OHTHERE FROM HåLOGALAND

(Redirected from Account of the Viking Othere)
'Ohthere from Hålogaland' (Norwegian: ''Ottar fra Hålogaland'') was a Viking adventurer from Hålogaland. Around 890 he traveled to England, and Alfred the Great had his tales written down.
Ohthere told that he lived farthest to the north of all the Norwegians. He told about his travels to the Bjarmaland (White Sea), and south to England, accurately describing the entire Norwegian coast. He told about the Finns (or Kvens), the Samis and the Swedes.
Ohthere's story is the earliest known written source using the term Norwegians (''Norðmonna'', genitive).
Ohthere lived in Troms, probably somewhere just north of Harstad, maybe on Senja (today's Lenvik is seen as most probable) or slightly further north (Kvaløya or Karlsøy). According to Ohthere, his residence was the northest of all Norwegians, and only Sami people lived further north.

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References

References

★ ''Sweet's Anglo-Saxon Reader'' (Many editions from the Clarendon Press) contains an excerpt of Alfred's account of Ottar's travels.

★ Ohthere's story in ''Old English Orosius''. Original text and its English translation.