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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How old was Karlsefni's son when they left Vinland?

2. Why is Thorbjorn not in the house during Thorbjorg's visit?

3. Who travels with Thorbjorn to Greenland?

4. How do the natives come the second time they visit Karsefni and his men?

5. What do Karlsefni and his men see from their ship that make them think they have traveled as far from Straumfjord this way as they had the other way?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the two native boys describe the land that is across from their own land? Where might this be?

2. How do Leif's parents, Eirik the Red and Thjodhild, take to Christianity?

3. What kind of place to Karlsefni and his men settle in for their stay in Vinland?

4. Describe Thorbjorn's trip to Greenland. Include who he is with and what happens.

5. What happens to those that stay in Bjarni's ship and those that leave in the small boat?

6. Describe who Thorbjorg is and what her behavior is like when she arrives at Herjolfsness.

7. How does Freydis drive away the natives giving chase?

8. What are the first impressions that Karlsefni and Eirik the Red make on each other? How do they do this?

9. When food runs scarce, Thorhall disappears for three days. How and where do Karlsefni and Bjarni find him? What does he say he was doing?

10. What happens when a native finds an axe near one of the fallen Vikings?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Gudrid (Gudridur Thorbjarnardottir) is possibly one of the best documented and traveled women of her era. Do further outside research and write an essay about Gudrid.

Part 1. Who was Gudrid? Who were her family?

Part 2. What kind of person was Gudrid? How did this affect her life?

Part 3. Where did Gudrid travel during her life? How and why did she travel so extensively?

Part 4. What other major events happened during Gudrid's life and how did she handle them?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay on the runic alphabets.

Part 1. When were the runic alphabets used?

Part 2. What different runic alphabets are there? How do they differ from each other?

Part 3. What runic alphabet did the Vikings use? Give particulars of this alphabet.

Part 4. Give an example of how to translate something into runes.

Essay Topic 3

Several times in the sagas we see a prophecy delivered and taken seriously. Write an essay about the Viking tradition of prophecy.

Part 1. Were the Vikings, in general, a superstitious people? Give examples. What, other than prophecies, did they believe in?

Part 2. How seriously did the Vikings take prophecies?

Part 3. What were some of the common ways for Vikings to receive prophecies?

Part 4. What evidence of prophecies is there in the Vinland Sagas?

(see the answer keys)

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