About twenty years ago the group Telge Glima was founded in Södertälje, 30 min south of Stockholm, Sweden. The founders came together with a mutual interest in history and an interest to practice and show old sports and games. In the year 2010 they are celebrating their 20 th anniversary in several different ways.

The cultural-society Telge Glima base its activities on performing and
instructing the public in old nordic games and sports. They have travelled around in all of scandinavia as well as many other european countries with their shows. On open-air museums, like Skansen in Stockholm or Old Linköping, they dress up like peasants were dressed 150 years ago and perform with games like ”Badger the Bear”, ”Hitting the Jug” or ”Master of the circle”. Other times they perform in Vikning or Medival festvials with even older games, like leaping backwards, different tug of war games and sometimes the viking way of wrestling- ”Glima”.

The games are usually very easy to perform and play and only require the own body, a rope, a stick or some other everyday tools. With these simple means you can practice hundreds of different games and sports that tests your agility, swiftness, strength, hardness and flexibility, for yourself, against others or in groups. Some of the games are more violent than others but the most games each and everyone can try themselves.

The group also performs for bachelor- and hen party’s, for private companies and private gatherings for their employees to compete in, practice and try out for them selves, participating in competitions.

Telge Glima has about 25 members with differnt backgrounds, there are blacksmiths, chiropractors, busdrivers, webdesigners, firefighters, computer salesmen, art designers and many more. What they all have in common, is the love of combining history with bruises! And they really encourage fun and games, curiosity for our past and our forgotten cultural heritage (games and sports from the old ages) and also for friendly and playful competition.

In the year 2003 some of the members went to a vikingfestival in Waco, Texas. On the way home a plan was taking form. The group should make a journey in their anscestors tracks in north america.

Today that journey is becoming reality, in september of 2010 the group will travel around in USA, meet friends of scandinavia and perform with their shows. We will start our tour at Scanfest in Vasapark NY september 5th and contiune to Philadelphia, Delaware-area, Chicago and Minnesota. If you are having a scandinavian festival or any other other activities going on you are free to invite us. We´ll perform as long as you can provide us with a place to sleep and something to eat.

www.telgeglima.com