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Thor Heyerdahl

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156-459: Thor Heyerdahl KStJ ( Norwegian pronunciation: [tuːr ˈhæ̀ɪəɖɑːɫ] ; 6 October 1914 – 18 April 2002) was a Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer with a background in biology with specialization in zoology , botany and geography . Heyerdahl is notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, in which he drifted 8,000 km (5,000 mi) across the Pacific Ocean in

312-490: A Polynesian double-hulled wa'a kaulua voyaging canoe, from Hawaiʻi to Tahiti was partly a demonstration to prove that Heyerdahl was wrong. The Hōkūleʻa sailed against prevailing winds and exclusively used wayfinding and celestial Polynesian navigation techniques (unlike the modern equipment and charts of the Kon-Tiki ). Hōkūleʻa also remains fully operational, and has since completed ten other voyages, including

468-655: A Secretary of the Order, who holds office at the pleasure of the Grand Prior or until resignation. A subset of the Grand Council is the Honours and Awards Committee, which considers all recommendations for appointment or promotion into the grade of Bailiff or Dame Grand Cross , appointment or promotion into any grade of a person not resident within any priory's territory, and advises the Grand Council in respect of

624-620: A Spanish aristocrat . It was headquartered at what Mortara called the " Auberge of St John", St John's Gate, Clerkenwell . This was the Old Jerusalem Tavern, a public house occupying what had once been a gatehouse to the ancient Clerkenwell Priory , the medieval Grand Priory of the Knights Hospitaller , otherwise known as the Knights of Saint John. The creation of the langue has been regarded either as

780-902: A head of state or royal , in which case they all precede other members in their grade as follows: Awards are presented within the order: the Priory Vote of Thanks, the St John's Provincial/Territorial Commendation (in Canada), the Life Saving Award (Without Risk) in Silver, and the Service Medal of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem. Following constitutional changes made in 1999,

936-408: A mozzetta of black with red lining, edging, and buttons, a 76mm wide star worn on the left breast and the accordant badge suspended at the neck. When full mantles and sopra vests are worn a black velvet Tudor -style hat is included. The Sovereign Head confirms all appointments to the order as he, in his absolute discretion, shall think fit, though the constitution does impose certain limitations:

1092-483: A "Christian character", its Grand Council has since 1999 affirmed that "profession of the Christian Faith should not be a condition of membership of the Order." The issue of the order's Christian character and the issue of "inclusive membership" was dealt with in the Grand Council's Pro Fide Report in 2005, wherein it was said that the order's life is shaped by Christian faith and values, but that "[r]ather than

1248-537: A basic lack of scientific methodology in his work. His central claims were based on similarities of names in Norse mythology and geographic names in the Black Sea region, e.g. Azov and Æsir , Udi and Odin, Tyr and Turkey . Philologists and historians reject these parallels as mere coincidences, and also anachronisms, for instance the city of Azov did not have that name until over 1,000 years after Heyerdahl claims

1404-566: A chieftain led his people in a migration from the east, westward and northward through Saxony , to Fyn in Denmark , and eventually settling in Sweden . Heyerdahl claimed that the geographic location of the mythic Aser or Æsir matched the region of contemporary Azerbaijan – "east of the Caucasus mountains and the Black Sea". "We are no longer talking about mythology," Heyerdahl said, "but of

1560-522: A common adder ( Vipera berus ) as the main attraction. He studied zoology and geography at the faculty of biological science at the University of Oslo . At the same time, he privately studied Polynesian culture and history, consulting what was then the world's largest private collection of books and papers on Polynesia, owned by Bjarne Kroepelien , a wealthy wine merchant in Oslo. (This collection

1716-449: A commuter boat [or ferry ] in 2020, priced at Norwegian kroner 83 million, is still (as of 2022) causing fear that Finnmark will alone get stuck with paying off the boat (when Finnmark becomes a county in 2024); the expense can lead to budget cuts. The town of Hammerfest is experiencing an economic boom as a consequence of Statoil 's construction of the large land-based LNG site on the island of Melkøya , which gets natural gas from

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1872-406: A foreign head of state superseding American postulants' duties as US citizens. Upon admission into the Order of St John, confrères are presented with appropriate insignia , each level and office being depicted by different emblems and robes for wear at important occasions for the order. Common for all members of the Order is the badge , consisting of an eight-pointed Maltese Cross (embellished in

2028-747: A lieutenant and deputy to the Lord Prior; and the Sub-Prelate, who has interests in the commanderies and associations of the organisation —as well as the Priors and Chancellors of each of the order's eight priories and the Hospitaller make up the Grand Council. On recommendation of that body, the Grand Prior appoints all the Grand Officers, besides himself, and may also appoint members of either Grade I or Grade II as other officers, known as

2184-559: A long time. This essentially holds true today. The Sami were for many years victims of the Norwegianization policy, which in essence was an attempt by the government to make them "true Norwegians" and forget about their Sami way of life and religion, which was seen as inferior. As a result, the Sami living at the coast and in the fjords gradually lost much of their culture and often felt ashamed by their Sami inheritance. The Sami in

2340-408: A machete and a cooking pot. They arrived at Fatu Hiva in 1937, in the valley of Omo‘a , and decided to cross over the island's mountainous interior to settle in one of the small, nearly abandoned, valleys on the eastern side of the island. There, they made their thatch -covered stilted home in the valley of Uia . Living in such primitive conditions was a daunting task, but they managed to live off

2496-407: A much smaller population consisting mainly of Polynesians and living in privation. Heyerdahl notes the oral tradition of an uprising of "Short Ears" against the ruling "Long Ears." The "Long Ears" dug a defensive moat on the eastern end of the island and filled it with kindling. During the uprising, Heyerdahl claimed, the "Long Ears" ignited their moat and retreated behind it, but the "Short Ears" found

2652-490: A personal coat of arms , should they not already be entitled to use one, and have it adorned with emblems of the Order of St John. Bailiffs and Dames Grand Cross additionally have the right to be granted heraldic supporters for life. Further, membership only grants precedence within the Order, which is graded as follows: Precedence within each grade is dictated by date of appointment, save for those in Grade I who are either

2808-482: A primitive hand-built raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands . The expedition was supposed to demonstrate that the legendary sun-worshiping red-haired, bearded, and white-skinned "Tiki people" from South America drifted and colonized Polynesia first, before actual Polynesian peoples . His hyperdiffusionist ideas on ancient cultures had been widely rejected by the scientific community, even before

2964-430: A prior and a priory chapter. Commanderies, governed by a Knight or Dame Commander and a commandery chapter, may exist within or wholly or partly without the territory of a priory, known as Dependent or Independent Commanderies, respectively. Any country without a priory or commandery of its own is assumed into the "home priory" of England and The Islands, many of these being smaller Commonwealth of Nations states in which

3120-591: A race of "white bearded men" who supposedly originally sailed from Peru . He described these "Tiki people" as being a sun-worshipping fair-skinned people with blue eyes, fair or red hair, tall statures, and beards. He further said that these people were originally from the Middle East , and had crossed the Atlantic earlier to found the great Mesoamerican civilizations . By 500 CE, a branch of these people were supposedly forced out into Tiahuanaco where they became

