IN NORTHERN MISTS 



these regions lies at the root of Saxo's mythical tales, in which 

 for instance, the travelers come to the river of death and the 

 land of the dead. The designation " Farther Bjarmeland " may 

 nevertheless point to a land having been known beyond the 

 often-mentioned Bjarmeland. 



In the old legendary sagas there is frequent mention of 

 "the Farther Bjarmeland," which lay to the north or north- 

 east of the real Bjarmeland (Permia), and where there was a 

 people of gigantic size and immense riches. This fabulous 

 country may, it is true, be entirely mythical, perhaps originally 

 derived from ancient Greek myths; but, on the other hand, it 

 may be the knowledge of Novaya Zemlya that has influenced 

 the formation of the myths about it. However this may be, 

 we may be sure that the voyages of the Norwegian hunters 

 in those days extended into the eastern Polar Sea far beyond 

 the limits of Ottar's voyage, and much farther than the chance 

 mention in the sagas of more or less warlike expeditions of 

 chiefs to the White Sea would indicate. 



A notice that is extant, relating to the year 1194, shows 

 better than anything else that the Norwegians probably made 

 extensive voyages in the Polar Sea, and the mention of it is 

 purely fortuitous. In the " Islandske Annaler " (in six different 

 MSS.) it is briefly stated of the year 1194: " SvalbartSs 

 furdr " or " SvalbarSi fundinn " (Svalbard was discovered) ; 

 but that is all we are told; surely no great geographical 

 discovery has ever been more briefly recorded in literature. 

 SvalbarSi means the cold edge, or side, and must here mean 

 the cold coast. In the introduction to the Landnamabok we 

 read about this land: 



" From Reykjanes on the south side of Iceland it is five [in Hauk's Land- 

 nama three] doegrs' sea [i.e., sail] to Jolldulaup in Ireland to the south, but 

 from Langanes on the north side of Iceland it is four dcEgrs' sea to Svalbard 

 on the north in Hafsbotn,i but it is one doegr's sail to the uninhabited parts 

 of Greenland from Kolbeins-ey in the north." 



iln the description of Greenland attributed to Ivar Bardsson we read: 

 "Item, from Langanes, which lies uppermost [or northernmost] in Iceland by 

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