Glima

Glima

Glima ( isl. Glíma ) - the Old Norse wrestling that already existed in the time of the Vikings and survived to our days in Iceland , where it is considered a national sport.

There are descriptions of glymes in several Icelandic sagas , for example, in the Grettir Saga and the Olav Trygvason Saga.

The principle of equal opportunities was at the heart of the glymes, so the rivals captured the body of the enemy with the same fixed grip. At the same time, the opponent’s belt or belt around the waist was captured with the right hand, and the pants on the thigh with his left hand. The body should have been in a straightened position. The right leg was exposed a little forward.

Standing in a stand, the fighters tried to throw the enemy, or, unbalancing him, knock him down to the ground. During the fight rivals moved in small dancing steps. The loser was also considered the one who first tore the seizure or touched the ground with any part of the body, except the legs.

Before the start of the bout, the fighters, holding their forearms, shook hands, thereby pledging to fight honestly, with no intention of killing or crippling their opponent. If any of the fighters committed any action that violated the rules of glymes ( nid ), they could have declared him nieding, that is, an outcast.

Punches and kicks were forbidden, falling on the enemy.

In the old days, glime was usually practiced in the summer in an open, level place. However, in winter, the fighters could hold a duel in a room with a trampled earth floor, lined with straw.

In Old Norse literature, other forms of struggle were sometimes called Glima.

At present, the wrestlers of glymes put on special belts that replace the spacious clothing, which in the old days made it possible to firmly grip the enemy. In contrast to the Glimae of the Viking Age, it is not enough for the enemy to touch the earth with a hand or a knee right now to win. The winner is only the one who makes the opponent touch the ground with his thigh, buttocks, chest, back or head.

In 1912, at the Olympic Games held in Stockholm , demonstration meetings were held on glime.