3276-508: A rapid population increase in Sör-Varanger, and the muskrat has spread to almost every part of the municipality. Lynx and moose are common in large parts of Finnmark, but rare on the coast. The county's interior parts are part of the great Finnmarksvidda plateau, with an elevation of 300 to 400 m (980 to 1,310 ft), with numerous lakes and river valleys. The plateau is famous for its tens of thousands of reindeer owned by

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3432-612: A revival of the Knights Hospitaller or the establishment of a new order. The Reverend Sir Robert Peat , the absentee perpetual curate of St Lawrence, Brentford , in Middlesex , and one of the many former chaplains to Prince George ( Prince Regent and later King George IV), had been recruited by the Council as a member of the society in 1830. On 29 January 1831, in the presence of Philip de Castellane and

3588-465: A second attempt was made to raise money to restore a Mediterranean homeland for the Order when Philippe de Castellane, a French Knight of Malta , was appointed by the Council to negotiate with supportive persons in Britain. Scotsman Donald Currie was in 1827 given the authority to raise £240,000. Anyone who subscribed to the project and all commissioned officers of the mercenary army were offered

3744-681: A state funeral in Oslo Cathedral on 26 April 2002. In May 2011, the Thor Heyerdahl Archives were added to UNESCO 's Memory of the World Register . At the time, this list included 238 collections from all over the world. The Heyerdahl Archives span the years 1937 to 2002 and include his photographic collection, diaries, private letters, expedition plans, articles, newspaper clippings, and original book and article manuscripts. The Heyerdahl Archives are administered by

3900-431: A three-year circumnavigation of the planet from 2014 to 2017, with other sister ships. Heyerdahl's hypothesis was part of early Eurocentric hyperdiffusionism and the westerner disbelief that ( non-white ) "stone-age" peoples with "no math" could colonize islands separated by vast distances of ocean water, even against prevailing winds and currents. He rejected the highly skilled voyaging and navigating traditions of

4056-594: A total coastline of 6,844 kilometres (4,253 mi), including 3,155 kilometres (1,960 mi) of coastline on the islands. As of 2000, nearly 12,300 people, 16.6% of the county's population, lived in the 100-meter belt along the coastline. Knivskjellodden in Nordkapp Municipality (on the island of Magerøya ) is sometimes considered Europe's northernmost point (on an island); Kinnarodden on Nordkinn Peninsula in Lebesby Municipality

4212-465: A way around it, came up from behind, and pushed all but two of the "Long Ears" into the fire. This moat was found by the Norwegian expedition and it was partly cut down into the rock. Layers of fire were revealed but no fragments of bodies. The basis of the Kon-Tiki expedition was Heyerdahl's belief that the original inhabitants of Easter Island (and the rest of Polynesia ) were the "Tiki people",

4368-494: Is the world's most northern fortress. In the 17th century, 88 young women were burned as witches in Vardø, an extremely high number compared to the total population in this area at the time. The first person burned as witch in Vardø in the 17th century was a man. [Vardø archives] Finnmark first became subject to increased colonization in the 18th and 19th century. Norway, Sweden, and Russia all claimed control over this area. Finland

4524-698: Is 914 millimetres (36.0 in) and the wettest season is September until December. The year average temperature difference between Loppa and Karasjok (6 °C) is comparable to the difference between Loppa and London . In the Köppen climate classification , the climate in Karasjok–and most of the lowland areas in Finnmark–corresponds to the Dfc category ( subarctic climate ), while the Loppa climate corresponds to

4680-604: Is a county in northern Norway . By land, it borders Troms county to the west, Finland ( Lapland region ) to the south, and Russia ( Murmansk Oblast ) to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea ( Atlantic Ocean ) to the northwest, and the Barents Sea ( Arctic Ocean ) to the north and northeast. The county was formerly known as Finmarkens amt or Vardøhus amt . Since 2002, it has had two official names: Finnmark ( Norwegian ) and Finnmárku ( Northern Sami ). It

4836-773: Is a constituent member of the Alliance of the Orders of Saint John of Jerusalem . Its headquarters are in London and it is a registered charity under English law . In the 1820s, those Knights of Malta residing in France granted knighthoods to certain people of various Christian denominations who provided support to the Order in England. In 1823, the Council of the French Langues—a French state-backed and hosted faction of

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4992-474: Is about as plausible as the tales of Atlantis , Mu , and 'Children of the Sun.' Like most such theories, it makes exciting light reading, but as an example of scientific method it fares quite poorly." Anthropologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis also criticised Heyerdahl's theory in his 2009 book The Wayfinders , which explores the history of Polynesia. Davis says that Heyerdahl "ignored

5148-613: Is at the apex of the Order of St John as its Sovereign Head, followed by the Grand Prior—since 1975, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester . He, along with the four or five other Great Officers—the Lord Prior of St John, who acts as the lieutenant of and deputy to the Grand Prior; the Prelate , who is an Anglican bishop ; the Deputy Lord Prior (or more than one depending on the Grand Prior's needs), who acts accordingly as

5304-518: Is derived from Old Norse Finnmǫrk : The first element is finn(ar) , the Norse name for the Sámi people, and the last element is mǫrk , which means "woodland" or "borderland". In Norse times the name referred to the land of the Sámi people, or any place where Sámi people lived. The coat of arms is black with a gold-colored castle tower—its blazon reads, "Sable, a single-towered castle Or". The design

5460-445: Is farther east than Saint Petersburg and Istanbul . On 1 January 2020, Finnmark merged with the neighbouring county of Troms to form Troms og Finnmark county. On 1 January 2024, the counties of Finnmark and Troms were restored after parliament decided on 15 June 2022 to separate them. Four municipalities (of the district's 18) had population increases during Q1 in 2021: Alta, Tana, Berlevåg and Loppa. The name Finnmark

5616-405: Is from 1967 and shows the old Vardøhus Fortress , historically on the eastern border with Russia. Finnmark is Norway's northernmost and easternmost county ( Svalbard is not considered a county). By area, Finnmark is Norway's second-largest county, even larger than the neighboring country of Denmark . With a population of about 75,000, it is also the least populous Norwegian county. Finnmark has

5772-562: Is limited to only the members of the Grand Council plus no more than 21 others, though royalty and heads of state of any country may be appointed as a Bailiff or Dame Grand Cross without counting towards the complement. All Priors, should they not already be in the grade or higher, are appointed Knight or Dame upon their assignment. Knights and Dames of Justice, along with all Bailiffs and Dames Grand Cross, formerly were entitled to nominate two personal Esquires , just as each Knight or Dame of Grace could nominate one personal Esquire, subject to

5928-577: Is not in the knights' lists, and he was never 'Prior in the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem': he became an ordinary member of that Order on Nov. 11, 1830." Sir Robert Peat died in April 1837 and Sir Henry Dymoke was appointed Grand Prior and re-established contact with the knights in France and Germany , into which the group had by that time expanded. However, until the late 1830s, only

6084-577: Is part of the Sápmi region, which spans four countries, as well as the Barents Region , and is Norway's second-largest and least populous county. Situated at the northernmost part of continental Europe , where the Norwegian coastline swings eastward, Finnmark is an area "where East meets West" in culture as well as in nature and geography. Vardø Municipality , Norway's easternmost municipality,

