Vikings of Bjornstad - Tartan Day and the Declaration of Arbroath

Tartan Day is a celebration of Scottish heritage on or near April 6th, the date on which the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320 AD. The Declaration, sealed by Scottish nobles, established their support for Robert the Bruce, who had been excommunicated by Pope John XXII as a result of a struggle over the rightful Scottish ruler. The document is considered historic in that, for the first time, those who were ruled set forth their choice of a ruler.

Each year at the Tartan Day celebration in Fremont, The Vikings of Bjornstad provide an encampment and display of Norse culture, representing the contributions made by the Vikings to Scottish history and culture.

In 2016, we added about 350 years to our usual timeline to provide a crucial bit of Scottish history: a short play about the creation of the Declaration of Arbroath itself. Below are photos and some of the lines from the play.

The Arbroath nobles gather	All this tavern needs is some ale
Interrupting the Opening Ceremony	The reveal...
The Declaration of Arbroath in all its glory	"...8 earls, 31 barons and a goodly dozen other nobles..."
"...and we take this declaration to the Pope..."	"Quia quamdiu Centum ex nobis viui remanserint..."
"... for as long as a hundred of us remain alive..."	"It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honors that we are fighting, but for freedom alone..."
"...which no honest man gives up but with life itself."	"From this day forward, we declare it our right to CHOOSE our king!"
"... and we bid you good day!"
Meanwhile, back in the 10th century...	Bjornstad forms a shield wall
You never know when it might rain ... arrows	Now what??
Ed and Whyt go to battle	Ed's enjoying himself