Denmark Dolphin Killing Festival

~ I'm not big on boycotts. But today I became aware of a ‘festival’ so bizarre and disgraceful that I think the country that hosts it, deserves to be boycotted until the event is stopped.

The event in question is the annual pilot whale/dolphin killing festival which takes place in the Faroe Islands. The islands, sometimes Faeroe Islands, Faroe(s), or Faeroes are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland.

The atrocious slaughter you see depicted in the image illustrating this post, has been practiced since at least the 10th century, with around 1,000 creatures killed annually in the “grindadráp” (whale hunt) typically occurring during summer months.

Not surprisingly, the hunting of pilot whales/dolphins by residents of the Faroe Islands has long been a subject of controversy, and for good reason.

Although the International Whaling Commission enacted a ban on commercial whaling in 1986, pilot whales seem to be exempt because technically they are members of the dolphin family. To compound the problem, the Faroe Islands is one of the parts of the world where the IWC's rules still allow for subsistence hunting of such cetaceans.

As usual, supporters of the hunt maintain that the practise of killing pilot whales is "an age-old communal, non-commercial hunt aimed at meeting the community's need for whale meat and blubber." They also claim the animals are dealt with so quickly that their pain is brief, and that whale meat accounts for a quarter of the Faroe Islander's annual meat consumption.

Conservationists, on the other hand charge that the hunts, which take hundreds of whales at a time, are barbaric and pointless; that "the practice is outdated, cruel and unnecessary for a place with one of the highest standards of living in Europe." As if that is not enough, most of the whales go to waste - either being left on the beach to rot or thrown back to sea after they are killed.

While the Scandinavian countries have long been on my list of regions to visit, I for one will never visit Denmark, the Faroe Islands, or Greenland while this atrocious practice continues.

Visit this site for more images and links to videos which show this barbaric event in all its gruesome detail.

Viking Moot Festival in Aarhus, Denmark

~ Viking lore lives on in the Danish town of Aarhus (on the east coast of Jutland – Denmark’s western peninsula), where on the last weekend in July, Scandinavians pay tribute to their forebears.

This weekend festival is about a three hour drive from Copenhagen, and offers a historical market with traders, craftsmen and performers clothed in traditional garb.

The most anticipated event is the warrior fights held at nearby Moesgaard Beach, in which participants train for a week in the woods.

Besides 25,000 visitors, this annual event attracts countless performers from Denmark, the other Scandinavian countries, and even the British Isles. The Viking Moot festival is free, so you will not need tickets. It is hosted by the Moesgård Museum in Aarhus, a major attraction in Aarhus (see below).

Other Attractions & Things to Do in Aarhus

As well as the Viking Moot Festival, there are numerous other attractions in Aarhus to enjoy during your visit, and these are detailed below.

Moesgård Museum in Aarhus

Apart from hosting the Viking Moot Festival, the Moesgaard Museum is great for anyone interested in history and archaeology dating back to the Vikings and the Stone Age. The building housing the museum is over 200 years old. Guided tours of the museum are available.

Old Town Aarhus

A visit to the old town of Aarhus is a must when you're nearby. There are beautiful old houses, little shops, and food and drink on offer.

Aarhus Tivoli Friheden

Yes, Aarhus has its own Tivoli amusement park, called Tivoli Friheden. There are lots of carnival-style rides, a big water park as well as an indoor play land and other activities for all ages.

Marselisborg Castle & Park in Aarhus

Marselisborg Castle is the Danish Royal family's summer seat in Aarhus. When the royals are present, you can witness the Changing of the Guard daily at noon. However, most of the time the Royal Family is not there which means visitors are allowed to enter the grounds and even visit the Queen's rose garden.

The Botanical Garden of Aarhus

This attraction is open year-round and you can visit the greenhouses and the Tropical House (open Mon-Sat 1-3pm, Sun 11-3pm) free of charge. The Botanical Garden is easy to find in the old town of Aarhus, near the Urban Museum. Just look for the windmill.

RaceHall Near Aarhus

In Viby at Hasselager Centervej 30, you'll find a major attraction of the Aarhus area - RaceHall, the largest indoor race track in all of Europe!

Aarhus Occupation Museum

The Occupation Museum (Besaettelsesmuseet) of Aarhus is dedicated to showing both peaceful and dramatic events in Århus during the German occupation. Everyday life during the occupation, military equipment, war propaganda and Nazi terror are displayed in this museum.

The Aarhus Deer Park (Dyrehaven)

A nature-style attraction in Aarhus is the Deer Park (Dyrehaven), found 2 miles south of downtown Aarhus. Among many other species, the deer park is housing Sika deer, fallow deer and wild boar in their natural habitat.

ARoS Art Museum of Aarhus

The ARoS is the largest art museum in and around Aarhus and an attraction that's both interesting and great for bad weather days. The museum shows art from the last 3 centuries and teaches about local art and design in a very compelling way.

Click here for more information…

IMAGE: Vikings by Jonathan Hart