Folksmoot 2026: Friday The Hird Prepares

Friday at Folksmoot

Friday introduces structured activities and training ahead of the weekend’s main event.

Participants take part in organized sessions focused on combat, coordination, and preparation, while others continue crafting and skill work throughout the day.

Shield Wall Training

Friday’s combat training focuses on coordination, discipline, and controlled aggression as fighters learn to move as a single unit.

Participants will:

• Learn how to hold formation
• Practice coordinated movement
• Work as a unit rather than as individuals

These formations were historically used to create a defensive barrier of overlapping shields, allowing groups to advance or hold ground together.

For historical context on shield wall tactics, see Encyclopaedia Britannica:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/shield-wall

Shield Wall Training: Morning – Midday

In addition to formation training, participants take part in controlled drills and group activities.

These may include:

• Basic combat scenarios
• Team-based games (such as capture-style objectives)
• Movement and positioning exercises

These sessions reinforce coordination and group awareness.

Crafting Continued: Morning – Midday

While shield wall training is underway, the crafting area remains fully open for anyone continuing work on their gear or projects, repairing armor, fixing costume pieces, creating jewelry, weaving, or building new pieces from scratch. The tools stay out, the tables stay active, and the work carries on beside the battlefield.

Runestone Crafting: Late Afternoon – Evening

Explore the meaning and symbolism behind Norse runes while creating your own carved or painted runic stone. This workshop blends history and personal expression, giving participants a chance to connect with Viking-age language, belief systems, and storytelling traditions.

Feast & Revalry: Night

As night falls, the village gathers for an evening of Mongolian wrestling, music, and dancing. While not historically Viking, this style of wrestling reflects the same raw, unarmed combat traditions found across many early warrior cultures, including those of the Viking Age. It serves as a powerful stand-in for the types of strength contests and grappling that would have been common among Norse warriors, emphasizing balance, control, and honor in competition.

Continue the Weekend

[View the full Folksmoot Viking Raid Weekend schedule →]

[Continue to Saturday: The Viking Raid →]

[Get tickets →]