Author: Jacques Privat
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1644114488
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 626
Get Book Here
Book Description
Presents evidence of early Norse settlement in Greenland and North America • Explores in depth how Greenland and its surroundings were inhabited for nearly 5 centuries by two Nordic colonies, Vestri-bygd and Eystri-bygd • Shares extensive evidence from the still-living indigenous oral tradition of the Far North as well as surviving sculptural art to show how the Vikings and the Inuit formed a harmonious community • Examines ancient maps and other cartography, such as the 15th-century Martin Behaim globe, as well as explorers’ records of their voyages Sharing his extensive and meticulous research, Jacques Privat reveals that the Vikings were in Greenland, its neighboring islands, and the eastern shores of Canada long before Columbus. He examines in depth how Greenland and its surroundings were inhabited for nearly five centuries by two Nordic colonies, Vestribygð and Eystribygð, which disappeared mysteriously: one in 1342 and the other in the 16th century. Drawing on the still-living indigenous oral tradition of the Far North, as well as surviving sculptural art carvings, he shows how, far from being constantly at odds with the native population, the Norsemen and the Inuit formed a harmonious community. He reveals how this friendly Inuit-Viking relationship encouraged the Scandinavian settlers to forsake Christianity and return to their pagan roots. Working with ancient European maps and other cartography, such as the 15th-century Martin Behaim globe, as well as explorers’ records of their voyages, the author examines the English, Irish, German, Danish, Flemish, and Portuguese presence in the Far North. He explores how Portugal dominated many seas and produced the first correct cartography of Greenland as an island. He also reveals how Portugal may have been behind the disappearance of the Vikings in Greenland by enslaving them for their European plantations. Dispelling once and for all the theories that the Inuit were responsible for the failure of the Scandinavian colonies of the Far North, the author reveals how, ultimately, the Church opted to cut all ties with the settlements—rather than publicize that a formerly Christian people had become pagan again. When the lands of the Far North were officially “discovered” after the Middle Ages, the Norse colonies had vanished, leaving behind only legends and mysterious ruins.
Author: Dan Bar-el
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1534433457
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Get Book Here
Book Description
Duane the polar bear and the other animals of the very, very far north find their friendships deepening as they are challenged by the arrival of a contentious weasel and an unexpected departure.
Author: Stephen Leacock
Publisher:
ISBN: 2765901503
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 182
Get Book Here
Book Description
Adventurers Of The Far North A Chronicle Of The Frozen Seas which begins with the Elizabethan age moves onto Hearne's and Davis and Mackenzie. Covering the Great Hudson Bay Trading company. Finally it culminates with the tragic tale of John Franklin and the subsequent rescue attempts.
Author: Marie Hermanson
Publisher: Hachette+ORM
ISBN: 1455523887
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 374
Get Book Here
Book Description
A chilling novel of psychological suspense from critically acclaimed and internationally bestselling Swedish author, Marie Hermanson. When Daniel arrives in Himmelstal -- a private Swiss psychiatric facility -- to visit his twin brother Max, he has no idea what's in store for him. He finds himself unquestioningly accepting Max's plea for help and the brothers swap places in order for Max to take care of some business. All he claims to need is a couple of days in the outside world to settle his debt. But soon Daniel realizes Max isn't coming back, and that the clinic is far from a place of recovery. Struggling to get anyone to believe who he really is, Daniel finds himself trapped in a cruel and highly secretive prison: this is no sanctuary, it's a living nightmare . . .
