New-York tribune., 1912-01-14
THE NORTHERN LURE
Mans Progress from the Med
iterranean to the Arctic.

tion In Early Times. BY Fridtjof Nam
ren. G. c. " O.. D. Sc D. G. L.. Phi D,
Professor of oceanography in the Unit;
versity of Christiania. etc Translated
by Arthur G.. Chatter. With frontls-
pieces IN color. and over l5o illustrations
In black and white. Two vols. Small ito.
pp. xviii. 24: xiii. 40. The Frederick A.
Stokes Company.
Or. NanE-1 has done supremely we'll
task that required an enormous
amount of patient research, even into
realms that, at first sight. would seem
to have only an indirect bearing on
the history of the gradual exploration
of Northern Europe and the early west
ward voyages that led To Greenland
and these shores. The period covered
in these two stately tones. with their
ealth OF curious old Illustrations is
roughly speaking that from 1000 r. c.
to the voyage of John Cabot. The
Phnnicians. Greeks and Carthaginians
form part OF the records. TO the latter
belonging the honor Of having equipped
end sent out the first historic explor-
ing expedition to the North. on the
other hand. the author complains, the
Romans. with their unrivalled opror-
tunities. marched only 10 conquer. and
neglected the science Of geography ut
terly. What the Greeks had accom-
plished I'm the ancient world in this
field was lost in the Dark Ages. Chris
tianity thereafter being bound through
many centuries by the statements ot
the Bible. II is a record OF facts dis
covered forgotten and rediscovered. OF
realities turned into traditions and
myths. of tales Of Hyperboreans and
strange countries in the mists.
The author begins with survey OF
the many mutations in the conceptions
Of the shape Of the earth formed by
early astronomers. The Chaldeans had
gllmmer Of its true form; its spheric-
ity was asserted by Pythagoras. but
lost again. To give way to the theory OF
the disk:
Isdorus Hispaensls dn the seventh cen
turv of our era) who exercised the great.
est influence on the geographical ideas OF
the Middle Ages, was also 70 have an IN
1uence on cartography win MS tond-
ness for bad chronological interpreta-
tlons he derived the word 'rotunditas, Tor
tho roundness OF the earth. from ,'rola:
wheel. and he taught that the word 'orois
is used on account Of the roundness OF the
circumference, since II Is like wheel
Hence the conception OF the earth DISK
as wheel came 10 be very general In the
early Middle Ages.
The Venera BILE Bede was one OF the Few
writer's of that period who asserted that
the earth was round. basing his theory.
as the Chaldeans had done on the OBJ
servation that certain stars were visible
in the north but not In the south
Dr. Nansen finds evidence Of trade re-
lations between the Mediterranean civil
izations and the North of Europe as far
back as the bronze age Homer makes
mention of tin; the discovery of amber
ornaments among neolithic implements
p ints To even earlier commerce between
north and south; in short, the author
points to prehistoric trade routes, partly
by land. no doubt, but also partly by
water through the Pillars Of Hercules.
The beginnings of Arctic exploration he
finds. however, IN Northern Europe
itself. giving first place TO the Irish
monks. who discovered the Faroe Islands
and Iceland in the ninth century Of our
era Then came the Norsemen Eric the
Red sailing from Iceland nearly two
hundred years later and landing on the
coast of Greenland.
OF Vineland, Or. Nansen says that II
was originally a mythical country close
" connected with the happy lands OF
Irish myths and legends, which had their
first source. in the Greek Elysum and
Isles of the Blest, in Oriental sailors
myths. and an admixture Of Biblical con-
ccptions. There is mention also. in the
sagas. Of ireland the reat," which lay
near Vineland, on the west of the ocean;
of the Island of Strong Men" which Is
also called the Isle Of the Anchoritcs"
"a whole body of legendry with strange
tales of captivities and baptisms, and of
customs barking back to ancient Celtic
lore At the same time an Arabian ge-
ographer, Edrin, tells in 1854 curious
story of "adventurers' from Lisbon. who
sailed westward for thirty-five days and
then southwark, landing In a country
they called sheep Island" where they
saw red-compexioned men OF tall stat
ure This story resembles one of the
Morse tales in many particulars, but both
also are reminiscent of a Carthaginian
tradition, and of Ulysses's visit to the
island OF the Pheakians The Arabian
tale Dr. Nansen holds, was derived di-
rect from Ireland. which had close con-
nections with Spain through Morse ships
and merchants. A variant of 1t is found
In the japanese legend of the fortunate
isles of "Horaisan." The tale OF Leif's
adventure, Dr. Nansen concludes, after
examining and comparing this volumi-
nous body of tradition. proves to be a
variant of and a growth from many