6240-569: Is the northernmost point on the European mainland. Honningsvåg in Finnmark claims to be world's northernmost city, and Vardø is the easternmost town in Norway and farther east than Istanbul . The coast is indented by large fjords , many of which (in a strict sense) are false fjords, as they are not carved out by glaciers. Some of Norway's largest sea bird colonies are on the northern coast;

6396-574: Is the only place in the country with a population of muskrats , stemming from their introduction from their native North America into Europe in the early 20th century, which included their release in 293 localities all over Finland from 1919 onward, and then of about 1,000 muskrats on the Kola Peninsula during 1931–36. The animal spread and the observations of first 'possible' muskrats in the river Alta area in Troms were made around 1960, though

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6552-618: Is used for training by the Royal Norwegian Air Force and other NATO allies, in conjunction with the nearby Halkavarre shooting range, which allows for practice with precision-guided munitions. Garnisonen i Porsanger is near the Halkavarre training area. There is also the Garnisonen i Sør-Varanger ( Gsv ) in the east, which guards the border with Russia. The town of Vadsø is the administrative centre for

6708-596: The Kon-Tiki . The Kon-Tiki expedition was inspired by old reports and drawings made by the Spanish Conquistadors of Inca rafts, and by native legends and archaeological evidence suggesting contact between South America and Polynesia . The Kon-Tiki smashed into the reef at Raroia in the Tuamotus on 7 August 1947 after a 101-day, 4,300-nautical-mile (5,000-mile or 8,000 km) journey across

6864-578: The Acali Experiment . After a number of weeks, Ra took on water. The crew discovered that a key element of the Egyptian boatbuilding method had been neglected, a tether that acted like a spring to keep the stern high in the water while allowing for flexibility. Water and storms eventually caused it to sag and break apart after sailing more than 6,400 km (4,000 miles). The crew was forced to abandon Ra, some hundred miles (160 km) before

7020-688: The Agent-General of the French Langues , Peat was elected prior ad interim . Then, on the grounds that he had been selling knighthoods, Peat and other English members of the organisation expelled Mortara, with the backing of the Council of the French Langues, leading to the existence of two competing English chivalric groups between early 1832 and Mortara's disappearance in 1837. On 24 February 1834, three years after becoming prior ad interim , in order to publicly reaffirm his claim to

7176-533: The Arctic Circle , Finnmark has midnight sun from the middle of May until late July. Conversely, in two months of the winter, from late November to late January, the county experiences polar nights where the sun is always below the horizon. As a consequence, there is continuous daylight from early May to early August. At midwinter, there is only a bluish twilight for a couple of hours around noon, which can almost reach full daylight if there are clear skies to

7332-596: The Austronesian peoples and instead argued that Polynesia was settled from boats following the wind and currents for navigation from South America. As such, the Kon-Tiki was deliberately a primitive raft and unsteerable, in contrast to the sophisticated outrigger canoes and catamarans of the Austronesian people. Anthropologist Robert Carl Suggs included a chapter titled "The Kon-Tiki Myth" in his 1960 book on Polynesia, concluding that "The Kon-Tiki theory

7488-589: The Bering land bridge into Northwest America before sailing westward towards Polynesia (the westward direction is because he refused to accept that Polynesians were capable of sailing against winds and currents). He associated them with the Tlingit and Haida peoples and characterized them as "inferior" to the Tiki people. Despite these claims, DNA sequence analysis of Easter Island's current inhabitants indicates that

7644-750: The Canadian national honours system and the priory, established in 1946 out of the Commandery of Canada, is the largest outside of the United Kingdom, with some 6,000 members. The governor general , serves as the prior and chief officer in Canada, while lieutenant governors act as the vice-priors, overseeing the administration of the order in their respective province . These individuals thus automatically become Knights or Dames of Justice upon their assuming viceregal office. An American Society of

7800-587: The Hanau epe and Hanau momoko was a memory of conflicts between the original inhabitants of the island and a later wave of "Native Americans" from the Northwest coast, eventually leading to the annihilation of the Hanau epe and the destruction of the island's culture and once-prosperous economy. Heyerdahl described these later "Native American" migrants as "Maori-Polynesians" who were supposedly Asians who crossed over

7956-416: The Kon-Tiki Museum and the National Library of Norway in Oslo. Heyerdahl was born in Larvik , Norway, the son of master brewer Thor Heyerdahl (1869–1957) and his wife, Alison Lyng (1873–1965). As a young child, Heyerdahl showed a strong interest in zoology, inspired by his mother, who had a strong interest in Charles Darwin 's theory of evolution . He created a small museum in his childhood home, with

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8112-414: The Marquesas , most of the time on Fatu Hiva , were told first in his book På Jakt etter Paradiset ( Hunt for Paradise ) (1938), which was published in Norway but, following the outbreak of World War II , was never translated and remained largely forgotten. Many years later, having achieved notability with other adventures and books on other subjects, Heyerdahl published a new account of this voyage under

8268-431: The Order of Malta . A faction of them emerged in France in the 1820s and moved to Britain in the early 1830s, where, after operating under a succession of grand priors and different names, it became associated with the founding in 1882 of the St John Ophthalmic Hospital near the old city of Jerusalem and the St John Ambulance Brigade in 1887. The order is found throughout the Commonwealth of Nations , Hong Kong ,

8424-412: The Order of St John , and also known as St John International , is an order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria and dedicated to St John the Baptist . The order traces its origins back to the Knights Hospitaller in the Middle Ages, the oldest surviving chivalric order which is generally considered to be founded in Jerusalem in 1099, which was later known as

8580-441: The Pacific Ocean . Heyerdahl had nearly drowned at least twice in childhood and did not take easily to water; he said later that there were times in each of his raft voyages when he feared for his life. Heyerdahl's book about The Kon-Tiki Expedition: By Raft Across the South Seas has been translated into 70 languages. The documentary film of the expedition entitled Kon-Tiki won an Academy Award in 1951. A dramatised version

8736-404: The Priory of England and The Islands was established (including the Commandery of Ards in Northern Ireland ) alongside the existing Priories of Wales , Scotland , Canada , Australia (including the Commandery of Western Australia ), New Zealand , South Africa , and the United States . In 2013, the Priory of Kenya and in 2014 the Priory of Singapore were formed. Each is governed by

8892-452: The Pyramids of Güímar on Tenerife and declared that they were not random stone heaps but pyramids. Based on the discovery made by the astrophysicists Aparicio, Belmonte and Esteban, from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias that the "pyramids" were astronomically orientated and being convinced that they were of ancient origin, he claimed that the ancient people who built them were most likely sun worshippers. Heyerdahl hypothesised that

9048-430: The Republic of Ireland , and the United States of America , with the worldwide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and injury, and to act to enhance the health and well-being of people anywhere in the world." The order's approximately 25,000 members, known as confrères , are mostly of the Protestant faith, though those of other Christian denominations , as well as adherents of other religions are accepted into

9204-445: The Sea of Azov at the northeast of the Black Sea . He searched for the remains of a civilisation to match the account of Odin in Snorri Sturlusson, significantly further north of his original target of Azerbaijan on the Caspian Sea only two years earlier. This project generated harsh criticism and accusations of pseudoscience from historians, archaeologists and linguists in Norway, who accused Heyerdahl of selective use of sources, and

