Vinland Sagas - Viking Colonization of North America

The Vinland Sagas are four medieval Viking manuscripts that report (among other things) the stories of the Norse colonization of Iceland, Greenland and North America. These stories speak of Thorvald Arvaldson, credited with the Norse discovery of Iceland; Thorvalds son Eirik the Red for Greenland, and Eiriks son Leif (the Lucky) Eiriksson for Baffin Island and North America. But Are the Sagas Accurate? Like any historical document, even those known to be authentic, the sagas are not necessarily factual. Some of them were written hundreds of years after the events; some of the stories were woven together into legends; some of the stories were written for political uses of the day or to highlight heroic events and downplay (or omit) not-so-heroic events. For example, the sagas describe the end of the colony on Greenland as having been the result of European piracy and ongoing battles between the Vikings and the Inuit occupants, called by the Vikings Skraelings. Archaeological evidence indicates that the Greenlanders also faced starvation and deteriorating climate, which is not reported in the sagas. For a long time, scholars dismissed the sagas as literary fabrications. But others such as Gisli Sigurdsson, have revisited the manuscripts to find a historical core that can be tied to Viking explorations of the 10th and 11th centuries. The written-down version of the stories are the result of centuries of oral traditions, during which the story may have been conflated with other heroic legends. But, there is, after all, accumulated archaeological evidence for Norse occupations in Greenland, Iceland, and the North American continent. Vinland Saga Discrepancies There are also discrepancies between the various manuscripts. Two major documents—the Greenlanders Saga and Eirik the Reds Saga—give differing roles to Leif and the merchant Thorfinn Karlsefni. In the Greenlanders Saga, lands southwest of Greenland are said to have been discovered accidentally by Bjarni Herjolfsson. Leif Eriksson was the chieftain of the Norse on Greenland, and Leif is given credit for exploring the lands of Helluland (probably Baffin Island), Markland (Treeland, likely the heavily wooded Labrador coast) and Vinland (probably what is southeasternern Canada); Thorfinn has a minor role. In Eirik the Reds Saga, Leifs role is downplayed. He is dismissed as the accidental discoverer of Vinland; and the explorer/leadership role is given to Thorfinn. Eirik the Reds Saga was written in the 13th century when one of Thorfinns descendants was being canonized; it may be, say some historians, propaganda by this mans supporters to inflate his ancestors role in the momentous discoveries. Historians have a fine time decoding such documents. Viking Sagas about Vinland About the Book of the Icelanders (à slendingabà ³k), written between 1122 and 1133 (Smithsonian)Text of the Icelandic Sagas (NorthVegr)Text of Eirik the Reds Saga, written about 1265 (Medieval History, About.com)About the Saga of the Greenlanders, compiled ~13th century (Smithsonian) Arnold, Martin. 2006. Atlantic Explorations and Settlements, pp. 192-214 in The Vikings, Culture and Conquest. Hambledon Continuum, London. Wallace, Birgitta L. 2003. L’Anse aux Meadows and Vinland: An Abandoned Experiment. Pp. 207-238 in Contact, Continuity, and Collapse: The Norse Colonization of the North Atlantic, edited by James H. Barrett. Brepols Publishers: Trunhout, Belgium. Sources and Further information The woodcut on this page is not from the Vinland sagas, but from another Viking saga, Erik Bloodaxes Saga. It shows Erik Bloodaxes widow Gunnhild Gormsdà ³ttir inciting her sons to take possession of Norway; and it was published in Snorre Sturlassonss Heimskringla in 1235. About.coms Guide to the Viking AgeHofstaà °ir, Viking settlement on IcelandGardur, Viking estate in GreenlandLAnse aux Meadows, Viking settlement in Canada Arnold, Martin. 2006. Atlantic Explorations and Settlements, pp. 192-214 in The Vikings, Culture and Conquest. Hambledon Continuum, London. Wallace, Birgitta L. 2003. L’Anse aux Meadows and Vinland: An Abandoned Experiment. Pp. 207-238 in Contact, Continuity, and Collapse: The Norse Colonization of the North Atlantic, edited by James H. Barrett. Brepols Publishers: Trunhout, Belgium.

