Viking Magazine - February 2018 - 27

in 1567 and spread from there. It's likely
pastors introduced potatoes to Norway. It
was common for pastors around Europe
to grow spuds on the grounds of their
parsonage.
10. A. Battle of Stiklestad Olaf II
Haraldsson was killed by a peasant
army in the Battle of Stiklestad in which
he attempted to reconquer Norway.
Previously, Olaf - who ruled Norway
from 1016 to 1028 - was forced to flee to
Russia in 1028 after the king of England
and Denmark won the support of leading
chieftains in Norway. Today, the battle
is known as one of the most famous
in ancient Norse history. Olaf was later
declared a saint after rumors circulated
about miracles following his death.
11. C. 1120 In 1120, King Øystein
commissioned the first Rorbu cabins to be
built in Lofoten as housing for fishermen
during the fishing season. The simple
cabins were built on poles sticking out of
the sea for easy access
to rowing boats.
Traditionally,
they consisted
of two rooms,
a storage
room for
food and
equipment,
and one
for living and
sleeping. The cabins
were painted red because red fish
oil was the cheapest and
most common paint.
12. A. Dec. 14, 1911 On Dec. 14, 1911,
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen
was the first person to reach the South
Pole. Before this expedition, Amundsen
was first mate on the first trip to winter
in the Antarctic, and in 1903, he became
the first navigator to lead a ship through
the Northwest Passage and around the
Canadian coast. Amundsen set sail for
the South Pole in June 1910 - successfully
beating out English explorer
Robert F. Scott to be the
first to reach the landmark.
13. D. 15 knots Under ideal conditions,
Viking longships could average speeds
of 15 knots (17mph) using a sail. The
traditional wooden ships were optimized
for speed, strength and cargo space,
typically ranging from 23 to 30 meters
long, and could carry 30 to 300 people,
depending on the size ship. The ships had
a large square sail constructed of woven
wool. Thanks to a shallow keel, the ships
could navigate rivers and were easy to
maneuver.
14. B. 879 and 920 Between the years
of 879 and 920, the Vikings colonized
Iceland - which eventually led to Erik the
Red settling in Greenland. The Vikings
cut down and burned trees upon arriving
in Iceland to make room for farming -
clearing out much of the country's trees
in a short amount of time. Complicating
matters, ash from Iceland's volcanoes
settled on top of the ground, making the
soil unstable.
15. A. Cod Norwegian Arctic cod (skrei)
migrate to the warmer waters off the
Lofoten Islands to spawn in the winter.
Thus, the islands are home
to Lofotfisket, the
largest cod fishery
in the world. Since
1991, the World
Championship in
Cod Fishing has
been held in the
Lofoten Islands.
16. A. Old Town Gamlebyen is Oslo's
Old Town - home to ruins of medieval
Oslo. Gamlebyen was originally called
" Oslo " when the city's name was
" Christiania. " Settlement in the area first
started in the 10th century, according to
archaeological excavations. Then in 1624,
a fire destroyed much of the town. Today,
the neighborhood is located in the eastern
part of the city.
17. D. Coffee The first recorded mention
of coffee in Norway can be traced back
to an inventory list of a customs official's
possessions. The list included a kaffekiele,
or coffee pot. In the early 18th century,
coffee was fairly uncommon and very
expensive. Since then, coffee culture has
become strong throughout the country
- so strong that Norway is now an
international leader in specialty coffee.
18. B. The Middle Ages During the Middle
Ages, Bygdø Royal Farm was the property
of the monastery on Hovedøya, and island
in the inner Oslo Fjord. The Royal Family
began spending time at the farm in the
early 19th century.
sonsofnorway.com VIKING FEBRUARY 2018 27
PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): BATTLE OFSTIKLESTAD BY PETER NICOLAI ARBO, FRANK H. NOWELL, W. KRAUSE / MEDIA-ARMY.DE / VISITNORWAY.COM, ANDERS BEER WILSE / OSLO MUSEUM, SHUTTERSTOCK

http://www.VISITNORWAY.COM http://www.MEDIA-ARMY.DE http://www.sonsofnorway.com

Viking Magazine - February 2018

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