9360-779: The Snøhvit undersea gas field. A new oil field was discovered in 2009 just 45 km (28 mi) off shore, close to the Snøhvit field. There is optimism in the eastern part of the county, as the growing petroleum activity in the Barents Sea is expected to generate increased economic activity on land as well. Some snow molds are prevalent and well adapted here, including Sclerotinia borealis and Typhula ishikariensis (especially T. i. group III). Both are pathogens of wheat , and S. b. also affects rye , barley , and some trees. There are eleven airports, but only Alta Airport , Lakselv-Banak Airport , and Kirkenes-Høybuktmoen Airport have direct flights to Oslo . In addition, Lakselv-Banak Airport in Porsanger Municipality

9516-412: The St John Ambulance Brigade , which undertook practical and life-saving work. The name given in 1888, when the order was first constituted as the present order of chivalry by Queen Victoria 's royal charter was Grand Priory of the Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem in England. This was changed by the royal charter of 1926 to the Grand Priory in the British Realm of the Venerable Order of

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9672-403: The Tigris was deliberately burnt in Djibouti on 3 April 1978 as a protest against the wars raging on every side in the Red Sea and Horn of Africa . In his Open Letter to the UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim , Heyerdahl explained his reasons: Today we burn our proud ship ... to protest against inhuman elements in the world of 1978 ... Now we are forced to stop at the entrance to

9828-465: The United Nations . Heyerdahl built yet another reed boat in 1977, Tigris , which was intended to demonstrate that trade and migration could have linked Mesopotamia with the Indus Valley civilization in what is now Pakistan and western India. Tigris was built in Al Qurnah Iraq and sailed with its international crew through the Persian Gulf to Pakistan and made its way into the Red Sea. After about five months at sea and still remaining seaworthy,

9984-471: The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany , he served with the Free Norwegian Forces from 1944, in the far north province of Finnmark . In 1949, Heyerdahl married Yvonne Dedekam-Simonsen (1924–2006). They had three daughters: Annette, Marian, and Helene Elisabeth. They were divorced in 1969. Heyerdahl blamed their separation on his being away from home and differences in their ideas for bringing up children. In his autobiography, he concluded that he should take

10140-409: The 16th century, settled along the coast. See the articles on Kven people and Vardøhus Fortress for more details. The Sami are the indigenous people of Finnmark, but Norwegians have lived for hundreds of years on the islands' outer parts, where they made up the majority. The Sami people still constitute the majority in Finnmark's interior parts, while the fjord areas have been ethnically mixed for

10296-479: The 36 people living on Rapa Nui who survived the devastating internecine wars, slave raids, and epidemics of the 19th century and had any offspring were Polynesian. Furthermore, examination of skeletons offers evidence of only Polynesian origins for Rapa Nui living on the island after 1680. Heyerdahl's hypothesis of Polynesian origins from the Americas is considered pseudoscientific , racially controversial , and has not gained acceptance among scientists (even prior to

10452-459: The Canarian pyramids formed a temporal and geographic stopping point on voyages between ancient Egypt and the Maya civilization , initiating a controversy in which historians, esoterics, archaeologists, astronomers, and those with a general interest in history took part. KStJ The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( French : l'Ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem ), commonly known as

10608-447: The Caribbean islands, and was saved by a yacht. The following year, 1970, a similar vessel, Ra II , was built from Ethiopian papyrus by Bolivian citizens Demetrio, Juan and José Limachi of Lake Titicaca , and likewise set sail across the Atlantic from Morocco, this time with great success. The crew was mostly the same; though Djibrine had been replaced by Kei Ohara from Japan and Madani Ait Ouhanni from Morocco. The boat became lost and

10764-436: The Cfc category. The northeastern coast, from Nordkapp Municipality east to Vardø Municipality , have arctic tundra climate (Köppen: ET), as the average July temperature is below 10 °C (50 °F). Furthermore, elevations exceeding approximately 100 to 200 metres (330 to 660 ft) in coastal areas in western Finnmark and 300 to 500 metres (980 to 1,640 ft) in the interior result in an alpine climate , and in

10920-401: The English arm of the organisation had considered itself to be a grand priory and langue of the Order of St John, having never been recognised as such by the established order. Dymoke sought to rectify this by seeking acknowledgement from the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Sovereign Military Order of Malta , but its then Lieutenant Grand Master , Philippe de Colloredo-Mansfeld , refused

11076-431: The Grand Council's scrutiny. Knights and Dames receive the accolade from the Grand Prior when they are touched on the shoulder with a sword and are given their robes and insignia. However, jurisdiction dependent, post-nominal letters of the order are not used outside the organisation itself, and a Knight and Dame may not use the prefix Sir or Dame , though they may request from their local heraldic authority

11232-726: The Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem and further in 1936 to the Grand Priory in the British Realm of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem. In 1961, it played a role, together with the Protestant Continental branches of the original Order of Saint John (the " Johanniter Orders " in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and elsewhere), in the establishment of the Alliance of

11388-715: The Medical Officer of the St John Ophthalmic Hospital, which bears a special pattern, and of chaplains, which is a black silk robe with full sleeves. Each cloak also bears on its left side a rendition of the order's star in white silk: the Sovereign Head, Grand Prior, and those in the first two grades of the order all have a 300 millimetres (12 in) diameter emblem; the Sovereign's and Grand Prior's are of white silk with gold adornments,

11544-585: The Norwegian Archaeological Expedition to Easter Island and the East Pacific ) and Heyerdahl later added a third ( The Art of Easter Island ). Heyerdahl's popular book on the subject, Aku-Aku was another international best-seller. In Easter Island: The Mystery Solved (Random House, 1989), Heyerdahl offered a more detailed theory of the island's history . Based on native testimony and archaeological research, he claimed

11700-514: The Order of Malta (Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta)—sought to raise through private subscription sufficient money to restore a territorial base for the Order of Malta and aid the Greek War of Independence . This was to be achieved by issuing bonds in London to form a mercenary army of demobilised British soldiers using readily available, cheap war surplus. A deal transferring various islands to

11856-672: The Order of Malta, including Rhodes when captured, was struck with the Greek rebels , but, ultimately, the attempt to raise money failed when details leaked to the press, the French monarchy withdrew its backing of the Council, and the bankers refused the loan. The Council was re-organised and the Marquis de Sainte-Croix du Molay (previously number two of the Council and a former Order of Malta administrator in Spain ) became its head. In June 1826,

12012-553: The Order of St John does "not confer any rank, style, title, dignity, appellation or social precedence whatsoever". Its place in the order of wear varies from country to country. Unlike those of other hierarchical orders, all grades of the Order of St John rank between the order's predecessor and successor. Some examples follow: Finnmark Finnmark ( Norwegian: [ˈfɪ̀nːmɑrk] ; Northern Sami : Finnmárku [ˈfinːˌmaːrːhkuː] ; Kven : Finmarkku ; Finnish : Finnmark ; Russian : Финнмарк )

12168-684: The Order of St John was established in 1957 as a foundation to assist the order with charitable work, after 1961 focusing its efforts specifically on the St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem and some other organisations aiding the sick. This branch was successful enough that Queen Elizabeth II in 1996 officially created the Priory of the United States of America , the seventh priory at the time, with John R. Drexel as

12324-528: The Orders of Saint John of Jerusalem and thereafter finally received (through an agreement in 1963) collateral recognition by the Order of Malta. Its most recent royal charter was granted in 1955, with a supplemental charter issued in 1974, recognising the worldwide scope of the organisation by setting its present name. In 1999, the order received special consultative status from the United Nations Economic and Social Council . Charles III