A Farewell to Arms Essay Inevitability of Death Revealed

Inevitability of Death Revealed in A Farewell To Arms Ernest Hemingway has been greatly criticized for a supposed hatred of women that some feel is evident in his writings. One of the primary books that critics believe shows this misogynistic attitude is A Farewell To Arms. It is counterproductive to interpret the book using such a narrow focus because the author is dealing with much more profound themes. Hemingway is not concerned with the theme of gender equality, but rather with the greater themes of the inherent struggle of life and the inevitability of death. The first images of struggle and death are seen in chapter 9 when Frederic is wounded. Up to this point in the story Hemingway had portrayed a very serene,†¦show more content†¦They do not grow wise. They grow careful.(261). Hemingway seems to use the character of the Count for several purposes. The Count is a man on the cusp of death. He shows that though the body may get old and die, the spirit still lives on strong. Yet he also refutes the notion that age is wisdom. The Count is just another example of a man dealing with death, he also seems to be a vision of what Frederic will become in the future. Having left the war behind, Frederic is finally ready for peace and quiet. Hemingway, however, has other plans for his character. Catherine dies during childbirth, as does the baby. Thus, Frederic is confronted again with death. This time, however, he is unable to detach himself emotionally as he did with the deaths he witnessed in war. His neat and happy world is collapsing and there is nothing that he can do about it. The theme of the book is that all humans struggle in life and eventually die. Frederic tries to cheat this. He tries to live in a romantic world with his love, where they will never feel pain. He wants to drink all day, make love all night, and fish in the meantime. His utopia is taken away when the war hits close to home yet he does his best to remain detached. He tries once more to retreat into a romantic world with Catherine in Switzerland. Yet once again he is confronted with death. Hemingway is showing that man cannot escape his destiny. He is also showing theShow MoreRelatedOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 PagesSilverman, D. (1970) The Theory of Organizations, London: Heinemann. Stern, R.N. and Barley S.R. (1996) ‘Organizations and social systems: Organization theory’s neglected mandate’, Administrative Science Quarterly 41(1):146–163. Schwandt, T.A. (1996) ‘Farewell to criteriology’, Qualitative Inquiry 2(1):58–72. T ranfield, D. and Starkey, D. (1998) ‘The nature, social organization and promotion of management research: Towards a policy’, British Journal of Management 9:341–353. Thomas A. (1997) ‘The coming

