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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. What does Thorbjorg do for Gudrid?

2. How does Thorvald know they have found rich country just before he dies?

3. What is Karlsefni's mother's first impression of Gudrid?

4. What does Sigrid see in her vision?

5. What do Haki and Hekja come back with?

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

3. 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?

4. What future does Thorbjorg predict for Gudrid?

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

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

7. How does Karlsefni's mother feel about Gudrid when she meets her and how does that change over time?

8. Explain the encounter with the uniped.

9. How and why does Einar pursue Gudrid in marriage?

10. What does the corpse of Thorstein Eriksson say about the dead? What do the people do after hearing it?

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

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?

Essay Topic 3

Eirik the Red is sentenced to outlawry by the Thorsness Assembly. Write an essay about the concept of outlawry.

Part 1. What does the legal sentence of outlawry mean?

Part 2. What places practiced the sentence of outlawry? When did they stop?

Part 3. What are the good and bad consequences of the practice of outlawry? Why do you think it is no longer practiced?

(see the answer keys)

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