Hot Nerd Girl

Tag: Vikingfest

  • Oh my Odin! It’s Vikingfest! 2012 Edition

    I’ll admit it. I’m a festival nut.

    I’m a proud American made up of German, Norwegian, Danish, English, Irish and Bohemian parts (or as I like to call myself, a “Euro Mutt”). I also get mistaken for a crapload of other ethnicities as well. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked if I’m Eastern European, Greek, Israeli, Italian, Hispanic, yadda, yadda, yadda. For some reason random strangers really like to speculate about my ethnicity. I get asked at the grocery store, by people walking by on the street, I even got asked by a lady in the public bathroom at a baseball game once. Which is kind of weird but kind of cool at the same time.

    So I can pretty much fit in at any festival there is.

    I’ve been known to attend Chinese New Years, Renaissance Faires, Asian Music Festivals, and various Reenactments, but I mostly frequent Oktoberfest (I actually really dig polka dancing. That’s cool…….right?), the Scottish Highland Games (my step-dad is Scottish), and Viking Fest.

    Since relocating to San Diego in 2011, this is my 2nd time going to the Vista Viking Festival. I wrote about it last year as well which you can check out HERE.

    Here are some pics from Vikingfest 2012:

    Me and my Norwegian Mama.

    aka Mama Jedi

    Pretty Vista, CA sky.

    I take A LOT of sky pictures

    Cosplaying at Vikingfest. You’re doing it wrong.

    I just…I have no words.

    Cosplaying at Vikingfest. You’re doing it right!

    Valkyrie WIN!

    Old school silversmithing.

    Yay for child labor!

    Mmmmm….beer.

    My Scottish step-dad with his Pict paint

    Mmmm…..akvavit.

    That’s my good friend Brett. He’s the one who zombifies my pictures for me.

    We drank two of these in a row. They were surprisingly potent for such little shots.

    Skål!

    The result:

    By the throwing axes. We probably should have stayed away from that section at that point in time.

    But we found a super awesome horned vampire skull mug!

    Still trying to figure out what kind of critter this is supposed to be

    Introducing Brett to the wonder that is lefse.

    lefse-klenning

    Brett approves.

    nom nom nom

    I can eat lefse all day, every day and be perfectly happy.

    nom nom nom

    No really, I seriously love the stuff.

    nom nom nom

    A festival favorite, this is the 3rd time I’ve seen Highland Way. They’re a lot of fun. Here they are joined by The Lacemakers.

    Both are technically Celtic bands. Apparently there aren’t many Viking bands in San Diego.

    Some SCA combat.

    Not gonna lie, it was pretty badass

    And last but not least….it’s Ghost!

    Friendliest. Direwolf. Ever.

    On to the next festival!

  • Oh my Odin! It’s Vikingfest!

    Yay!  My computer has been on the fritz since I moved and I’ve been relying on my friends and family for computer access (hence the lack of blog posts).  But I now have a brand spankin’ new power supply and I’m back up and running bitches! 

    *sigh*

    My life is once again complete.

    On to the fun stuff…Vikingfest!

    Be afraid. Be very afraid.

    Because I’m way prouder of my heritage than any decendant of rapists and pillagers should be, I decided that it would be fun to go to Vikingfest not one, but two days over the weekend. That, and I’ve been deprived of lefse for far too long and one days worth simply wasn’t enough.

    Mmmmmmm….lefse….

    I am lucky enough to have a double dose of viking blood from both the Norwegians and the Danes. I wrote a bit about growing up Norwegian while reviewing Thor but there’s more to it than mythology.  There’s the fact that we (and by we, I mean Leif Ericson) discovered America 500 years before the rest of Europe (suck it Columbus).  You know that Bluetooth gizmo that all the douchebags never take out of their ears? It’s named after Harald Bluetooth who was King of Denmark and Norway in the late 900’s.  The Bluetooth symbol?  His initials in Nordic runes. Dannebrog, the flag of Denmark, is the oldest flag still in modern use and was sent to King Valdemar II by God himself (I’m just going to assume that this legend is true) during the Battle of Lyndanisse.  It’s so awesome that the design was stolen by Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland.

    Yes, I’m a history nerd…though not of the caliber that my friend Pete is. Seriously, don’t try to out-fact him, he’ll kick your ass every time.

    Going back to Vikingfest 2011. It’s kind of like a Renaissance Faire only with women dressed as Valkyrie instead of wenches. Uhmmmm, more awesome much?!

    Here are some pics from Vikingfest:

    A chick warrior!!  I gotta give her props because that armor was ridiculously heavy.

    Pretty sure she can kick my ass

     A traditional Viking tent dwelling.

    I could get used to this

    Party in Valhalla!

    I'm totally wearing this the next time I go grocery shopping

    I got the Danish from my Dad and the Norwegian from myMom.  We have epic “uff da” vs. “oof dah” battles.

    The woman who taught me how to make lefse

    Testing equipment with Don, one of my parental units.

    He's Scottish but I like him anyway

    Norwegian recliner.

    It's more comfortable than it looks

     My new kitchen towel knows what’s up.

    You've been warned

    The Dread Crew of Oddwood is a pirate “heavy mahogany” rock band.  I didn’t know you could play heavy metal without electricity until I saw them.  (oh, and nice hat dude in the front row).

    Fellow rapists and pillagers

    And last, but not least, my favorite t-shirt ever.

    Epic win

    Next month there’s a jousting competition and a Scottish festival. I’m not Scottish (does a touch of Irish count?) but I dig a man in a kilt so you can bet your sporran that I’ll be there.