Concepts in Brave New World Free Essays

10/11/12 Journal Entry #5: HTRLLAP Concepts The concept of â€Å"vampires† is present in Brave New World because the men and women don’t respect each other in the area of romance. Men like Henry Foster just use girls like Lenina for sex. But having sex with multiple people is socially accepted in the World State. We will write a custom essay sample on Concepts in Brave New World or any similar topic only for you Order Now In Brave New World, symbolic vampirism is used because the men and women use each other to get what they want which is sex. They do not care about what the other person wants. An example is Lenina trying to seduce John, when he makes it clear he does not just want to have sex with her. John is the opposite of the men from the World State because when he was thinking about how pretty she was he told himself that it was a â€Å"destestable thought† (145). Acts of Communion, was shown in Lord of the Flies when the boys were having a feast after Jack had killed the pig. This was a failed meal because towards the end Simon gives his piece of meat to Piggy who asked for some, but Jack denied saying he didn’t hunt. Piggy replies with, â€Å"no more did Ralph, nor Simon† (74) and Simon, being the inherently good person, gives Piggy his piece of meat. The meal is a failure because Jack becomes furious over Simon’s actions. At the end, Ralph becomes â€Å"envious and resentful† (75) which shows that he is upset with how the boys are acting and later in the book, hunting becomes a negative thing because the boys end up killing Simon, mistaking him for the beast. The Bible is used in Lord of the Flies to describe Simon and Roger. Simon was the Christ figure throughout the book. He helped Ralph build the shelters when the other boys were off playing, he gave Piggy his food when Piggy asks about having a piece of meat and he is killed like a martyr. He is murdered by the boys and he is the first boy to die at the hands of the others. Simon was carried away by the ocean and the description of how he was carried away portrayed him as an angel. The snake of the Garden of Eden was represented by Roger. Roger was always quiet and in the background. He threw rocks at the young boys, purely for fun and he was the boy who pushed the rock that killed Piggy and shattered the conch shell. The concept of â€Å"It’s All About Sex†¦Except Sex† is shown in Brave New World because Huxley uses sex as a way to show the character’s desires to have power over another person. Because all of the Alpha’s are equal, they want to feel somewhat above the other person. Sex throughout the story is also used by the women as a sense of freedom. They can be with any man and people do not make any judgment of them. Sex is also used as a release and freedom for the people. They take the soma and then the characters don’t have a care in the world and do whatever they please because of the effects of the soma. How to cite Concepts in Brave New World, Essay examples Concepts in Brave New World Free Essays 10/11/12 Journal Entry #5: HTRLLAP Concepts The concept of â€Å"vampires† is present in Brave New World because the men and women don’t respect each other in the area of romance. Men like Henry Foster just use girls like Lenina for sex. But having sex with multiple people is socially accepted in the World State. We will write a custom essay sample on Concepts in Brave New World or any similar topic only for you Order Now In Brave New World, symbolic vampirism is used because the men and women use each other to get what they want which is sex. They do not care about what the other person wants. An example is Lenina trying to seduce John, when he makes it clear he does not just want to have sex with her. John is the opposite of the men from the World State because when he was thinking about how pretty she was he told himself that it was a â€Å"destestable thought† (145). Acts of Communion, was shown in Lord of the Flies when the boys were having a feast after Jack had killed the pig. This was a failed meal because towards the end Simon gives his piece of meat to Piggy who asked for some, but Jack denied saying he didn’t hunt. Piggy replies with, â€Å"no more did Ralph, nor Simon† (74) and Simon, being the inherently good person, gives Piggy his piece of meat. The meal is a failure because Jack becomes furious over Simon’s actions. At the end, Ralph becomes â€Å"envious and resentful† (75) which shows that he is upset with how the boys are acting and later in the book, hunting becomes a negative thing because the boys end up killing Simon, mistaking him for the beast. The Bible is used in Lord of the Flies to describe Simon and Roger. Simon was the Christ figure throughout the book. He helped Ralph build the shelters when the other boys were off playing, he gave Piggy his food when Piggy asks about having a piece of meat and he is killed like a martyr. He is murdered by the boys and he is the first boy to die at the hands of the others. Simon was carried away by the ocean and the description of how he was carried away portrayed him as an angel. The snake of the Garden of Eden was represented by Roger. Roger was always quiet and in the background. He threw rocks at the young boys, purely for fun and he was the boy who pushed the rock that killed Piggy and shattered the conch shell. The concept of â€Å"It’s All About Sex†¦Except Sex† is shown in Brave New World because Huxley uses sex as a way to show the character’s desires to have power over another person. Because all of the Alpha’s are equal, they want to feel somewhat above the other person. Sex throughout the story is also used by the women as a sense of freedom. They can be with any man and people do not make any judgment of them. Sex is also used as a release and freedom for the people. They take the soma and then the characters don’t have a care in the world and do whatever they please because of the effects of the soma. How to cite Concepts in Brave New World, Papers

