Glima

Glíma

Brokartök Glima wrestling
Focus	Grappling
Hardness	Full-contact
Country of origin	Iceland
Creator	Vikings

Glíma is the name of the Scandinavian martial arts system used by the Vikings. The word glíma in Old Norse means glimpse or flash, which describes the systems techniques.

Glima as a self-defence system contains throws, blows, kicks, chokes, locks, pain techniques and weapon techniques. It's thus comparable with other complete martial arts systems from around the world as Sambo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Glima as self-defence was the foundation for the Viking warrior, and these techniques are still practiced in Scandinavia, Europe, North America and South America.

Glima as a sport covers several types of Scandinavian folk wrestling: Lausatök, Hryggspenna, and Brokartök. Glima was the most widespread sport in the Viking Age, and was practiced by men and women of all ages. Wherever Vikings gathered, Glima was a big part of the entertainment. Glima was so important for Viking society that their most popular god, Thor, was also the Viking god of wrestling.

Glima is first mentioned in Viking poetry by the Norwegian court poet Bragi Boddason (790-850) and Kveldúlfr Bjálfason (820-878), also of Norwegian Heritage. The poetry is about the Norse god Thor and his journey to Utgards-Loki, where Elli defeats Thor in a wrestling match.

Historical information regarding glima can be found in written works from the Middle Ages: Prose Edda the Icelandic collection of texts from 1220, in the books Gylfaginning and Konungs skuggsjá, the Icelandic law books Jónsbók and Grágás, the Icelandic sagas: Grettis saga, Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu, Víga-Glúms saga, Finnboga saga ramma, Egils saga, Kjalnesinga saga and in Gunnars saga Keldugnúpsfífls, and from the 18th century on: "Thorlacius' Borealium Veterum matrimonio" by Icelander Skúli Þórđarson Thorlacius (1741-1815), "Brottning" (About Wrestling) by Gustaf Daniel von Heidenstam (1785-1850), "Illustrerad Idrottsbok" (the illustrated sports book) by Viktor Balck (1844-1928) who was one of the founding members of the International Olympic Committee in 1894 and the Nordic Games which were arranged from 1901, "Icelandic Glima techniques" by 1907 and 1908 Glima Champion Johannes Josefsson, and documents by Þorsteinn Einarsson, who was Island’s inspector for sports and traditional games between 1941 and 1981.