalur valley, Dalir, West Iceland, they studied the behavior of fire in turf houses as those constructed during the settlement era. The primary objective was to observe how fire behaves when set against the door of such structures, its impact on the interior, and the potential effectiveness of methods described in ancient texts for combating or preventing the spread of such fires. For instance, historical accounts suggest the use of milk whey and animal skins in such scenarios.

Several years ago, there were attempts to revive the traditional methods of extracting iron from bog ore. Notably, the forest ranger at Vaglir was contracted to produce charcoal from Icelandic wood in an old coal-making kiln located in Vaglaskógur National Forest. This charcoal was utilised in experimental iron-making processes conducted at Eiríksstaðir, which demonstrated the viability of extracting high-quality iron from Icelandic bog ore. Contrary to previous assumptions, the iron obtained through this method was not of poor quality but rather a valuable export commodity with diverse applications.

The caliber of this iron has been proven by the construction of three steel strikers from the iron produced at Eiríksstaðir. These steel strikers were traditionally used to ignite fires by striking them with a suitable stone, such as a jasper. A brief video captured by Director Ágúst during Reynir's visit to Gunnarsholt demonstrates the process of generating sparks by striking the steel against the stone.

The donation was made by Reynir to Land and Forest Iceland as a token of appreciation for their invaluable assistance with the Eiríksstaðir project, particularly in providing Icelandic charcoal for the iron-making experiments and timber for construction. It is noteworthy that Bjarki Sigurðsson, a highly skilled and experienced work supervisor at the Land and Forest Iceland facilities in Hallormsstaður, played a crucial role in constructing the turf houses utilised for the fire experiments conducted this summer at Eiríksstaðir. These experiments are meticulously carried out using scientific methods, and in the video below, Dr. William R. Short, leader of the Hurstwic movement, elucidates the initial findings of these studies. It is pertinent to mention that the fire was ignited using one of the steel strikers meticulously crafted from Icelandic iron.

• The Hurstwic website, hurstwic.com