Here’s a letter from a reader of The Scotsman, published in Edinburgh. Not only are Norse surnames and place names common in the Western Isles but many of the words used in island Gaelic conversations are borrowed from Old Norse. This particularly appertains to words relating to boats and seafaring. Some examples are: Sula (Norse), Sulaire [...]
Archive for the ‘Vikings’ Category
This afternoon I finished reading my first Michael Crichton book, who is famous now for starting the Jurassic Park series and the television show ER. The book, Eaters of the Dead, is about the experiences of an outsider, perhaps an Arab, among a group of Vikings. Years after he wrote it, the book became the [...]
I am reading Viking, published by DK. There’s all sorts of interesting historical tidbits, including this one: The Arab chronicler Ibn Fadhlan saw a Viking chieftain’s funeral in Russia in 922. The dead man was dressed in beautiful clothes and seated in the ship, surrounded by drinks, food, and weapons, Then various animals and finally a woman were killed and laid in the [...]
