Seniors Erik Patton and Genoa Scott traveled to Minot, North Dakota last weekend for Hostfest. The largest Scandinavian heritage festival in North America featured more than 200 Nordic artists, craftsmen and chefs from around the country.

Patton and his family have attended the festival for the past seven years. This year his older brothers competed in live steel combat. Unlike the battles of the Renaissance Fair, Patton emphasized, these fights “aren’t choreographed.”

What is more, the competitors use real steel weapons. “It’s kind of unrealistic” Patton admitted. “In the Viking age, steel was worth its weight in silver. A sword is about the price of a lamborghini.” A more economical option would have been the ax, which cost about as much as a Ford pickup truck. It is Patton’s preferred weapon.

This is not child’s play. The re-enactors are required to wear helmets for protection. One can begin training at 16, but can’t compete for show until they turn 18.

Patton became eligible only two months ago, so he didn’t partake in combat. Instead, he educated festival go-ers about the Norwegian alphabet and burned runes into wooden swords for enthusiastic kids.

“I’m very Norsk,” he said. “The Vikings are the coolest part of the Norsk culture. The food is bland, if you know what Lutefisk is.”

Before his re-enactment career began, he watched the Vikings from a distance. “It started when I was nine,” he recounted. “I was doing Scandinavian folk dancing and whenever I was at an event, the Viking people would always be there. I always liked them.”

Patton’s dancing career petered out in high school, but his re-enactment career is budding. He is employed by the Minnesota Vikings as a field re-enactor at the home games. Look for him at the new stadium, the  Festival of Nations and Scandinavian Summerfest in the upcoming year.