Scandinavia
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Christina of Sweden
All the signs pointed to a son, and a son was what was needed. Gustav II Adolf and Maria Eleonora of Brandonburg had already had two daughters, a stillborn girl in 1620 and then the first princess Christina, who was born in 1623 and died the next year. Sweden needed a son. The queen went into labor and the child was born on December 8, 1626 in the midst of a rare astrological conjunction. The child was born “hairy” and screamed with a “with a strong, hoarse voice”. They were convinced it was a boy, but they were wrong. There was deep embarrassment when the midwives had to correct their…
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The Marriage of Philip Augustus and Ingeborg of Denmark- Match made in hell
Like so many things, on paper this seemed like a great match. Philip Augustus was the widower king of France. He was young, rich and needed more children. His first wife, Isabella of Hainaut, had given him an heir, Louis, but had died after her second pregnancy with twins. Louis was healthy, but times were uncertain and good policy was to have an heir and at least one spare. Ingeborg was the daughter of Valdemar I of Denmark and sister of Canute VI. She was eighteen and came with a good dowry, which Philip planned to put to good use against Richard I. She was described by contemporaries as beautiful,…
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Norns
The Norns in Norse mythology are female beings who rule the destiny of gods and men. Not to be confused with The Fates in Greek mythology. The three most important norns, Urðr (Wyrd), Verðandi and Skuld, come out from a hall standing at the Well of Urðr (well of fate). They draw water from the well and take sand that lies around it, which they pour over Yggdrasill so that its branches will not rot. These three norns are described as powerful maiden giantesses (Jotuns) whose arrival from Jötunheimr ended the golden age of the gods. There are many other norns who arrive when a person is born in order…
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The Sinking of the SS Viking
In 1881, the ship was built by the Nylands Shipyard at Christiania, Norway. Viking was a vessel of 310 gross tons and equipped with a 90 horsepower auxiliary engine. She was launched in 1882 from the Nylands Shipyard. In 1904, Viking was purchased by Bowring Brothers of St. John’s for the sealing industry. She was placed under the command of Captain William Bartlett, who remained her master until 1923. SS Viking was the smallest of the Bowring Brothers’ fleet, but was capable of carrying 276 men. Viking sailed for a number of years hunting the saddleback seal off the coast of Greenland. In 1882, Norwegian explorer, scientist and diplomat Fridtj…
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Iounn, Norse Goddess of youth.
Iounn from the Prose Edda written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century, was the keeper of apples that granted Gods eternal youth. In the Skaldig poem of Haustlong, we hear the tale of how the giant Thiaza kidnaps Iounn using Loki to lure her from the Asgard, the land of the nine worlds, ruled by Odin and Frigg, of which Valhalla was one, into the woods, promising interesting apples. Once there, Thiaza in the form of an eagle, swoops down and captures her, flying away with her to his home. The Gods then start to age, and grow old. They realise that Iounn is missing from Asgard and that…
