Incas in Norway !

[MiloMorai]

Originally posted by Angus
Has been mentioned, but at the time the Vikings were hands down the explorers of the world as well as already in America.

Some Chinese might disagree with you Angus.

[Shuckins]

Angus,

The viking from Norway who went to Istanbul a thousand years ago to serve in the Varangian Guard of the Sultan....?

Are you referring to Harald Hardraada?  If so, he served in the Varangian Guard of the Christian Emperor of Constantinople, which wasn't known as Istanbul....at least not at that time.

What woman were you talking about asa the mostly widely traveled in the world?

Regards, Shuckins

[Angus]

The man in question was "Kolskeggur Hámundarson" from the region of Fljótshlíð, some couple of miles away. He left the country after very dramatic events in the 10th and 11th century.
The lady was Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir. She lived 3 years in America, and was the first known mother of a child from caucasian origin. However, steady scruffles with the natives lead to them leaving.
But there were many more travels known of, and presumably many many more not known of.
Fascinating stuff.
BTW, she is my ancestor. Born in 980, an my generation from her is the 26th
(Oh, the family tree goes further, muhahaha)

[Angus]

Linkie:
http://www.fva.is/~vinland/english/englishindex.html

[Hortlund]

Originally posted by Angus

BTW, she is my ancestor. Born in 980, an my generation from her is the 26th
(Oh, the family tree goes further, muhahaha)

How did you trace so far? Here in Sweden it is almost impossible to trace further back than 14-15th century. Unless you are a royal.

[Angus]

We eat the royals for breakfast
(Oh, actually no, I'm one of them)

It is possible because of unique data available from the Saga times. Things registered survived to this day. I think that the fact that we never had any particular land warfare helped somewhat, as well as the effort of some historians of old.
Then the whole data was gathered for some genetic research, - the genepool was very "clean" for a very long time, and not overly big.
(well, you have some French fishermen and Danish Gentry floating about etc etc)
The firm (DECODE) is now busy linking all sorts of diseases and failiures to genes, - quite a thing in the medical world.
Anyway, a sideproject was the opening of the database (limited) to the public. So, once you have your keyword, you can trace yourself back to almost anybody of old fame, - i.e. how you are related to this and that one.
I am a descendant of Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir, however only related to Kolskeggur through his grandfather. (He is registered in the books as Helgi Hámundarson, however referred to as Kolskeggur in Njáls-Saga, - the mother of all books as we say!)
He actually travelled to Istanbul as a Væringi, then returned and settled in Norway untill his death.
Seems to have been a very regular transport into russia and down to the med in those days, as well as some winters spent in America.
BTW, in one of the most famous fight in Njáls-Saga, 3 Brothers against some 30 who ambushed them, Gunnar Hámundarson benefitted from a very good defensive point and a good bow. The brothers slew 14 of the enemy, and the rest fled, while one of the brothers fell.
The skeletons along with other artifacts were discovered late in the 19th century, including a bowring (for the finger not to be hurt) with a carved-in picture of deer. Origin: The huns, who made the finest bows in the world at the time. Apparantly it came from a loot that was caught in a Viking vs Pirate engagement in the Baltic, by Gunnr himself.
So, they were all over the place, absolutely interesting stuff!

[68ROX]

Around the year 800, a Welsh prince, so far down his line of heirs that he knew would inherit little land, asked his father for a ship instead so he could go out and find his own fortune.  The King granted his wish, and within a year the prince and his small crew set off and were never seen or heard from again.

In the early 1800's, land surveyors were mapping what is now the state of Missouri when they came across a tribe of local Indians.  As usual, they expected to have language problems when asking for directions and questions about local lands, but the very fair skinned natives had no problems communicating with the surveyor.

One of the surveyers was Welsh, and immediately noticed that their language was half Welsh and half local native.

Also:

In the early 1700's, settlers in New Hampshire and Maine found what they called "Indian Rock Houses".  Scientists in the late 1970's confirmed that the architecture of these stone dwellings were indeed NOT North American Indian, but were Minoan.

The Minoans were a culture that thrived in the central Mediteranian around 1,000 BC.


As for DeSoto:

Hernando DeSoto was the first European to set foot in Hot Springs, AR.  His men enjoyed the mountains and hot springs so much they stayed for six months.

DeSoto and his men wandered throughout Arkansas for many months mapping and exploring the area before Hernando died (possibly of malaria from mosquito bites in the bayous of south central Arkansas) and DeSoto was "buried at sea" in the Mississippi River, south of what is now Memphis.

68ROX

[straffo]

Originally posted by Angus
...
Then the whole data was gathered for some genetic research, - the genepool was very "clean" for a very long time...

Iceland == land of teh clones !


back to the c++ nightmare I'm supposed to cleanup

[Viking]

Originally posted by Angus
BTW, 1000 years ago, a guy from the neighbourhood went to Istanbul and served for the Sultan. "Væringi". Just like that.

That’s pretty cool! Istanbul was known as Constantinople back then, and was for a period captured by Swedish Vikings who came down from Russia (they called it Miklagard (The Great City)). They got a ransom from the Sultan for not sacking Constantinople and journeyed on to Baghdad. Many Swedish/Rus Vikings would later work as mercenaries for the Sultan.

