Find Your Folklife – Richard Senzig

I’m Norwegian, Swedish, Danish…

…all three of those, and more relatives in Europe than I ever dreamt of before I started to research my genealogy. On my Norwegian side, I went back seven generations, to 1756, to find a direct ancestor from Steinkjer near Trondheim.

The Las Vegas Sons of Norway has a Viking ship replica, and members dress up as Vikings for events like the Renaissance Faire and the Saint Patrick’s Day parade.  As a Viking, I wear a Norman helmet with a chainmail aventail, ring mail, and a padded jacket over a tunic. I was a member of the Wolves of Odin in California before I came here. They’re dedicated to authenticity, and they do living history events.  They said, if it hasn’t been dug out of the ground, you can’t wear it.

Sons of Norway members participate in a lot of cultural events and activities like the Scandinavian Holiday Bazaar, the Syttende Mai picnic, and a very popular lutefisk dinner. Some attend wearing the national costume of Norway which is called bunad. Our members are into Scandinavian music, art, history, food, and all aspects of the culture.

—Richard Senzig, Sons of Norway, Las Vegas