BCVSP - Viking Ship Launching Ceremony:

Speech by Marian Toft, President, Scandinavian Community Center

"Then gathered together the gods for counsel,
The holy hosts, and held converse;
To night and new moon their names they gave,
The morning named, and midday also,
Forenoon and evening, to order the year."

Voluspå

---

... and we of ourselves named one for the kin of men:
our Viking Ship "Munin".

---

Thus spake Marian:

   "Your Excellency Ambassador Havnen, Consuls General, distinguished guests, boat builders, ladies and gentlemen.

I'm delighted to welcome you here on behalf of the local Scandinavian Community.

My name is Marian Toft and I am president of the Scandinavian Community Centre located in Burnaby, where this ship has been constructed as a committee of Norwegian House Society.

This ship was built with 100% volunteer time, with donations from individuals, societies, and companies. She represents a spirit of cooperation driven by our respect for history, our recognition of the need to pass knowledge on, and our love of the sea.

The ship you see before you is the fulfillment of a dream. She started as a dream - many thought it could not be done - but like the Vikings who first landed on Canadian shores 1000 years ago, in a ship similar to this, our volunteers brought their will power to bare and here she lies.

This project has been nothing short of amazing and a thrilling example of what happens when a group of people with a dream and a vision combine their efforts towards a single goal.

The technology behind the construction of these ships changed the course of European history. The spirit of adventure, of curiosity, of the need to explore and to keep history alive that lived in the Vikings continues to live in all of us. As an old Viking proverb says:

Today, the next generation, the daughters and granddaughters of some of the builders, will christen the ship together and in so doing will accept the ship as a gift to their generation, their city, their province and their country. This ship is our gift to the community of a journey into history.

Her name will be "Munin", the name of one of the two raven-like birds Hugin and Munin, who sat on the shoulders of the Norse god Odin - the god of knowledge and wisdom as well as the god of war. Odin dispatched the birds around the world to gather information for him. Hugin was associated with the concept "thought". The bird Munin was associated with the concept "memory".

The symbolism behind the name Munin is appropriate, as by working with her, and sharing her with the community, we will continue to learn and gather new memories to supplement the written memories handed down from centuries past.

May she be blessed and carry all who travel in her safely to harbour. May she enjoy a long life and be loved by many. May she bring joy and knowledge to all generations and peoples here in British Columbia.

I now call on the girls to step forward for the christening of the ship.

The girls will christen the ship by saying:

"I christen thee "Munin". May you and all who sail in you be blessed with a safe journey."

And now I want you all to move away from the dock side at the bow of the Viking Ship to make room for the christening ceremony.

Thank you."

Back to BCVSP | Back to Launch Pictures | Back to Launch Program
Preben's speech | Tom's speech | Marian's speech

Home | Coaching Voyage | BCVSP | Musings | Recreation | Runes | Sailing | Stories | Viking Ships | About this site | Contact me | Links