12480-462: The Polynesians had golden-brown skin, raven-black hair, and rather flat noses. Heyerdahl claimed that when Jacob Roggeveen discovered Easter Island in 1722, he supposedly noticed that many of the natives were white-skinned. Heyerdahl claimed that these people could count their ancestors who were "white-skinned" right back to the time of Tiki and Hotu Matua , when they first came sailing across

12636-605: The Principal Officers, such as the Secretary-General and Honorary Officers, such as the Genealogist , (currently David White , Garter King of Arms ) and Director of Ceremonies , who all hold office for a period not exceeding three years; the latter position currently being held by Alan Cook, a former Essex Police chief inspector on behalf of Major James Kelly. The Grand Prior may also appoint

12792-478: The Red Sea. Surrounded by military airplanes and warships from the world's most civilised and developed nations, we have been denied permission by friendly governments, for reasons of security, to land anywhere, but in the tiny, and still neutral, Republic of Djibouti. Elsewhere around us, brothers and neighbours are engaged in homicide with means made available to them by those who lead humanity on our joint road into

12948-545: The Sovereign Head and Grand Prior are all of black silk velvet and lined with white silk, the Sovereign Head's mantle is differentiated by an additional train . Bailiffs and Dames Grand Cross and, before 1926, Knights of Justice formerly wore black silk robes with a lining of the same material and colour; these members now wear the same mantle as Commanders and Officers, which are made of black merino wool faced with black silk. The only other unique mantles are those of

13104-533: The St Edward's Crown the coronet in gold of Albert, Prince of Wales (later Edward VII ); and the Prelate's having instead a representation of a mitre in gold. Thereafter, the badges are prescribed as follows: All Bailiffs and Dames Grand Cross may wear their badges at the left hip on a 101.6 millimetres (4.00 in) (for men) or 82.5 millimetres (3.25 in) (for women) wide, black watered silk ribbon over

13260-456: The Sámi, and swarms of mosquitoes in midsummer. Finnmarksvidda makes up 36% of the county's area. Stabbursdalen National Park ensures protection for the world's northernmost Scots pine forest. The Tana River , which partly defines the border with Finland , gives the largest catch of salmon of all rivers in Europe, and also has the world record for Atlantic salmon , 36 kg (79 lb). In

13416-677: The aims of this Christian order and to conduct myself as a person of honour. Those who are Christians additionally recite the following: I solemnly declare that I personally profess the Christian faith and accordingly that I believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Notwithstanding the order's promotion of Christian values of charity and its official stance that the order has

13572-595: The annual average is −2.4 °C (27.7 °F), and precipitation is only 366 millimetres (14.4 in) per year with summer as the wettest season. Karasjok has recorded up to 32.4 °C (90.3 °F) in July, giving a possible year amplitude of 84 °C (151 °F) (rare in Europe ). Finnmarksvidda has annual mean temperatures down to −3 °C (27 °F) (Sihcajavri in Kautokeino Municipality ),

13728-587: The area in the 18th century from Meänmaa , and later in the 19th century from Finland , suffering from famine and war. In 1576, the King of Norway established Vardøhus len as a new administrative unit for most northern part of the kingdom. In 1660, it became Vardøhus amt , a subordinate to the large Trondhjems stiftamt , based in Trondheim . In 1787, the island of Senja and the Troms area were transferred from Nordlandenes amt to Vardøhus amt. In 1866,

13884-532: The award of its Lifesaving Medal and Service Medal . Since the Order's Royal Charter of 1888, the Grand Prior has been appointed by the Sovereign Head and has always been a member of the British royal family . From 1888 until 1943, this office was styled "Sub Prior" and from 1943 until 1950 it was named "Prior." After the officers of the Order follow members, who are divided into six hierarchical grades , all having accordant post-nominal letters . Grade I

14040-542: The coldest in mainland Norway (except for higher mountain areas) and even colder than Jan Mayen and Bear Island . Sihcajavri has also recorded 34.3 °C (93.7 °F) on 23 June 1920. Due to the proximity to the ice-free ocean, winters are much milder in coastal areas (and more windy); Loppa Municipality has average January and July temperatures of −2 °C (28 °F) and 11.6 °C (52.9 °F) respectively, with an annual mean of 3.6 °C (38.5 °F), despite being further north. Average annual precipitation

14196-717: The county is above the tree line , and large parts of the other half is covered with small Downy birch . The lushest areas are the Alta area and the Tana valleys, and in the east is the lowland area in the Pasvik valley in Sør-Varanger Municipality , where the pine and Siberian spruce forest is considered part of the Russian taiga vegetation. This valley has the highest density of Brown bears in Norway, and

14352-555: The county merged into Troms og Finnmark . 18 of those exist as of 2021. People have lived in Finnmark for at least 10,000 years (see Komsa , Pit-Comb Ware culture and Rock carvings at Alta ). The destiny of these early cultures is unknown. Three ethnic groups have a long history in Finnmark: the Sami people , the Norwegian people , and the Kven people . Of these, the Sami probably were

14508-425: The county of Finnmark, although Alta has the largest population. The Finnmark County Municipality was the governing body for the county. The county was generally divided into two districts: West-Finnmark ( Vest-Finnmark ) and East-Finnmark ( Øst-Finnmark ). Until 2006, Statskog , the Norwegian state-owned agency responsible for the management of state owned forest and mountain real estate, owned about 95% of

14664-578: The day before they sailed together to the Marquesas Islands in 1936, Heyerdahl married Liv Coucheron-Torp (1916–1969), whom he had met at the University of Oslo, and who had studied economics there. He was 22 years old and she was 20 years old. Eventually, the couple had two sons: Thor Jr. (1938–2024) and Bjørn (1940–2021). The marriage ended in divorce shortly before the 1947 Kon-Tiki expedition, which Liv had helped to organize. After

14820-626: The east, the Pasvikelva defines the border with Russia . The Finnmarksvidda plateau in the interior of the county has a continental climate with the coldest winter temperatures in Norway: the coldest temperature ever recorded was −51.4 °C (−60.5 °F) in Karasjok Municipality on 1 January 1886. The 24-hour averages for January and July at the same location are −17.1 °C (1.2 °F) and 13.1 °C (55.6 °F),

14976-482: The emphasis being primarily upon 'spiritual beliefs or doctrine' it is on works of mercy rendered through St John". Therefore, while the Great Officers are required to profess the Christian faith, the same is "not an essential condition of membership" and "[t]he onus is on the man or woman who is invited to the privilege of membership to decide whether he or she can with a good conscience promise to be faithful to

15132-653: The end, the dam was built on a much smaller scale than originally intended and the Sami culture was on the government's agenda. The Sami parliament ( Sámediggi ) was opened in Karasjok in 1989. Gjesvær in Nordkapp is mentioned in the Sagas ( Heimskringla ) as a northern harbor in the Viking Age , especially used by Vikings on the way to Bjarmaland (see Ottar from Hålogaland ), and probably also for gathering food in

15288-458: The ensuing three decades and, in 1861, William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester , agreed to become its grand prior. Additionally, an associated national hospitaller organisation was formed with a corps of ambulances . In 1871, the Duke of Manchester instituted a new constitution, which again changed the order's name, offering the more modest Order of Saint John of Jerusalem in England, abandoning

