Author: David M. Krueger
Publisher: U of Minnesota Press
ISBN: 1452945438
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 181
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Book Description
What do our myths say about us? Why do we choose to believe stories that have been disproven? David M. Krueger takes an in-depth look at a legend that held tremendous power in one corner of Minnesota, helping to define both a community’s and a state’s identity for decades. In 1898, a Swedish immigrant farmer claimed to have discovered a large rock with writing carved into its surface in a field near Kensington, Minnesota. The writing told a North American origin story, predating Christopher Columbus’s exploration, in which Viking missionaries reached what is now Minnesota in 1362 only to be massacred by Indians. The tale’s credibility was quickly challenged and ultimately undermined by experts, but the myth took hold. Faith in the authenticity of the Kensington Rune Stone was a crucial part of the local Nordic identity. Accepted and proclaimed as truth, the story of the Rune Stone recast Native Americans as villains. The community used the account as the basis for civic celebrations for years, and advocates for the stone continue to promote its validity despite the overwhelming evidence that it was a hoax. Krueger puts this stubborn conviction in context and shows how confidence in the legitimacy of the stone has deep implications for a wide variety of Minnesotans who embraced it, including Scandinavian immigrants, Catholics, small-town boosters, and those who desired to commemorate the white settlers who died in the Dakota War of 1862. Krueger demonstrates how the resilient belief in the Rune Stone is a form of civil religion, with aspects that defy logic but illustrate how communities characterize themselves. He reveals something unique about America’s preoccupation with divine right and its troubled way of coming to terms with the history of the continent’s first residents. By considering who is included, who is left out, and how heroes and villains are created in the stories we tell about the past, Myths of the Rune Stone offers an enlightening perspective on not just Minnesota but the United States as well.
Author: Erik Wahlgren
Publisher: Madison : University of Wisconsin Press
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 272
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Book Description
Controversy about the so-called Kensington stone, found in Minnesota in 1898 - whether it is an authentic Rune stone left by Pre-Columbian explorers from Scandinavia.
Author: Richard Nielsen
Publisher: Outernet Pub.
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 618
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Book Description
The Kensington Rune Stone has been the subject of passionate debate over its authenticity since it was discovered in the roots of a tree near Kensington, Minnesota, by Olof Ohman in 1898. Through the presentation of compelling new evidence this book answers the many nagging questions that have eluded investigators for over 100 years. Much of this new evidence is truly startling and has led to the understanding of not only who carved the stone, but where they came from and why the came to North America. Co-authors geologist Scott Wolter and engineer Richard Nielsen present the evidence of their collective 25 years of research on the artifact. The results of their research present a compelling and convincing case. The Kensington Rune Stone: Compelling New Evidence is both a forensic inquisition and engaging mystery. As an easy-to-follow reference source, it's the must-have guide for making an informed decision about the evidence surrounding one of the most famous inscriptions in North America. As the scientific community's own Da Vinci Code, this book is poised to expose the clash of scientific ideology, politics and academia - while distilling the truth into one clear, but spellbinding, tome. - Publisher.
Author: Robert Anderson Hall
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780917496202
Category : Kensington Rune Stone
Languages : en
Pages : 109
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Book Description
Author: Alice Beck Kehoe
Publisher: Waveland Press
ISBN: 1478609257
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 113
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Book Description
In 1898, a farmer in northwestern Minnesota unearthed a large stone engraved with what appeared to be Norse runes carved in 1362. Could medieval Scandinavians have penetrated deep into mainland North America over a century before Columbus discovered the New World? Does the stone provide evidence that forces a rewrite of American history, or was it merely a well-executed hoax? In the absence of written records documenting a Norse expedition into Minnesota, most historians have dismissed the Kensington Runestone as a forgery. However, Kehoe approaches the question holistically. She examines not only historical and literary evidence, but also brings in data from archaeology, geology, linguistics, and biological anthropology. She concludes that the stones authenticity should not be dismissed as readily as it has been so far, even if that means re-thinking deeply ingrained ideas about contact between Europeans and indigenous Americans.
Author: Larry Millett
Publisher: U of Minnesota Press
ISBN: 0816677042
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 338
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Book Description
Hired by the king of Sweden to authenticate an odd stone unearthed by a Minnesota farmer, Sherlock Holmes soon finds himself investigating theft and murder as well.
Author: Gordon Campbell
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198861559
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 268
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Book Description
Tracking the saga of the Norse across the North Atlantic to America, this book sets the record straight about the idea that the Vikings 'discovered' America. The journey described is a continuum, with evidence-based history and archaeology at one end, and fake history and outright fraud at the other. In between there lies a huge expanse of uncertainty: sagas that may contain shards of truth and characters that may be partly historical
Author: Minnesota Historical Society Museum Com
Publisher: Franklin Classics
ISBN: 9780341715641
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 86
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Book Description
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Author: Norman K. Risjord
Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society
ISBN: 9780873515320
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 300
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Book Description
A grand tour of the North Star State's geographical, political, and human history, including travelers' guides to historic destinations.
Author: Theodore C. Blegen
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780873515399
Category : Kensington Rune Stone
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
"Few questions in American history," writes Theodore C. Blegen, "have stirred so much curiosity or provoked such extended discussions as that of the authenticity of the runic inscription on a stone found near Kensington, Minnesota, in 1898." Swedish-American farmer Olof Ohman discovered the stone clasped in the roots of an aspen tree on a knoll above the surrounding swamp. His young son was the first to notice the strange letters chiseled into the rock face. Since then historians, geologists and runic scholars have entered the debate over the age and meaning of these carvings. Are they genuine 14th-century runes, evidence of a pre-Columbian Viking expedition to North America, or are they a clever 19th-century hoax? In this classic volume, Blegen untangles the circumstances surrounding the unearthing of the Kensington Rune Stone. Marshalling letters, affidavits, newspaper accounts and investigative reports, he lays out in authoritative detail the early history of this controversial artifact and investigates the background and character of Olof Ohman and other men involved in its discovery. He also describes the first cycles of investigation and dispute and devotes a chapter to the role of Hjalmar R. Holand, who acquired the stone in 1907 and was its chief defender until his death in 1963. Fourteen appendixes offer useful primary source materials and supply English translations where needed. This lucid text, together with its footnotes and appendixes, remains a cornerstone for further investigation and discussion.
