The tales of real Viking-age heroes are told in the sagas, and their adventures make for exciting tales. But all too often, fantastical and fictional elements are added when the stories of the Vikings are brought to the screen. We think that the reality of the Viking-age is even more thrilling than the fantasy. And so, we are going to tell the story of a real Viking-age saga hero and his fight to the death in the year 1031. But we're going to leave out the fantasy and instead show the brutal reality of Viking-age life and death.

We're Hurstwic, an organization that researches, practices, and teaches how Vikings fought and used their weapons. We don't do re-enactment combat, or stage combat, or fantasy combat. In our Valhalla training facility in central New England, we do Viking combat.

We're going to create a vivid screen portrayal of a real Viking-age hero and his fight to the death. To the greatest degree possible, we're going to use authentic Viking-age fight moves, authentic replica weapons, and authentic replica clothing. We're shooting our video on the actual location of the historical battle, standing in the footsteps of the people who fought there 1000 years ago. We will build a replica house adjacent to the ruins of the actual Viking-age house where the battle took place. And to top it off, we'll be using some ancient Viking weapons in our battle scenes, such as this axehead, which we will fit with a modern haft and swing in battle, perhaps the first time it has seen combat since 1000 years ago.

We will show the battle that ended the life of the saga hero Grettir the Strong, as told in Grettis saga. Grettir was a bold, courageous fighter, but he was an ill-fated man, cursed by adversity again and again. When he was an outlaw, he lived with his brother on the island of Drangey in north Iceland.

The island rises nearly vertically out of the sea, and the only way to the top was on ladders. Here, half-dead and nearly unable to stand due to the magic of an evil sorceress, Grettir made his last stand, 2 courageous heroes against 20.

We've done this successfully before. Our book and our DVD based on the final battle of the saga hero Gísli Súrsson was shot on location in Iceland and released last year.

Hurstwic traveled to Geirþjófsfjörður, the remote valley in west Iceland where the historical battle took place.

We stood in the very footsteps of the men and women who fought here over 1000 years ago as we shot our video.

We shot interviews with experts to create special chapters on: Viking weapons; Viking ships; Viking poetry; Viking longhouses; Viking clothing; Viking blacksmithing; and others. 

Now, we plan to do it all again for Grettir, but on an even larger scale, and with a more careful eye towards authenticity.

We'd like you to be a part of this adventure with us. We're a small organization with big dreams. We want to share with the world our love of the sagas, and our fascination with all things Vikings.

Our plans are in place to travel to Drangey this summer to shoot our production. But we need your support to get us: our cast and crew, and our gear, and our weapons, and our tools to the top of Drangey. As it was in the days of the sagas, the only way to the top is on ladders.

If you can just get us there, we'll do the dirty work and risk our necks bringing this Viking adventure to the screen. In exchange for your financial support, we offer a range of cool, Viking-related perks.

We will send you a copy of the new DVD well in advance of the general release, either alone, or in combination with other Hurstwic DVDs. We offer original Viking-inspired artifacts based on our production, as well as props used in the production.

For our top contributor, we are offering an original oil painting of a scene from Grettis saga as realized in our video, with the likeness of our patron as one of the characters in the scene. If you've ever thought you belonged in a Viking saga, here is your opportunity.

Help us show the realities of the Vikings without the Hollywood nonsense by making a contribution. Join with us to bring real adventures of real Vikings to the screen in The Final Battle of Grettir the Strong.