An Introduction of Myself, Alexander Ravenna.

My interest in this subject started about 10 years ago. That’s when I began to experiment with making ancient bows. It really started when I as a kid ran around in Rörsjöparken (a park in Malmö, Sweden), shooting with my little fibreglass bow on old beer cans and fanaticised like boys do.
As time passed and all arrows had been shot and lost, and the bow had been altered countless times, it became useless. So my interest waned, I grew up and so on, well you know the story.

After working as a bartender for 17 years, I tired on that life as well and just wanted to become more absorbed in primitive techniques and ways of life. I started buying books and read a lot on the subject about bow and arrow. It made me feel a bit isolated in my pursuits, like there was nobody to discuss the theories with. This changed quickly when I got a support job with Fotevikens Viking re-enactment Village just south of Malmö. It all picked up when I got yet another job at a Viking Village in Hög, north east of Malmö. There I felt like coming home, somehow. I befriended many friendly and skilful people, who above all understood and appreciated my craft interests. There were archaeologists, flint knappers, black smiths, reed roofers, etc. It all gave me additional inspiration and energy to keep developing my different specialties.

In spring 1999, it was time again for another support job through ALU. And what do you know; there at Glimmingehus they were about to start restoration of the ancient reed roofs, needing a handy man. I got the job and got a chance to learn how to lay and bind reed roofs from a professional.

The Stone Age has always been a great source of inspiration to me. Especially for me who live in the southmost of Sweden, which is really littered with archaeological finds amongst the fields, which farmers keep finding when working their land. There are young families who find flint arrowheads when walking the beach and sandy dunes. Personally I can’t help myself gazing along the ploughed furrows, looking for items, especially when living along a peat moss, containing a Bronze Age grave. As time pass, I have developed an interest in other methods, like for instance how to make strong rope from plant and animal fibres; how do I make glue from animal parts; how to tan deer skin using fat; how to make fire with sticks; how to make a flint axe and how to make it work best.
It has been my main interest, to gather information and go out in nature, bring home the materials, create, build, construct and finally learn how to use the tools the way they were meant to be used.
That’s where I am today, feeling that there is no limit to what’s left to do in this field.
Feel free to e-mail me at