“Hi! Where are you from?”



I hate the “Mystery Viking.”



The Mystery Viking is an ancient tradition at the annual Norsk Høstfest in Minot, North Dakota.

The idea is that when you’ve got a bunch of Scandinavians all together, there’s likely to be little or no actual social interaction going on, unless money is to be had.

So somebody is designated “the Mystery Viking.” This unidentified volunteer wanders the halls, waiting for someone to walk up to him (or her) and say, “Hi! Where are you from?” Those are the magic words. The Mystery Viking is authorized to award this person 100 dollars.

That’s how it’s supposed to work.

But in fact, of course, since you’re dealing with Scandinavians, comprehension comes slowly, if at all. People hear about the “Mystery Viking” and think, “I need to go up to someone dressed as a Viking, and ask him where he’s from.” So we Vikings get approached by scores of strangers every day, drawn to us solely by their keen love of… money.

This is only one of the soul-searing trials that face me as I venture out to Høstfest again this year. I’ll be gone all next week. I’ll be doing limited posts, if any, depending on how the WiFi’s working in Copenhagen Hall.

We don’t know how the festival will go this year, in the wake of the devastating flooding the city has seen. A friend who lives in Minot told me the people are pretty exhausted, but he also thinks they need some diversion. Accommodations look to be a challenge (though we Vikings are taken care of).

So if you’re in the area, stop in and say hello. Just remember not to ask where I’m from.

I’m generally armed when playing Viking at Høstfest.