The Barony of Stonemarche invites you to A Market Day at Birka XXXVI!
January 29-31, 2027 at the Doubletree Hotel in Manchester, NH.
Information for 2027 will be coming soon. Until then, many of the pages have been disabled.
The Story of Birka
A Market Day at Birka is sponsored by the Barony of Stonemarche, the New Hampshire chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. (“SCA”), a nonprofit educational organization devoted to the historical study of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
The historical inspiration for this event is the town of Birka, which flourished in Sweden on Björkö Island in Lake Mälar during the 9th and 10th centuries. During its heyday it was a great trading center for the Vikings and travelers from the Nordic world, and goods could be purchased there from throughout Europe as well as much of Asia. It was also the location of the first Christian congregation in Sweden, founded in 831 by St. Ansgar, where Christians and pagans lived side by side in peace. Birka and the nearby town of Hovgården were added to the World Heritage List in 1993 as well preserved examples of the Vikings’ trading networks during the two centuries (700-900) when they expanded economically and politically in Europe. Birka is one of the most complete and untouched Viking Age trading sites from this period. We celebrate the heritage of Birka today in an SCA context with our own market day. Enjoy!