Olympus-OM
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [OM] OT:aussie v greenland: island continent

Subject: Re: [OM] OT:aussie v greenland: island continent
From: "Gregg" <giverson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 23:52:47 -0400
RobBurn encouraged:


>
> In a message dated 7/11/2000 7:15:23 PM, lexjenkins@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
>
> << Hey, Rob, didn't you know the names were deliberate choices?  The
> residents
> of "Iceland" originally named their homeland Bjorkhutinhollarljaend (Land
of
> Sirens With Strange Hair and Quavering Vocal Cords Calling Sailors to
Their
> Tragic Deaths Upon the Rocks).  Fearing this name would not only fail to
> repel the Vikings, but might actually attract them knowing the Norse
> penchant for offbeat music, they decided to rename the island something
> rather unattractive.  And, as an inside joke, they also renamed the
> neighboring clot of ice, known as Fruzengladjuvchessploeyers, something
more
> appealing as a distraction.  Hence Greenland.
>
> Alas, due to an oversight in committee, they failed to mount an effective
> marketing campaign overseas and to change the names on the buoys.  So the
> Norsemen sailed straight for "Iceland", stuck a flag in the first
> Bjorkhutinhollarljaender to greet them, quaffed many ales, did some
> pillaging and promptly had all their gods and goddesses adopted by the
> Greeks and moved to Mount Olympus.  (Obligatory OM content requirement
met.)
>
> Lex "Fables To Go" Jenkins >>
>
> Lex:
>
> They should have turned to you for those articles in Encyclopedia
Britannica.
> Whoever wrote those articles didn't know any of this stuff.   ;-)   Now we
> know -- "the rest of the story." I didn't know about the Aesir adoption
> either. Moved to Mt Olympus, did they?
>
> Robert (humbled by the awesome "depth" of your Icelandic folklore)
>
It was only recently that historians discovered that the Vikings that
traveled east were called "Rus" by the locals.  As to Iceland, I read
recently that the island used to be covered by forests, but the combination
of domestic animals the Vikings brought with them to farm effectively
eradicated the forest lands.

Gregg


< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Sponsored by Tako
Impressum | Datenschutz