They were the vikings and bravest and boldest of them all was the legendary Fforkbeard.
His saga unfolded this week performed by the pupils at Holy Trinity First School whose fantastic shows are also becoming legendary!
This was the tenth performance by the school at The Maltings and the staff are to be congratulated for producing such a professional production from children so young.
The whole show was full of vitality and verve right from the start when the fiercesome vikings (Classes 4 and 5) took the stage with a powerful opening song.
However, these particular vikings are getting a bit fed up with the miserable North Sea weather and are verging on the mutinous.
Their leader, Fforkbeard (James Macfarlane) decides to call for the guardians of the magic lodestone to guide them to sunnier climes. These guardians turn out to be the charming four and five year olds from Class 1 who perform a fast and furious Irish-style dance. Michael Flatley eat your heart out!
The lodestone shows the vikings the way south and they set off with gusto. This is the cue for the viking drums and the drummers (Class 4 boys led by Ben Nicholson) are truly menacing, leaping around the stage to the hypnotic drumming.
Eventually the vikings reach seas they have never seen before and here they encounter the mysteries of the deep as the sea sprites (Class 2) perform a wonderfully co-ordinated and choreographed dance in beautiful, flowing costumes.
Finally the longboat reaches a forested island and the warriors plunge into the steamy vegetation keen to find adventure.
By nightfall they are exhausted from hacking their way through the strange plant life but before they fall asleep they cast their runes and are heartened to find that a victory is predicted.
As they sleep the animals and flowers of the forest dance round them. These are more children from Class 1 who look extremely sweet in their bunny and flower costumes.
The animals try to warn the vikings that danger approaches but they sleep on and are surrounded by braves (Classes 4 and 5). The braves' atmospheric smoke dance and singing are excellent as is all the singing and dancing in the show.
The vikings wake but are devastated to find they have been captured.
With heavy hearts they remember their children playing by the fjords and this is the cue for the nursery children's dance. Some of these children are only three years old but performed with confidence and impressive co-ordination for their age.
The braves threaten to keep the vikings as slaves but are shaken by the appearance of the extremely fierce keeper of the beast (Elliot Payne) who appears to claim Princess Shula for his master.
Fforkbeard, however, steps in to save Shula (Laura McLean) and vows that his bravest warrior will fight and conquer the beast (James Filer).
This brave warrior turns out to be Knutt the dog (Owen Creelie) who bears more than a passing resemblance to Scooby Doo.
He needs to become fit for the fight and very obligingly some fitness trainers appear to knock him into shape. This is Class 3 led by superfit Niall Jones and is a fantastically energetic workout routine.
Puffing and panting, the hapless Knutt tries to keep up with his tongue hanging out and performs a great comic turn to much hilarity.
Meanwhile the little keepers (Class 2 and 3) have located the beast who makes a magnificent and terrifying entrance.
Knutt and the beast are soon locked in battle with the vikings and braves united in cheering them on.
Knutt triumphs, the beast is banished and a great feast is prepared to celebrate the victory.
So the saga ends, but special mention should be given to Fforkbeard (James Macfarlane), Olaf (Liam Guthrie), Ragnar (Ross Bagley), narrators Georgia Punton and Alana Flatman, Keeper (Elliot Payne), Shula (Laura McLean), the Beast (James Filer), braves Hannah Bagley and Jenny Hynes and viking Poppy Izat for their fantastic acting, singing and dancing.
Another special mention should be given to all those parents and staff who made the magnificent costumes and everyone else who worked so hard to produce such a wonderful spectacle.
Appearing on a stage like The Maltings is a great thrill for the pupils (and their proud relatives) and they are fortunate to have a dedicated school staff prepared to put in extra hours to enable them to do so.