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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. Which of the following best characterizes Gudrid's father?

2. Where does Thorhall end up?

3. What makes Karlsefni decide to leave Vinland?

4. How many ships and men travel with Karlsefni to Greenland?

5. Who was Thorhall?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain Sigrid's vision, including where she was when she had it and the three individuals in her vision she identifies.

2. Summarize the part Thorhall plays in the expedition to Vinland, including how it ends for both him and Karlsefni.

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

4. What is the relationship between Thorbjorn and Orm? How does it change with events?

5. Describe the first two encounters that Karlsefni and his men have with the natives.

6. What happens with the whale? Why do people refuse to eat it?

7. How do Haki and Hekja come to be on the expedition to Vinland? Where are they from?

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

9. Explain the interchange between Bjarni and the young Icelander. What are the circumstances and what is the result?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about the Hebrides and the role of the Vikings in their history.

Part 1. Where are the Hebrides? What is their geology like? Give an introduction to the Hebrides.

Part 2. Why might have the Hebrides been so aptly suited to Viking settlements? Explain the safety and accessibility of the Hebrides.

Part 3. When did Vikings first arrive on the Hebrides? How long did they stay? Give examples and cite particulars.

Part 4. What evidence remains, archeological and otherwise, of the Viking occupation of the Hebrides?

Essay Topic 2

Do some outside research on the mystical creature referred to as a uniped, and write an essay about it.

Part 1. What is a uniped?

Part 2. Other than the Vinland Sagas, where are unipeds referred to them?

Part 3. What lore surrounds unipeds?

Part 4. Do you have an explanation about what unipeds might be? What other theories are out there about what this and other unipeds might be?

Essay Topic 3

The historical novel "The Thrall's Tale" takes place during the sagas. Read the novel and then analyze the novel's connections to the sagas.

Part 1. Introduce and summarize the novel.

Part 2. During which saga does the action of the novel take place? What events happen in both?

Part 3. Which characters from the novel are also characters from the sagas? Are they consistent with their portrayal in the sagas? Does the fiction created surrounding the characters seem likely or plausible? Why or why not?

Part 4. According to you, how well did the author of "The Thrall's Tale" weave her fiction into the sagas? What did she do well and what could she have done better?

(see the answer keys)

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