Lore and Saga - Living History Education ServicesLore and Saga - Living History Education Services

Specialist in Viking and Roman School Visits for Key Stage Two of the National Curriculum.

Award winning living history services and presentations for classroom education.

Wayland working in the Viking Longhouse reconstruction at Lofotr in Northern Norway - Image copyrighted © Gary Waidson. All rights reserved.

Hello, my name is Wayland and I run Lore and Saga, a living history service and education resource.

I work with  schools, museums and educational organisations to teach children about  the real life of the Vikings, their technology and beliefs.

Using first hand experience and knowledge gained from working on living history projects throughout Britain and Scandinavia, I can bring this wealth of information to the pupils of your school.

Viking Longships at rest in dock. - Image copyrighted © Gary Waidson. All rights reserved.

There is a well known saying in education, even older than the Vikings.

“I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.”

I believe the best way to really understand the Vikings is to walk a good few miles in their shoes.

Books,  videos and web sites may contain useful information about  Viking life  but little can compare to the experience of standing on the deck of a  longship as it sets out across the Northern Atlantic.

A Viking Longship in Full Sail. - Image copyrighted © Gary Waidson. All rights reserved.

Most people’s image of the Vikings is coloured deep red with raids, warfare and the innocent blood of Saxon monks.

In truth the greatest battle  that most Norsemen faced was to put food on their family’s table and  keep a dry roof over their heads.

The real story of the Vikings is a tale of courageous sailors, enterprising traders, ingenious  craftsmen and hard working farmers. Not just bloodthirsty and fearsome  raiders.

Living in a  world without the luxuries and conveniences we take for granted, these  people did not just survive, they thrived and spread out, to found  colonies as far afield as Russia and North America.

Telling Viking Stories in the Longhall at Danelaw Viking Village. - Image copyrighted © Gary Waidson. All rights reserved.

They left us a legacy of  language, stories and culture that is as alive and vital today as it was around the hearth of their longhouses a thousand years ago.

These are  the Vikings I have come to understand by living and working just as they did. This is the story of real people that I can bring to life in your  classroom or hall.

School visits now form a major part of my work and, based near Manchester, I am well placed to provide Viking talks, presentations and workshops to schools in the North West of England.

A Viking Burial reconstruction. - Image copyrighted © Gary Waidson. All rights reserved.

All of my presentations are supported by a range of high quality artefacts recreated with all the care and attention of the originals.

My half day Viking presentations or full activity days are carefully designed to meet the requirements for the “Invaders and settlers” Key Stage Two of the National Curriculum.

A Lore and Saga school visit will bring the Vikings right into the heart of your school for a truly unforgettable experience.

A Roman Kitchen presentation for schools at Chedworth Roman Villa.  - Image copyrighted © Gary Waidson. All rights reserved.

In association with Murton Park and drawing upon many years of experience delivering educational presentations with the National Trust at Chedworth Roman Villa, Lore and Saga has also been providing Roman in school presentations and activity days for over two decades.