Knattleikr
Encyclopedia
Knattleikr is an ancient ball game played by the Vikings of Iceland
.
We know that:
It is conjectured by some that:
Today, knattleikr is often reenacted
at medieval faires and by Norse culture enthusiasts. It is also played on some college campuses. Brandeis University
, Clark University
, Providence College
, and Yale University
in particular are known for their teams. The first annual New England
intercollegiate knattleikr competition (right) was played in April, 2007 at Clark University between Clark's team and Brandeis.
The New England Viking reenactment group cautions that the game is dangerous and refers to the Iceland
ic Gragas laws
that a player may leave the game at any time.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
How the game was played
Today no one knows the game's exact rules but there is some information.We know that:
- Players were divided into teams.
- A hard ball was hit by a stick.
- The players could also use their hands.
- Body contact was allowed in the fight for the ball where the strongest had the best chance to win.
- It was a spectator game, with tournaments drawing huge crowds from all over Iceland.
- Intimidation was a vital ingredient, several wars of words have been recorded in the old sagas.
- The game demanded so much time that it was played from morning to night.
- There was a captain on each team.
- There were penalties and a penalty box.
It is conjectured by some that:
- The playing field was lined, usually played on a flat ice‐covered surface. (Though bumpy land‐based ice, svell, is mentioned too.)
- The Vikings may have used tar and sand under the soles of their boots for traction.
Knattleikr today
Today, knattleikr is often reenacted
Historical reenactment
Historical reenactment is an educational activity in which participants attempt torecreate some aspects of a historical event or period. This may be as narrow as a specific moment from a battle, such as the reenactment of Pickett's Charge at the Great Reunion of 1913, or as broad as an entire...
at medieval faires and by Norse culture enthusiasts. It is also played on some college campuses. Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
, Clark University
Clark University
Clark University is a private research university and liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts.Founded in 1887, it is the oldest educational institution founded as an all-graduate university. Clark now also educates undergraduates...
, Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
, and Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in particular are known for their teams. The first annual New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
intercollegiate knattleikr competition (right) was played in April, 2007 at Clark University between Clark's team and Brandeis.
The New England Viking reenactment group cautions that the game is dangerous and refers to the Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic Gragas laws
Gray Goose Laws
The Gray Goose Laws were a collection of laws from the Icelandic Commonwealth period. The term Grágás was originally used in a medieval source to refer to a collection of Norwegian laws and was probably mistakenly used to describe the existing collection of Icelandic law during the sixteenth...
that a player may leave the game at any time.
Historical references
The most complete descriptions of the game are to be found in the following Icelandic sagas:- Grettis sagaGrettis sagaGrettis saga is one of the Icelanders' sagas. It details the life of Grettir Ásmundarson, a bellicose Icelandic outlaw.- Overview :...
chapter 15 - Gísla sagaGísla sagaGísla saga Súrssonar is one of the Sagas of Icelanders. It tells the story of Gisli, a tragic hero who must kill one of his brothers-in-law to avenge another brother-in-law. Gisli is outlawed and forced to stay on the run for thirteen years before he is finally hunted down and killed...
chapters 15 and 18 - Egils sagaEgils sagaEgils saga is an epic Icelandic saga. The oldest transcript dates back to 1240 AD. The saga is centered on the life of Egill Skallagrímsson, an Icelandic farmer, viking and skald...
chapter 40 http://www.northvegr.org/lore/egils_saga/040.php - Eyrbyggja sagaEyrbyggja sagaEyrbyggja saga is one of the Icelanders' sagas. The name means the saga of the inhabitants of Eyrr, which is a farm on Snæfellsnes on Iceland. The name is slightly misleading as it deals also with the clans of Þórsnes and Alptafjörðr. The most central character is Snorri Þorgrímsson or Snorri goði...
chapter 43 http://omacl.org/EreDwellers/chapter43.html - Vápnfirðinga sagaVápnfirðinga sagaVápnfirðinga saga or Vopnfirðinga saga , named after Vopnafjörður, Iceland, is one of the sagas of Icelanders. It in basic terms tells of Helgi Þorgilsson, relative to Erik red, of his murder and subsequent retaliation.-External links:**...
chapter 4
See also
- La SouleLa SouleLa soule, also known as choule, is a traditional team sport that originated in Normandy and Picardy.The ball, called a soule, could be solid or hollow and made of either wood or leather. Leather balls would be filled with hay, bran, horse hair or moss...
, played by the Norsemen of NormandyNormandyNormandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
and BrittanyBrittanyBrittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. - BroomballBroomballBroomball is a recreational ice game originating in Canada and played around the world. It is played in a hockey rink, either indoors or outdoors, depending on climate and location. Broomball is popular in the Canadian province of Manitoba, where Glenella is the Broomball Capital of the World...
, a modern Canadian version. - HarpastumHarpastumHarpastum, also known as Harpustum, was a form of ball game played in the Roman Empire. The Romans also referred to it as the small ball game. The ball used was small and hard, probably about the size and solidity of a softball...
a Roman ball game, a word probably derived from harpago, to snatch or take by violence. - CujuCujuCuju is an ancient code of football with similarities to association football. It is seen by some to be a forerunner of modern football and originated in China, and was also played in Korea, Japan and Vietnam.-History:...
, a Chinese ball game originally used to prepare soldiers for battle.
External links
- http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/daily_living/text/knattleikr.htm
- History of Broomball and Knattleikr
- http://knattleikr.blogspot.com/
- http://monsite.wanadoo.fr/jeuxtranormandie