Author: Charles River Charles River Editors
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781506184609
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 56
Get Book Here
Book Description
*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the Vikings' expeditions from medieval sagas *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents Over the centuries, the West has become fascinated by the Vikings, one of the most mysterious and interesting European civilizations. In addition to being perceived as a remarkably unique culture among its European counterparts, what's known and not known about the Vikings' accomplishments has added an intriguing aura to the historical narrative. Were they fierce and fearsome warriors? Were they the first Europeans to visit North America? It seems some of the legends are true, and some are just that, legend. The ubiquitous picture of the Vikings as horn-helmeted, brutish, hairy giants that mercilessly marauded among the settlements of Northern Europe is based on a smattering of fact combined with an abundance of prejudicial historical writing by those who were on the receiving end of Viking depredations. At the same time, much of the popular picture of the Vikings is a result of the romantic imagination of novelists and artists. However, the Vikings' reputation for ferocious seaborne attacks along the coasts of Northern Europe is no exaggeration. It is true that the Norsemen, who traded extensively throughout Europe, often increased the profits obtained from their nautical ventures through plunder, acquiring precious metals and slaves. Of course, the Vikings were not the only ones participating in this kind of income generation; between the 8th and the 11th centuries, European tribes, clans, kingdoms and monastic communities were quite adept at fighting with each other for the purpose of obtaining booty. The Vikings were simply more consistently successful than their contemporaries and thus became suitable symbols for the iniquity of the times. Of course, the military reputation came about because the Vikings were the great mariners and explorers of medieval Europe. While many of their journeys were ones of conquest, they also had a deep love of exploration, and from their homeland in Scandinavia, they traveled as far as North America and became the first Europeans who are known to have set foot on what is now Canada. It was not until 1960 that the actual site of a Viking settlement in Vinland was found. At the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula in Newfoundland, Canada, a small Viking settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows was excavated, with the foundations of three residential halls have been found. These halls would have housed between 70 and 90 people. As well as the sod covered halls, a smithy where nails were made and a small boat repair building have been found. It is believed that this settlement, which may have had as many as 500 inhabitants, is one of two settlements called Straumfjord and Hop mentioned in the Saga of Erik the Red as being his Vinland bases. L'Anse aux Meadows is thought to be the former, and it is believed that Hop was a summer camp perhaps as far south as New Brunswick. The native inhabitants of the New World were called Skrellings by the Vikings, and there is evidence that they engaged in battle with the Beothuks at L'Anse aux Meadows and the Mi'kmaq people further south. While there is still debate over where exactly the Norse settled the land, there is no hard evidence that they ventured further south than Newfoundland, where remains of a settlement have been found. If they had rounded Cape Breton and crossed the Cabot Strait, they would have come to a markedly different environment that would probably have compelled the explorers to come up with a fourth name for the region south of Vinland. The Vikings in North America chronicles the historic voyages the Vikings made to North America and what's known and unknown about their pre-Columbian settlements. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Norse colonization of North America like never before, in no time at all.
Author: William C. Wonders
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0773571329
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 377
Get Book Here
Book Description
Among the many recent developments explored in Canada's Changing North is the legal recognition of aboriginal rights by the Canadian state, which has led directly to significant increases in their political and economic power. It also examines how economic development, which has long focused on non-renewable natural resources, particularly minerals, has grown to an enormous scale. Development of arctic oil and gas, which hinges on world supplies and national and international politics, has meant major changes across the North. Some of the new national parks in the Canadian North are already under threat from mineral development. Northern tourism has made it possible for a wide variety of affluent visitors to visit hitherto remote areas, affecting the ecology. The final selection, on northern challenges, discusses critical issues such as the impact of climatic change, the social needs (e.g. housing, education) of a rapidly increasing aboriginal population, environmental protection of unique regions, and defence of Arctic sovereignty. Of the sixty-two readings in this edition, forty-one are new.
Author: Karen Latchana Kenney
Publisher: Lerner Publications ™
ISBN: 1512468436
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 35
Get Book Here
Book Description
Massive pyramids tower over the Giza Plateau near Cairo, Egypt. Built in the Bronze Age, these immense stone structures were engineered with remarkable precision. How did the ancient Egyptians construct them without the use of modern tools? Why were they built? Throughout the centuries, historians and archaeologists have studied the pyramids and other Egyptian artifacts in search of possible answers to these questions. The pyramids are filled with mysterious doors and passageways—what other secrets and treasures might lie inside? Find out more about the myths, science, and technology surrounding the creation and exploration of the Egyptian pyramids.
Author: Vilhjalmur Stefansson
Publisher: DigiCat
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Get Book Here
Book Description
DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Unsolved Mysteries of the Arctic" by Vilhjalmur Stefansson. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.
Author: Karen Latchana Kenney
Publisher: ABDO
ISBN: 1680772449
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 51
Get Book Here
Book Description
Get closer to solving the mystery of the sphinx with this riveting title. Learn about leading theories, important clues, and study the evidence to develop your on conclusions about the building, purpose, and age of this statue.
Author: Will Hobbs
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 006196364X
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 234
Get Book Here
Book Description
From the window of the small floatplane, fifteen-year-old Gabe Rogers is getting his first look at Canada's magnificent Northwest Territories with Raymond Providence, his roommate from boarding school. Below is the spectacular Nahanni River -- wall-to-wall whitewater racing between sheer cliffs and plunging over Virginia Falls. The pilot sets the plane down on the lake-like surface of the upper river for a closer look at the thundering falls. Suddenly the engine quits. The only sound is a dull roar downstream, as the Cessna drifts helplessly toward the falls . . . With the brutal subarctic winter fast approaching, Gabe and Raymond soon find themselves stranded in Deadmen Valley. Trapped in a frozen world of moose, wolves, and bears, two boys from vastly different cultures come to depend on each other for their very survival.