Building Character Through Personal Responsibility free essay sample

I determined The Nature, Advantages and Limits of Personal Responsibility In Pursuit of a Wellness Lifestyle Ardell Wellness Report to be a reliable and relevant source after I researched the title of the periodical and the author’s name, Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D. in a couple of search engines like Google and Bing. The search engines mention his extensive book writing along with periodicals and essays published by several publishers since 1984. Mr. Ardell has been a member of the National Wellness Institute. He has won numerous national and world competitions. In July 2011, he was recognized with one of the highest honors in health promotion and wellness fields. I believe the author has an unbiased opinion on personal responsibility. From the information on line and a few of his periodicals I have read, Mr. Ardell seems to have an open mind on multiple topics. Although, I did not thoroughly read each of his periodicals, his thoughts were not read (in my opinion) to be judgmental. He is a motivational speaker who involves himself, inspires others, and has the ability to sway an audience to think outside the box when it comes to personal responsibility, their behaviors, and attitudes in their quest to have a better lifestyle when consequences of actions and a conscious thought process are considered before making a decision which may hurt you or those around you. I feel the information obtained may strengthen or may weaken my essay because Mr. Ardell’s periodical does not fully address character building. The periodical addresses more of the medical and health care issues of responsibility. Mr. Ardell lightly touches the subject of personal responsibility in the essence of making wise choices in life and his thoughts regarding a conscious and unconscious state of mind when deciding between doing what is right or taking the easy way of doing wrong which, I do concur with. Who really benefits from jeopardizing integrity, moral, and humility? In his article, he mentions something about emotions, genes, and drives and I suppose I can further interconnect my essay with these elements so I believe Mr. Ardell’s periodical does address similar strong points of view within my essay. Personal responsibility in my opinion is part of one’s character. I believe it is first instilled by your parents, taught by schoolteachers, and learned through life experiences as people grow from childhood to becoming an adult. Taking responsibility of your actions and accepting consequences of those actions builds integrity. The ability to step forward without hesitations to address you have made a mistake makes a statement about you as a person. On the other hand, a person can look at personal responsibility from a different angle; spiritually, family and career. The strongest reasons supporting my opinion are family values, which were instilled by my grandmother. Another strong reason supporting my opinion is the respect given and received by those influenced or surrounded by you. A person displays integrity, responsibility, reliability and character because an individual can admit when he or she are wrong, learn from it and accept constructive criticism. People will either positively embrace what is being presented and improve or have a negative reaction, which will reflect, in all areas of their life. The relationship between personal responsibility and college success are parallel in respect to time management and prioritization. Properly managing your time to read and review class materials along with completing required assignment takes dedication and the drive to succeed. In addition to time management, one must prioritize daily routines through organization. Self-discipline is essential, too by rescheduling events, shifting task responsibility, or eliminating obstacles to accomplish these goals. Having a support system relieves anxieties and stresses in life which stem from the unknowing or feelings of being overwhelmed; questioning if you are capable of accomplishing the ultimate goal, graduating with a degree. My preliminary plan to practice personal responsibility in my education is not quite clear. I strongly believe I will make a conscientious effort to complete all assignments on time, ask questions when I do not understand, maintain a balance between family, work and school, and take one day for myself to relax; to breathe, see it through by staying focused, maintain a ositive attitude that I can and will succeed because I have taken the first step to better my future for myself, family and my career. My defined reflective personal ethical viewpoint regarding the Ethical Lens Inventory is the â€Å"Rights and Responsibility Lens†. With that being perceived from the questionnaire taken, I do agree with the findings of this lens. I had to read, consider and proce ss then re-read the overall results when I first received it. I was taken aback by the results because I could not believe this ethics game actually conveyed me; pinpointed to the core of who I know and believe I truly am as a person. Considering the results of my lens, I am proud being me and the person I have been sculpted as an adult. Most people do not know how to accept me because I do speak my mind; good, bad or indifferent. I tend not to sugarcoat the truth when asked my opinion nor will I side with an opinion I disagree with. I have my own thoughts and beliefs, which makes me unique in my own sense of worth. Is this considered a strength or weakness? I can honestly say it straddles the fence. Meaning, my character and ethics are sometimes questioned by those who feel choices and decisions I stand firm by do not sway to their logic. In my opinion, my values and beliefs are strong. I do not apologize for maintaining the values, moral ethics, and integrity instilled in me. On the other side of it, there are those who appreciate my character and welcome it. It gives them a voice when they are afraid to use their own. Determining a course of action would depend on a case-by-case situation. I cannot answer how I may use my personal ethics to decide a course of action without a specific scenario. My course of action may not be agreeable to all parties involved because I believe in doing the hard right over an easy wrong. The blind spot to all of this for me is the bottom line. Do I submit to what society believes is the right way as a whole; go along with the majority or do I continue with the belief that everyone is entitled to their own opinion? I accept the option agree to disagree. At the same token, I am receptive to suggestions, approaching from different avenues, and keeping an open-mind to ideas, I am not solely convinced. This is me; either accept it or decline it. Your choice and everyone has one.