15444-601: The entire blame for their separation. In 1991, Heyerdahl married Jacqueline Beer (born 1932) as his third wife. They lived in Tenerife , Canary Islands , and were very actively involved with archaeological projects, especially in Túcume , Peru, and Azov until his death in 2002. He had still been hoping to undertake an archaeological project in Samoa before he died. In 1936, on the day after his marriage to Liv Coucheron Torp,

15600-544: The expedition. Heyerdahl made other voyages to demonstrate the possibility of contact between widely separated ancient peoples, notably the Ra II expedition of 1970, when he sailed from the west coast of Africa to Barbados in a papyrus reed boat. He was appointed a government scholar in 1984. He died on 18 April 2002 in Colla Micheri , Italy, while visiting close family members. The Norwegian government gave him

15756-457: The film documentary Ra (1972) were made about the voyages. Apart from the primary aspects of the expedition, Heyerdahl deliberately selected a crew representing a great diversity in race , nationality , religion and political viewpoint in order to demonstrate that, at least on their own little floating island, people could co-operate and live peacefully. Additionally, the expedition took samples of marine pollution and presented its report to

15912-543: The first actual specimen was not recovered until 1969, when a muskrat was captured alive in Smalfjord  [ no ] in Tana Municipality (Lund & Wikan 1995). In 1970, another specimen was collected from Jarfjorden in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark (Pedersen 1970). Between 1980 and 1988 there were very few observations of muskrats in Norway (Lund & Wikan 1995). Since 1988 there has been

16068-474: The first people to explore Finnmark. Ohthere of Hålogaland was an adventurous Norwegian (Norseman) from Hålogaland , the area roughly corresponding to today's Nordland county. Around 890 AD, he claimed, according to historical sources (see Ohthere of Hålogaland ) that he lived "north-most of all the Northmen", and that "no one [lived] to the north of him." Later, Norwegians in the 14th century, and Kvens in

16224-498: The first prior. By late 2000, the US Priory had approximately 1,100 members. As citizens of a country that did not have the sovereignty of the Order of St John vested in its head of state, American inductees who first joined the new priory were specifically asked to only "pay due obedience" to the governing authorities of the order "in all things consistent with your duty to your own country," thus eliminating any question of loyalty to

16380-507: The former's also surmounted by a St Edward's Crown, while those for Bailiffs and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames of Justice, and Knights and Dames of Grace are rendered in white linen, the first two groups having embellishments in gold silk, the latter in white silk. Similarly, the star for Commanders and Officers is of white linen with white silk ornamentation, though they are only 228.6 millimetres (9.00 in) and 152.4 millimetres (6.00 in) in diameter, respectively. The secretaries of

16536-466: The four principal angles alternately with two lions passant guardant and two unicorns passant). That for the Sovereign Head is gold with arms of white enamel and the embellishments rendered in gold , all surmounted by a jewelled St Edward's Crown , while those for the Officers of the order are the same save for the Grand Prior's having the crown made only of gold; the Lord Prior's having in place of

16692-477: The freehold in 1887. In 1877, the order established various St John Ambulance associations in major railway centres and mining districts, so that railway men and colliers could learn how to treat victims of accidents with first aid ; in 1882, the Grand Priory founded a hospice and ophthalmic dispensary in Jerusalem (known today as the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group ); and, by 1887, had established

16848-535: The history of ancient Nordic Kings. He spoke of a notation made by Snorri Sturluson , a 13th-century historian-mythographer in Ynglinga Saga , which relates that " Odin (a Scandinavian god who was one of the kings) came to the North with his people from a country called Aser ." (see also House of Ynglings and Mythological kings of Sweden ). Heyerdahl accepted Snorri's story as literal truth, and believed that

17004-518: The interior managed to preserve more of their culture. In the 1970s, instruction of the Sami language started in schools, and a new sense of consciousness started to grow among the Sami; today most are proud of their background and culture. In the midst of this awakening (1979), Norway's government decided to build a dam in Alta to produce hydropower , provoking many Sami and environmentalists to demonstrations and civil disobedience— Alta Conflict . In

17160-572: The island of Senja and the Troms area were separated from Vardøhus to form the new Troms ø amt. In 1919, the name was again changed to Finnmark fylke . In 2002, the Sami language name, Finnmárku , was added as a co-official name for the county. Per Fugelli has said that World War II resulted in many persons acquiring psychiatric disorders ( psykiske senskadene ) which could be from experiencing "bombing, accidents involving mines , burning down of homes, forcible evacuation, illness and starvation during

17316-504: The island was originally colonised by Hanau eepe ("Long Ears"), from South America, and that Polynesian Hanau momoko ("Short Ears") arrived only in the mid-16th century; they may have come independently or perhaps were imported as workers. According to Heyerdahl, something happened between Admiral Roggeveen's discovery of the island in 1722 and James Cook's visit in 1774; while Roggeveen encountered white, Indian, and Polynesian people living in relative harmony and prosperity, Cook encountered

17472-917: The land in Finnmark county. On 1 July 2006, the Finnmark Estate agency took over the ownership and management of that land in Finnmark. The Finnmark Estate was governed in tandem by the Finnmark County Municipality and the Sami Parliament of Norway . The Sami Parliament of Norway is based in the village of Karasjok . The national government runs the Northern Norway Regional Health Authority which in turn owns and operates two hospitals in Finnmark, located in Kirkenes and Hammerfest . There were 19 municipalities in Finnmark when

17628-404: The land, and work on their academic goals, by collecting and studying zoological and botanical specimens. They discovered unusual artifacts, listened to the natives' oral history traditions, and took note of the prevailing winds and ocean currents. It was in this setting, surrounded by the ruins of the formerly glorious Marquesan civilization , that Heyerdahl first developed his theories regarding

17784-429: The lapel of non-formal civilian clothing, for events such as business meetings of the order. In general, the insignia of the Order of St John may be worn at all occasions where other decorations are worn, not only those connected with the ceremonies of the order. All members of the Order are also required to wear specific robes for formal occasions of the society, including a mantle , sopra vest, and hat. The mantles of

17940-550: The largest are Hjelmsøystauran on the island of Hjelmsøya in Måsøy Municipality and Gjesværstappan in Nordkapp Municipality . The highest point is atop the glacier Øksfjordjøkelen , which has an area of 45 square kilometres (17 sq mi), and is in Loppa Municipality . Both Øksfjordjøkelen and Seiland Glacier are in western Finnmark. The Øksfjord plateau glacier calved directly into

18096-460: The left shoulder. Bailiffs and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames of Justice or Grace, and chaplains may all also wear a breast star, which appears the same as their badges, only at a diameter of 88.9 millimetres (3.50 in) and without embellishments for those in Grade I and 76 millimetres (3.0 in) for those in Grade II. Further, those in these groups are also given a button for wear on

18252-419: The maximum number of members is set at 35,000, and appointees may not be under the age of 18. Recommendations are made by the Grand Council and those selected have generally acted in such a manner as to strengthen the spirit of mankind—as reflected in the order's first motto, Pro Fide —and to encourage and promote humanitarian and charitable work aiding those in sickness, suffering, and/or danger—as reflected in