Interestingly the Vikings were directly responsible for creating the nations of Russia (they founded the first Russian state near Kiev, and the “Rus” in “Russia” comes from the Slavic word for Viking), France through the conquest/absorption of Normandy, England since they were in turn conquered by the Normans, Ireland through conquest and settlement (The Irish capital Dublin was founded by Vikings) and Iceland through settlement.

The Viking Timeline
789 - Vikings begin their attacks on England.
800 - The Oseberg Viking longship is buried about this time
840 - Viking settlers found the city of Dublin in Ireland.
844 - A Viking raid on Seville is repulsed.
860 - Rus Vikings attack Constantinople (Istanbul).
862 - Novgorod in Russia is founded by the Rus Viking, Ulrich.
866 - Danish Vikings establish a kingdom in York, England.
871 - Alfred the Great becomes king of Wessex; the Danish advance is halted in England.
872 - Harald I gains control of Norway.
879 - Rurik establishes Kiev as the center of the Kievan Rus' domains.
886 - Alfred divides England with the Danes under the Danelaw pact.
900 - The Vikings raid along the Mediterranean coast.
911 - The Viking chief Rollo is granted land by the Franks and founds Normandy in France.
941 - Rus Vikings attack Constantinople (Istanbul).
981 - Viking leader Erik the Red discovers Greenland.
986 - Viking ships sail in Newfoundland waters.
991 - Æthelred II pays the first Danegeld ransom to stop Danish attacks on England.
995 - Olav I conquers Norway and proclaims it a Christian kingdom.
1000 - Christianity reaches Greenland and Iceland.
1000 - Leif Eriksson, son of Erik the Red, explores the coast of North America.
1000 - Olav I dies; Norway is ruled by the Danes.
1002 - Brian Boru defeats the Norse and becomes the king of Ireland.
1010 - Viking explorer Thorfinn Karlsefni attempts to found a settlement in North America.
1013 - The Danes conquer England; Æthelred flees to Normandy.
1015 - Vikings abandon the Vinland settlement on the coast of North America.
1016 - Olav II regains Norway from the Danes.
1016 - The Danes under Knut (Canute) rule England.
1028 - Knut (Canute), king of England and Denmark, conquers Norway.
1042 - Edward the Confessor rules England with the support of the Danes.
1050 - The city of Oslo is founded in Norway.
1066 - Harold Godwinson king of England defeats Harald Hardrada king of Norway at the Battle of Stamford Bridge
1066 - William duke of Normandy defeats the Saxon king Harold at the Battle of Hastings.

Originally posted by MiloMorai
Some Chinese might disagree with you Angus.

The (now) famous Chinese explorations were done in the 14th and 15th centuries half a millennia after the Viking Age. The Chinese didn’t make proper sea going (as opposed to costal) ships until the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

[Angus]

Mikligarður = Istanbul. Konstantinopel.
Then there is Kænugarður (Kæna means boat) - that is Kiev!

And then comes a bone to pick on. One of my ancestors is also Ólafur "Pá" Höskuldsson. His mother was from Ireland, - Höskuldur fell in love with her and bought her free when he was doing his "Viking" TOD in Norway.
Her ancestry is quite a go

Will be back later, got a job to do.

[Shuckins]

The three great protagonists in the events of 1066 in England were all of Norse ancestry.

Harald Hardraada was the king of Norway.  Harold Godwinson was of Danish ancestry, his father having served both Canute the Great and King Edward the Confessor.  Willim Bastard of Normandy was descended from the viking chief Rolf the Ganger who was given lands on the Norman coast by the King of France.

Harald Hardraada was the most famous warrior in Christendom, having been the leader of the Varangian guard in Constantinople, where he amassed great wealth before returning to Norway.  

Invading England in September of 1066, He devastated the forces of Earls Edwin and Morcar at the Battle of Gate Fulford, before receiving the submission of the city of York.  Harold Godwinson, king of England, marched the core of his army the two-hundred miles from London to York in nine days, and surprised the Norwegians at Stamford Bridge.

Historians have called the Battle of Stamford Bridge one of the most decisive battles of the middle ages.  It spelled the end of large scale viking invasions and conquests.  Of the 7,000 to 10,000 men which Hardraada had brought to England on 400 ships, only enough survived to man 24 ships to return to Norway.

Three days later, Harold Godwineson learned that William Bastard's forces had landed at Hastings.  Harold then repeated his rapid 200 mile march to London, where he rested his elite household troops (huscarles) and gathered reinforcements.  He then made a rapid three day march to the coast, hoping to bar the only road leading out of the Hastings peninsula, and pin William against the sea.

The Battle of Hastings on October 14, was long and bloody, with the Norman army unable to break the English shield wall until the sun was setting at the end of the day.  English resolve was only broken when Harold Godwinson was struck down by a "chance blow" according to Norman sources.  The Bayeux Tapestry shows Harold being struck down by an arrow in the eye.

One of the best historical novels ever written is The Golden Warrior, by Hope Muntz.

[Xasthur]

Here is the explanation

[Angus]

Had England not been invaded at 2 locations in the same time, Hastings would not have been lost.
Just a matter of days really, - armies gathering and organizing.
Almot 900 years later the LW tried a stab in the style, (1940), and failed, - horribly.