AUBURN – Vikings aren’t all about gore and bloodshed, but they did take down a group of Vietnam War soldiers Sunday at HistoryFest at the National Military History Center in Auburn.
Time periods were blurred when groups of warriors engaged in a mock battle. Despite the difference in weapons, the young Vikings dominated the U.S. soldiers in a quick, almost effortless, manner.
“Next time you come on my land, you will make sure to pay homage to me,” Viking leader Oddlog Robertson bellowed as he stood over their fallen bodies.
“It’s just a flesh wound!” a soldier called out.
More than 200 re-enactors set up camp around a pond for the two-day event, portraying the life and times of soldiers in their eras and conflicts. Camps included Viking warriors, U.S. Civil War soldiers, German World War II soldiers and U.S. forces in Vietnam.
Families made their way up and down the pond, watching weapons demonstrations, learning about military history and seeing how each time period affected the combatants who lived through it.
“I absolutely enjoyed the day,” said Frank Hoffman, 43. “This is neat.”
Hoffman brought his two sons, Oskar, 9, and Otto, 12. The three particularly enjoyed learning about the weapons used by each group.
Re-creating historical events requires time, dedication and a lot of information. For Mike Piland, 43, who portrays Oddlog Robertson with Vikings NA, authenticity is essential to all re-enactments.
“Hollywood’s built up the blood and the guts,” Piland said. “Vikings were actually kind of a gentle people.”
Members of the group must pass an authenticity test before they can do anything in front of the public.
Everything from their clothes to their weapons to the food they eat has to check out with the proper historical research.
“For our group, authenticity is 100 percent,” Piland said. “If you can’t find it in a saga or a museum or a dig, you can’t use it.”
Re-enactors vary in age and profession, but they share a common passion for history and knowledge. Some are military veterans; others are kids such as 10-year-old Max Giesler.
“A few years ago I started liking history because I found out about it in my ancestry,” Giesler said. “That’s what got me started.”
This was Giesler’s second event with the 44th Indiana Civil War Historical Association. After going to a few re-enactments, he took part in his first event last weekend. For now, he’s a powder monkey, carrying powder to the cannons for the artillery.
“He is really interested in Civil War history, so we just started going to some of the events and he really wanted to participate,” said Max’s mom, Lisa Giesler. “It’s just kind of his thing.”
