October 2024
October 7th, we headed south and crossed back across the Arctic Circle at 8:45 this morning.
The Arctic Circle passes though Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Alaska (USA), Canada, Greenland (Denmark), and Grimsey Island (Iceland). There are markers and even tourist attractions at a few of these places. This is the one I saw on Viking Island in Norway.
Marking the Arctic Circle on Viking Island
A stop in Brønnøysund – The center of Norway
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Torghatten
While difficult to see, there is a tunnel through this mountain. There is a very long legend that includes another mountain called the Seven Sisters. To make things simple, here is how the mountain got its hole. Troll Hestmannen was chasing the beautiful girl Lekamøya. As he realized he would not get the girl, he released an arrow to kill her, but the troll-king of Sømna threw his hat into the arrow’s path to save her. The hat turned into the mountain with a hole in the center.
Munkholmen, Trondheim
I want to thank a shipmate for getting this photo, as I didn’t get up on deck soon enough to take it. This is Munkholmen or Monk’s Island.
Before the 12th century, Munkholmen was the Court of Justice and the center for execution. To warn potential enemies, the heads of enemies of the state were placed on stakes. Among them were the heads of Haakon Sigurdsson and Tormod Kark, executed in 995 by order of Olav Tryggvason, then King of Norway.
According to legends, those who visited the island must spit on the heads to pay tribute to King Olav Tryggvason. The tradition of displaying severed heads on stakes continued for some years, with the heads of criminals and political enemies placed to face the city of Trondheim instead. It was considered an efficient method to deter citizens from committing crimes.
It was a 12-day boat trip to see the Northern Lights. I did see them, but it also rained almost every day and night. Such is Mother Nature.