The Brimming Horn Meadery parties like it’s 793 A.D.

A touch of honey can sweeten up any occasion. Throw in a little booze and you’ve got yourself a party.

The Brimming Horn Meadery near Milton hosted Party Like It’s 793 at its Route 9 location June 9-11. The festival, reportedly Delaware’s only Viking and heavy metal festival, is a celebration of all things Viking, metal and mead. 

The Viking raid on Lindisfarne, known as the Holy Island, took place June 8, 793. Scholars say this was the start of the Viking Age. In addition to selling goods, vendors at the unique event imparted their knowledge of Viking culture and practices to festivalgoers. Whether it was explaining new games involving fish slapping, educating folks about eighth-century hygiene, or showcasing the different stages an element goes through before it is fabricated into jewelry, there was knowledge to pillage without a need for plundering.

Klan Runda, hailing from Boone, N.C., brought a few Viking games for people of all ages to enjoy. In the fish-slapping game, one must keep their hand on the table throughout the game and must get permission from the other person to slap them with their fish. Slappers follow the sound of their opponent’s voice.

An interesting conversation between Surt’s Fist Forge owner Gabriel Hurd, attending the event as a patron, and Vlad Tovary’s Stephen “Vlad” Polinskli was very informative. In Vlad’s Tovary’s tent, Polinskli and Hurd began tossing ideas off one another and learning valuable trade secrets. The two men were very knowledgeable about precious metals and the processes used during certain time periods.

Shane Strobel, also known as Viking Jerk, offered mini-history lessons on Viking hygiene and the profound effect it had beyond the land of longhouses and longboats. Don't let the name fool you; it's just a playful take on the name Eric. Strobel sells products made with authentic Viking recipes. The Vikings were surprisingly hygienic for their time and used a kind of dry shampoo to keep their hair clean and free from bugs.

Near the lesson, Rigr Crafts’ Jacqueline Thomas was busy plotting with Amariz Wilkins a way for Wilkins’ husband to approve the purchase of some fine, handmade jewelry. Mead was mentioned frequently.

Next to Rigr Crafts was Tempered Raven, a company that specializes in handmade and hand-forged knives. In a type of role reversal, it was the boyfriends and husbands that were plotting their purchases under Tempered Raven’s tent.

Friday and Saturday nights each concluded with performances by heavy metal bands from as far away as Madison, Wis. While each band had its origins in metal, each produced a very unique sound and showcased the different genres in which metal can manifest itself.

Brimming Horn will host its next major event from noon to 9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 1. It’s Brimming Horn’s Six-Year Anniversary Party and will feature live Celtic music from Hold Fast and Poehemia in addition to the Hammer and Horns Food Truck and other vendors.

More information is available at brimminghornmeadery.com.