Viking Re-enactor Nearly Kills Partner During Swordplay

A woman has almost been killed by her partner as he was practicing his sword moves in Britain. He is a Viking re-enactor and he accidently stabbed the woman. She was critically injured, in what appears to be a tragic accident.

The horrendous incident happened in south-east England, in Kent, behind a 17th-century pub called the Woolpack Inn. It occurred outside a caravan that had been parked on some land behind the pub. A male, who is a Viking re-enactor and who lives in the caravan, was practicing his sword skills when he stabbed a woman. The ‘unnamed woman sustained a life-threatening injury’ to her neck, according to the Angle Times.

The tragic incident took place behind the Woolpack Inn, Kent. (Julian P Guffogg/CC BY SA 2.0)

Air Ambulance and Blood Transfusion

The emergency services were called and a number of ambulances and an air ambulance attended the scene. A local man, who did not reveal his identity stated to the Daily Mail that ‘'I was just sat here reading the paper around 7 pm so poked my head out the front and saw the sirens.”

It appears that the Viking re-enactor and the injured woman are in a relationship. Little more is known about the incident. According to the anonymous source, “I’ve heard it was an accident involving a sword.”

A local woman, who also wished to remain anonymous told the Daily Mail that ‘'The sword cut her neck and now she's in hospital.” It appears that the man who accidentally stabbed the female is an avid re-enactor. The male is said to have a big bushy beard, just like a Viking.

The same source told the Daily Mail that ‘'We saw the air ambulance land at the back and she had to have a blood transfusion on the spot. It's a wonder how she didn't die there and then.” There is the possibility that the couple were engaged in a Viking re-enactment when the terrible accident happened.

Viking re-enactment. (Silar/CC BY SA 4.0)

Viking Re-enactors are Not Common in that Rural Area

Local people are shocked by the incident, which took place in a quiet rural area. A customer who was in the beer garden of the pub witnessed the aftermath of the incident. He told the Daily Mail, “I've never seen any sort of Viking behaviour round here. It's a quiet little place and you don't hear of any violence or stabbings.”

Historical re-enacting has become very popular all over the world. Enthusiasts often come together to stage mock battles and fights, with imitation weapons. Re-enactors stage scenes from history that range in time from the Roman era to the American Civil War. There have been several other serious and tragic incidents involving re-enactors in recent years.

Deaths and Injuries during Re-enactments

In 1997 an American man died of a heart attack while taking part in a recreation of the Civil War battle of Antietam. In 2018, a man playing the part of a knight in a Medieval joust died after impaling himself on his lance. The man was a military veteran and was fatally injured when he was striking a target with his weapon.

• Battle Reenactors Slashing Criminals and Innocents
• Medieval Re-enactor Tragically Dies After Being Impaled With His Own Lance
• Axe Wounds Man During Medieval Battle Re-Enactment

Medieval joust re-enactment. (CC0)

In 2019, a convicted offender was struck by a replica of a medieval double-headed axe during a home invasion. He was struck by a re-enactor, who was defending his property in Michigan. Also, in 2019, in Australia, a young man was seriously wounded by a blow of an axe, occurred during a mock duel at Sydney’s Medieval Festival.

It seems that the person who inflicted the injuries did not realize that the young man was injured and kept on striking him. Oleg Sokolov, a historian who was called the “founder of the battle re-enactment movement in Russia” was also arrested on suspicion of murder when a pair of female arms were found in his backpack, reports Ancient Origins.

The woman who was accidentally slashed by the part-time Viking re-enactor in Kent was rushed to a hospital in London. Her situation is not known, but it is believed that she is in critical condition. A police investigation of the incident is ongoing.

Top image: Two Viking re-enactors fighting. Credit: Brambilla Simone / Adobe Stock

By Ed Whelan