Viking-obsessed brothers building ‘full immersion’ Valhalla oasis in Montana mountains: report
Move over Thor.
Two brothers with an affinity for Norse history have transformed their Montana woodlands property into a Scandinavian oasis where the two live as Vikings.
With braided beards and clad in tunics, construction workers Andy and Nick Bertrand sit atop hand-crafted thrones that will one day become the centerpiece of their fantasy village, or what they call “Valhalla.”
“Our father will sometimes ask us if we’re ever going to grow out of this phase,” Andy told the Flathead Beacon in an interview.
“And I’m always like, ‘I’m all the way grown up, I’m at the adult part of life, and it’s only going to get more and more like this.’”
The twins, who own Bertrand Brothers Landscaping & Construction, are putting their craftsmanship skills to the test to build dozens of Viking-style buildings throughout their 30-acre property.
When completed, Valhalla will have a giant mead hall and several Nordic-inspired cabins that will be used as short-term rentals, as well as stone runes and carved relics.
The goal is to erect a year-round Celtic festival, Andy and Nick told the outlet.
The village will also intertwine with a modern take on the Middle Ages — the self-described John Ronald Reuel Tolkien-nerds, who share a birthday with Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, will designate a space on the property for Hobbiton-style in-ground homes.
“It would be fun to share it with everybody and have a place where people can really dive into the Nordic and Viking culture. We’re looking for it to be a full immersion experience, a full step away from the modern world,” said Nick.
The twins estimate it will take a decade to see their “lifetime project” come to fruition.
Sitting side by side, the tall wooden thrones are the only structures erected on the sprawling property so far, surrounded by fox furs, Viking helmets, a warrior’s axe and various animal skulls with Celtic knots carved into them.
“We’re never simply living in the modern world,” Andy said. “It’s just not interesting enough for us.”