18408-407: The mid-13th century by the Knights of St John. Confrères in Grade I have a plain, white, 300mm diameter Maltese Cross on their sopra vests, while members of Grades II and III, plus chaplains, have a plain garment, though the wearer's Order of St John insignia is displayed outside the vest, 152mm below the collar. Clerical inductees of the order may, when officiating, wear over their cassock and surplice

18564-600: The nearby seabird colony. Coastal areas of Finnmark were colonized by Norwegians beginning in the 10th century, and there are stories describing clashes with the Karelians . Border skirmishes between the Norwegians and Novgorodians continued until 1326, when the Treaty of Novgorod settled the issue. The first known fortification in Finnmark is Vardøhus festning , first erected in 1306 by King Haakon V Magnusson . This

18720-562: The northeast this merges with the Arctic tundra climate . The climate in sheltered parts of fjord areas (particularly the Altafjorden ) is usually considered the most hospitable: winters are not as cold as in the interior, and summer warmth is comparable. Even if winter temperatures are milder in coastal areas, the coast is more exposed to winter storms, which often complicate or shut down road and air communications. Situated far north of

18876-630: The northern Pacific Ocean but brought to the Barents sea by the Russians, have invaded from the east and are now being exploited commercially (especially in the Varangerfjord ). To prevent the crab from spreading too far south, crab fishing west of Nordkapp is totally unregulated. In more recent years, tourism has grown in importance, with the North Cape (in Nordkapp Municipality ) and

19032-647: The office of Prior and in the hope of reviving a charter of Queen Mary I dealing with the original English branch of the Order of Malta, Peat took the oath de fideli administratione in the Court of the King's Bench , before the Lord Chief Justice . Peat was thus credited as being the first Grand Prior of the association, but in January 1919 "W.B.H." wrote to the journal Notes & Queries : "His name

19188-600: The opportunity of being appointed knights of the Order. Few donations were attracted, though, and the Greek War of Independence was won without the help of the knights of the Council of the French Langues. Castellane and Currie were then allowed by the French Council to form the Council of the English Langue, which was inaugurated on 12 January 1831, under the executive control of Alejandro, conde de Mortara,

19344-520: The order has only a minor presence. The Order of St John is said to have arrived in Canada in 1648, as the second Governor of New France , Charles de Montmagny , was a member of the original order, but it was not until 1883 that the first branch of the modern organisation was established in the Dominion , at Quebec City , growing to 12 branches by 1892. The Order of St John today constitutes part of

19500-457: The order's other motto, Pro Utilitate Hominum . To be inducted, new members must recite the organisation's declaration: I do solemnly declare that I will be faithful and obedient to The Order of St John and its Sovereign Head as far as it is consistent with my duty to my [sovereign/president] and to my country; that I will do everything in my power to uphold its dignity and support its charitable works; and that I will endeavour always to uphold

19656-430: The order, the priors and the commanders also wear the badge superimposed upon two goose quill pens embroidered saltire -wise in white silk. The sopra (or supra) vest is a long drape of thin, black cloth that buttons close down the neck and to one side, falling to the ankles and cut so as to entirely cover the body. It is similar to a cassock , though it is actually derived from the supra vesta—a black surcoat worn in

19812-478: The order. Except via appointment to certain government or ecclesiastical offices in some realms , membership is by invitation only and individuals may not petition for admission. The Order of St John is perhaps best known for the health organisations it founded and continues to run, including St John Ambulance and St John Eye Hospital Group . As with the order, the memberships and work of these organisations are not constricted by denomination or religion. The order

19968-412: The overwhelming body of linguistic, ethnographic, and ethnobotanical evidence, augmented today by genetic and archaeological data, indicating that he was patently wrong." In 1969 and 1970, Heyerdahl built two boats from papyrus and attempted to cross the Atlantic Ocean from Morocco in Africa. Based on drawings and models from ancient Egypt , the first boat, named Ra (after the Egyptian Sun god ),

20124-403: The possibility of pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact between the pre-European Polynesians , and the peoples and cultures of South America . Despite the seemingly idyllic situation, the exposure to various tropical diseases and other difficulties caused them to return to civilisation a year later. They worked together to write an account of their adventure. The events surrounding his stay on

20280-404: The pretension to the title of "Sovereign Order". Five years later, Princess Alexandra was appointed a Lady of Justice , and this was followed by her husband, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) becoming a Knight. Two years later, Sir Edmund Lechmere bought St John's Gate as the order's headquarters; the property was initially leased from Lechmere, before the order acquired

20436-404: The professional archaeologists who travelled with him spent several months on Easter Island investigating several important archaeological sites. Highlights of the project include experiments in the carving, transport and erection of the notable moai , as well as excavations at such prominent sites as Orongo and Poike . The expedition published two large volumes of scientific reports ( Reports of

20592-523: The realities of geography and history . Azerbaijanis should be proud of their ancient culture. It is just as rich and ancient as that of China and Mesopotamia ." In September 2000 Heyerdahl returned to Baku for the fourth time and visited the archaeological dig in the area of the Church of Kish . One of the last projects of his life, Jakten på Odin , 'The Search for Odin', was a sudden revision of his Odin hypothesis, in furtherance of which he initiated 2001–2002 excavations in Azov , Russia , near

20748-411: The request. In response to this rebuff, the English body declared itself to be the Sovereign Order of St John in England, under the title The Sovereign and Illustrious Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Anglia, thereby emphasising the order's independence and claim to direct and continuous succession from the Order of St John that was established in the 11th century. This new entity grew its membership over

20904-418: The right shoulder and from a 16.5 millimetres (0.65 in) wide black band at the collar. Male Knights Justice or Grace and Commanders wear their badges on a 16.5mm wide ribbon at the neck, while Officers and Members have theirs on a 38 millimetres (1.5 in) straight ribbon suspended from a medal bar on the left breast. Females in all grades have the option of wearing their insignia on a ribbon bow pinned at

21060-539: The rock carvings that date back to about 8th–7th millennia  BCE at Gobustan (about 30 miles/48 km west of Baku ). He was convinced that their artistic style closely resembled the carvings found in his native Norway. The ship designs, in particular, were regarded by Heyerdahl as similar and drawn with a simple sickle-shaped line, representing the base of the boat, with vertical lines on deck, illustrating crew or, perhaps, raised oars. Based on this and other published documentation, Heyerdahl proposed that Azerbaijan

21216-421: The ruling class of the Inca Empire and set out to voyage into the Pacific Ocean under the leadership of " Con Ticci Viracocha ". Heyerdahl said that when the Europeans first came to the Pacific islands, they were astonished that they found some of the natives to have relatively light skins and beards. There were whole families that had pale skin, hair varying in colour from reddish to blonde. In contrast, most of

21372-419: The sea "from a mountainous land in the east which was scorched by the sun". The ethnographic evidence for these claims is outlined in Heyerdahl's book Aku-Aku: The Secret of Easter Island . He argued that the monumental statues known as moai resembled sculptures more typical of pre-Columbian Peru than any Polynesian designs. He believed that the Easter Island myth of a power struggle between two peoples called

21528-405: The sea ( Jøkelfjorden ) until 1900, the last glacier in mainland Norway to do so. Finnmark's central and eastern parts are generally less mountainous, and have no glaciers. The land east of Nordkapp is mostly below 300 m (980 ft). The nature varies from barren coastal areas facing the Barents Sea to more sheltered fjord areas and river valleys with gullies and tree vegetation. About half

