Living History
Craft and industry in viking times
Every group in The Vikings places different emphasis on the different activities the society is involved in. While we don't ignore the other aspects, Ydalir tends to put a large part of it's efforts into researching and practicing ancient craft techniques. The group has come to have a wide skill base, from embroidery to silversmithing. Large projects have included a warp weighted loom and an experimental bronze casting setup.
To really understand things you must pick them up and use them
These skills come into their own in the context of "Living History"; by which we mean spending several days living "in period" for the entertainment and education of visitors. This can come to be more than just an agreeable way to spend a weekend; historians and archaeologists are coming to the conclusion that "experimental archaeology" is an extremely valuable research tool. To put it another way, no matter how carefully you look at things from the past, to really understand them you sometimes need to pick them up and try to use them.