Philadelphia is famous for a lot of things (namely it’s art scene and cheesesteaks), but it’s not known for its Viking population. However, even those Old Norse pirates can be found in Philadelphia until March 3rd, to see them you just have to go to the Franklin Institute.
That’s right, the Franklin Institute’s traveling exhibit is now hosting “Vikings: Beyond the Legend”. For an extra $10 on the $23 general admission ticket, a visitor can see over 600 Viking artifacts. These artifacts range from swords, jewelry, pottery, medallions, tokens, tools, coins, and much more. The descriptions behind the artifacts gives you a glimpse into the like of the Vikings. The aim of the exhibit is to show you the reality of life as Viking, not just what the stories portray.
When you enter, you are immediately greeted by a screen playing a short introduction film, giving visitors a basic history about the sea-faring ways of the Vikings. After that, the exhibit begins to expand on the narrative of the Vikings. Artifacts tell their story, and artwork offers a hypothetical depiction of what Viking life may have looked like. The bestpart is the intricate engravings and metal-work that is displayed on the artifacts. All that stands between you and history is a glass case.
It’s a really wild experience to look down on tools or coins or weapons and think that people actually used them. They were once shiny, new, and intact, and were held by people who lived hundreds of years ago. Looking at these things, I felt connected to history. It was humbling and it made me respect the progress our society has made while admiring the ingenuity of the people who came before me.
You may not be able to touch the relics, but there are plenty of interactive parts of the exhibit. For example, there are racks with Vikings costumes that guests are encouraged to dress up in and take pictures. You can wear anything from the normal garb of a farmer’s wife to fake chainmail and a helmet to look like a true Viking warrior that even Thor would be proud of.
In the second part of the exhibit is a replica of a Viking warship. The original has been uncovered but is too massive and delicate to transport. To show guests how vasts their ships were, they built a replica, and it spans 600 feet. That’s more than half the length of a football field. We often think of people from that time as fairly primitive and unsophisticated, but seeing the ship and the artifacts made me really appreciate their society and the things they were capable of. And they didn’t have any technology like today, they made everything by hand. There are tablets that allow guests to view the ship as it might have looked if it were fully constructed and had passengers. You can imagine them rowing the massive warship and how it might have looked to their enemies. I wouldn’t want to run into that boat in an open ocean.
After the boat there is a simulation where you can feel like you are rowing a boat yourself. With mist falling from the sky and a video of people rowing ahead of you, it feels as if you were actually on the open ocean, that is if you can tune out the chatter from other visitors. Kids flocked around this part, but I did take a try rowing too.
The last and final room contains a replica of the Jelling Stone. According to the Franklin Institute’s website, “the Jelling Stone is an important landmark in Viking history and is one of the earliest official depictions of Christ in Scandinavia. The stone, carved at the order of King Harald Bluetooth around the year 965 CE, served as the official declaration confirming the new nation of Denmark as a Christian nation.” With the replica of the Jelling Room in the center, other religious artifacts are lined on the walls around the circular room. Included in this collection is a replica of a sculpture of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Overall, it was a great exhibit. It was very informative and fascinating. It was so interesting to look at the artifacts and to imagine what life was back when they were used and relevant. The exhibit effectively connected guests to history and to the life of the Vikings.