21684-794: The seas, and yet small enough to run the same risks unless those of us still alive open our eyes and minds to the desperate need of intelligent collaboration to save ourselves and our common civilisation from what we are about to convert into a sinking ship. In the years that followed, Heyerdahl was often outspoken on issues of international peace and the environment. The Tigris had an 11-man crew: Thor Heyerdahl (Norway), Norman Baker (US), Carlo Mauri (Italy), Yuri Senkevich (USSR), Germán Carrasco (Mexico), Hans Petter Bohn (Norway), Rashad Nazar Salim (Iraq), Norris Brock (US), Toru Suzuki (Japan), Detlef Soitzek (Germany), and Asbjørn Damhus (Denmark). Heyerdahl made four visits to Azerbaijan in 1981, 1994, 1999 and 2000. Heyerdahl had long been fascinated with

21840-448: The south. Finnmark is in the Aurora Borealis zone, and because of the dry climate with frequent clear skies, Alta Municipality was early chosen as a location for study of the phenomenon. For this reason, Alta is sometimes called the city of the northern lights. Fisheries have traditionally been the most important way of living along the coast, where the majority of the Norwegian population live. The red king crab , originally from

21996-476: The stated aims and purposes of this Christian lay order of chivalry." On the subject of inclusive membership, the report stated "Christian hospitality is a criterion which can be applied to the Order's relationships to persons of other religious faiths", and "the Order needs to be characterized by a hospitable disposition towards other faith traditions while holding fast to its own origins and foundational identity in Christian faith." Admission to or promotion within

22152-440: The third millennium. To the innocent masses in all industrialised countries, we direct our appeal. We must wake up to the insane reality of our time ... We are all irresponsible, unless we demand from the responsible decision makers that modern armaments must no longer be made available to people whose former battle axes and swords our ancestors condemned. Our planet is bigger than the reed bundles that have carried us across

22308-428: The title Fatu Hiva (London: Allen & Unwin , 1974). The story of his time on Fatu Hiva and his side trip to Hivaoa and Mohotani is also related in Green Was the Earth on the Seventh Day ( Random House , 1996). In 1947 Heyerdahl and five fellow adventurers sailed from Peru to the Tuamotu Islands , French Polynesia in a raft that they had constructed from balsa wood and other native materials, christened

22464-427: The town of Kirkenes on 25 October 1944 (as the first town in Norway), the Red Army did not attempt further offensives in Norway. Free Norwegian forces arrived from Britain and liberated the rest of the county. When war was over, more than 70,000 people were left homeless in Finnmark. The government imposed a temporary ban on residents returning to Finnmark because of the danger of landmines . The ban lasted until

22620-467: The towns of Alta and Hammerfest as the most important destinations. As of 2001, one percent of the work force were employed in the oil industry and the mining industry. There is some mining industry, though exploitation of the iron ores along the Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line was paused in 2015 and has not restarted as of 2022. The slate industry in Alta is well known and have sold to customers as far away as Japan . An irregular procurement of

22776-408: The voyage). It is overwhelmingly rejected by scientists today. Archaeological, linguistic, cultural, and genetic evidence all support a western origin (from Island Southeast Asia ) for Polynesians via the Austronesian expansion . "Drift voyaging" from South America was also deemed "extremely unlikely" in 1973 by computer modeling. The 1976 voyage of the Hōkūleʻa , a performance-accurate replica of

22932-437: The war and liberation. But it was maybe in particular the treatment of Russian prisoners that left marks on the local population." Towards the end of World War II , with Operation Nordlicht , the Germans used the scorched earth tactic in Finnmark and northern Troms to halt the Red Army . As a consequence of this, few houses survived the war, and a large part of the population was forcefully evacuated further south ( Tromsø

23088-458: The young couple set out for the South Pacific Island of Fatu Hiva . They nominally had an academic mission, to research the spread of animal species between islands, but in reality they intended to "run away to the South Seas" and never return home. Aided by expedition funding from their parents, they nonetheless arrived on the island lacking "provisions, weapons or a radio". Residents in Tahiti, where they stopped en route, did convince them to take

23244-501: The Æsir dwelt there. The controversy surrounding the Search for Odin project was in many ways typical of the relationship between Heyerdahl and the academic community. His theories rarely won any scientific acceptance, whereas Heyerdahl himself rejected all scientific criticism and concentrated on publishing his theories in popular books aimed at the general public. As of 2024, Heyerdahl's Odin hypothesis has yet to be validated by any historian, archaeologist or linguist. In 1991 he studied

23400-463: Was constructed by boat builders from Lake Chad using papyrus reed obtained from Lake Tana in Ethiopia and launched into the Atlantic Ocean from the coast of Morocco. The Ra crew included Thor Heyerdahl (Norway), Norman Baker (US), Carlo Mauri (Italy), Yuri Senkevich (USSR), Santiago Genovés (Mexico), Georges Sourial (Egypt), and Abdullah Djibrine (Chad). Only Heyerdahl and Baker had sailing and navigation experience. Genovés would go on to head

23556-423: Was crowded), but many people avoided evacuation by hiding in caves and mountain huts and waited until the Germans were gone, then inspected their burned homes. There were 11,000 houses, 4,700 cow sheds, 106 schools, 27 churches, and 21 hospitals burned. There were 22,000 communications lines destroyed, roads were blown up, boats destroyed, animals killed, and 1,000 children separated from their parents. After taking

23712-433: Was later purchased by the University of Oslo Library from Kroepelien's heirs and was attached to the Kon-Tiki Museum research department.) After seven terms and consultations with experts in Berlin , a project was developed and sponsored by Heyerdahl's zoology professors, Kristine Bonnevie and Hjalmar Broch. He was to visit some isolated Pacific island groups and study how the local animals had found their way there. On

23868-406: Was part of Russia at that time and had no independent representative. Finnmark was given the status of an Amt (county) in the 19th century. For a time, there was a vibrant trade with Russia ( Pomor trade ), and many Norwegians settled on the Kola Peninsula (see Kola Norwegians ). The Finnic Kven residents of Finnmark are largely descendants of Finnish -speaking immigrants who arrived in

24024-566: Was released in 2012, also called Kon-Tiki , and was nominated for both the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 70th Golden Globe Awards . It was the first time that a Norwegian film was nominated for both an Oscar and a Golden Globe. In 1955–1956, Heyerdahl organised the Norwegian Archaeological Expedition to Easter Island . The expedition's scientific staff included Arne Skjølsvold, Carlyle Smith, Edwin Ferdon , Gonzalo Figueroa and William Mulloy . Heyerdahl and

24180-422: Was the site of an ancient advanced civilisation. He believed that natives migrated north through waterways to present-day Scandinavia using ingeniously constructed vessels made of skins that could be folded like cloth. When voyagers travelled upstream, they conveniently folded their skin boats and transported them on pack animals. On Heyerdahl's visit to Baku in 1999, he lectured at the Academy of Sciences about

24336-414: Was the subject of a United Nations search and rescue mission. The search included international assistance including people as far afield as Loo-Chi Hu of New Zealand. The boat reached Barbados , thus demonstrating that mariners could have dealt with trans-Atlantic voyages by sailing with the Canary Current . The Ra II is now in the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo , Norway. The book The Ra Expeditions and

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