Tynwald Day commemoration of Odin’s Raven voyage

A commemoration of the voyage of the Odin’s Raven will be held this Tynwald Day ( 5 July).

It’s the 40th anniversary of the expedition, where a Manx and Norwegian crew sailed the replica Viking longship between Trondheim and Peel to celebrate the millennium year of the Manx Parliament.

After enduring brutal training to prepare for the voyage, at sea the 16 sailors narrowly escaped storms, and skirted with danger after capsizing off the Isle of Skye, before arriving in Peel on Tynwald Day in 1979.

To mark the occasion, Tynwald members and dignitaries will gather at the House of Manannan where the vessel is on display, to be joined by the surviving members of the crew.

Local businessman Robin Bigland, who masterminded the journey, says the longship remains as an ‘enduring symbol of the Island’s Norwegian and our Viking heritage.