Associació Cultural de Recreació Històrica Medieval Escandinava
The Clan
Clan Hávamál is a historical reenactment group which focus its activity in the life and traditions of Nordic people of 10th and 11th century, who were known as "Vikingr" or víkings. Our main goal is to let people know and reenact this unknown period of time, the dark age, through our collaboration in several events and medieval fairs through out Spain.
To provide a quality reenactment show, we have consulted and read trustworthy documentation.
We base our performances in dark age transcriptions, books about vikings (like those which talk about archaeological findings) and reenactment guides of national and international groups like "El Clan del Cuervo" and "Jomsvikings".
We base our activities as much as we can in the clothing, objects, tools (civil and warfare) of Nordic people.
In 2009 the co-founders of Clan Hávamál decided to start this adventure, which turned into reality in January 2010.
Clan Hávamál's headquarters are located in Palouet (Lleida) and we are not only a association but also like a family.
Clan Hávamál became a non-profit cultural Association in 2013.
The Hávamál
Hávamál (sayings of Hár or sayings of the high one ) is one of the poems of poetic Edda. Hávamál are a group of rules to help people to live easily and wisely and also showed them how to survive.
We decided to choose it as the part of the name of our reenactment group because of its importance.
Hávamál's philosophy or Scandinavian behavior rules is unknown by most of people, who have a distorted vision of vikings due media.
Some Hávamál verses were writen from the perspective of the supreme Nordic god (it can be found in the end of Hávamál, where there is a small writting about how Odin got his knowledge, the power of viking runes and spells.
The content of this poem is not only practical but also spiritual and the only remaining font of it is "Codex Regius", an icelandic manuscript which was probably written in 1270.
It is believed that this poetic Edda was first compiled in 800 due one of the first references of this poem were provided by Eyvindr Skáldaspillir in Hákonarmál in 960.
Simbology and Colours
Literary fonts and archaeological findings prove that viking shields were usually painted.
For example, the front side of Gokstad shields, were painted in yellow or black (vegetal coal). Shields painted in red (this pigment was made of iron minerals) were really populars:
A read shield is named in a Danish runic stone and also in several sagas.
The distribution of this pigment in a Välsgarde shield proves that it was red also.
Thorsberg's coat of arms were painted in red or blue.
The Ballateare (Man island) pieces suggest that the leather that covered the frontal side of the shield was painted in black and red over a white background.
Experts suspect that they used "gesso" ( organic material like egg's yolk) to make the paint.
Fragments of white painted wood were also found in Man island.
Using this references and after checking archaeological findings, we designed the colors (white = security, true, black = authority, red = brave, good news and vitality) and the shape of our Clan's shields. We added Tetraskel or swastika as a solar sign of power and illumination which was related to one of the gods of nordic pantheon ( it was Mjolnir's sign, Thor's hammer).
A sign demonized due nazism which was used previously in stone age until nowadays, not only by Romans, Celtics and Nord-America natives, Germanic people, East Europe people and also different religions like hinduism, buddhism, christians, jews and pagans.
Our standard is written with Othalan runes (old Futhark ) or Ethel (Anglosaxon Futhorc) as a representation of Odin, the supreme Scandinavian god and the word Hávamál in germanic runes.
The main figure of our standard is a facial helmet, Gjermundbu.
