Spin the Globe: The Incredible Adventures of Frederick von Wigglebottom

Fjords, Vikings and Reindeer

Edward Moldenhauer Illustrated by Kenn Yapsangco To my children for providing the ideas, To my wife for providing her support.

Order this book online at www.trafford.com or email [email protected] Most Trafford titles are also available at major online book retailers. © Copyright 2014 Edward Moldenhauer. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author. Printed in the United States of America.

ISBN: 978-1-4907-3440-8 (sc) 978-1-4907-3439-2 (e) Library of Congress Control Number: 2014907480 Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them. Our mission is to efficiently provide the world’s finest, most comprehensive book publishing service, enabling every author to experience success. To find out how to publish your book, your way, and have it available worldwide, visit us online at www.trafford.com Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only. Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock. Trafford rev. 4/22/2014

www.trafford.com North America & international toll-free: 1 888 232 4444 (USA & Canada) fax: 812 355 4082 Preface

Spin the Globe: The Incredible Adventures of Frederick von Wigglebottom is a fact-based and educational book series based on bedtime stories I told my daughter and my son. Each night they would ask Daddy to tell them a story. After exhausting every variation of bunny, frog, knight, and princess stories I could come up with, one evening I took notice of the globe that sat atop their dresser. I asked them to help me with a story topic and had them “spin the globe”! They would use their fingers to stop the globe, and wherever their finger landed, I had to tell them an impromptu story about that particular country or area. With an interest in world history and geography, it was never too difficult a task. My goal was not only to entertain (and hopefully tire them out) but also to use the story as an opportunity to broaden their horizons, instill a desire to learn even more, and become good citizens of our planet. Our narrator, Frederick von Wigglebottom, introduces the main characters (always a girl and a boy) who are indigenous to the area, the main theme of the story, and some cool facts about where he landed. Frederick also carries his trusty journal, with maps and other choice tidbits of information. I hope that you enjoy reading these stories to your children as much as I enjoyed telling them.

Prologue

“What is our story going to be about tonight, Daddy?” asked the little ones. “Well, let’s just spin the globe and find out!” Every night’s story begins the same way: the little ones decide where Frederick von Wigglebottom will travel on his next adventure. Tonight the globe stopped on Norway, the Land of the Midnight Sun. As Frederick grabs his trusty journal and prepares . . .

Chapter 1 Velkommen to Trondheim

Each time Frederick awoke from a spin, he knew it would be a totally new and incredible adventure. This time he could sense that he was very near the sea. The air was cool, had a salty smell, and he could hear seagulls somewhere in the distance. “Oh, I must be somewhere in the northern seas,” he exclaimed. When he opened his journal, there was a map of the Kingdom of Norway, home of the Vikings. Norway is part of Scandinavia, a group of countries in Northern Europe, way up near the Arctic Circle. As always, Frederick knew he needed to find a new friend to help him figure out exactly where he had landed. Just then a cheerful-looking girl came strolling by. She had long golden- blond hair that was woven into braids which fell over her shoulders and sparkling eyes as bright blue as the sky. “Hello,” Frederick called out. The young girl heard Frederick and walked over. “Velkommen, may I help you?” the girl replied. “Yes, my name is Frederick. What is your name?” Frederick asked. “Eg heiter Nikolina. Oh, I will speak in your language. My name is Nikolina, but my kompis, or friends, call me Nikki,” she replied. Frederick said, “I seem to be a little lost. I know I am by the sea and that I am in Norway. What I am not sure of is exactly where I am.” “You are in my home city of Trondheim on the river Nidelva. You are correct that you are near the sea, the Norwegian Sea to be exact. Trondheim is a port on the Trondheimfjord. Do you know what a fjord is, Frederick?” asked Nikki. “Not really,” responded Frederick, just a little embarrassed that he was not quite sure. “Well, a fjord is a body of water, like a bay. Fjords are usually very deep, with narrow channels and steeply hilled sides. They were formed by glaciers,” explained Nikki. “Fjords make for excellent protection from the icy winds that can come from the north. That is why the Vikings settled in these areas.” Nikolina continued, “Norway is famous for our fjords and a coastline of over fifteen thousand miles.” “Gosh, that is a lot of coastline,” exclaimed Frederick. “So what brings you to visit Norway?” Nikolina inquired. “Well, I am an adventurer and explorer,” Frederick explained. “I travel the globe looking to meet new and interesting people just like you. Plus, I like learning about new cultures and lands.” “That sounds like a lot of fun,” said Nikki. “My family has lived in Norway near the sea for many generations. My family descended from what most people refer to as Vikings, even though most Vikings did not sail the seas in longships.” “I am very interested in learning more about the Vikings and other cool facts about this beautiful country,” replied Frederick. “We can learn more about Norway at the library here in town,” Nikki said. “Trondheim, whose ancient name was Nidaros, was founded in the year 997 by the Viking king Olav and was the capital of Norway until 1217. It is also famous for the Nidaros Cathedral. The original church was built over a thousand years ago over the burial site of Saint Olav.” “I was just heading to the library to meet my friend Erik, and we walk past the cathedral on our way. Would you like to join me?” asked Nikolina. Frederick was excited to see the sites and also to meet another new friend. “Sure. How far is the library from here?” he asked. “Oh, it is just down the street. We will walk by the cathedral and by the landmark we call Gamle Bybro, or the Old Town Bridge. Every visitor to our city needs to see it!” Nikolina replied proudly with a big smile.

C h a p t e r 2 Strolling through Trondheim

As Frederick walked along with Nikolina, he noticed just how clean the city was and that the air was so fresh. Frederick was glad that he was here in early summer because he was sure it got pretty cold in the winter. The skies were so blue, and the sun seemed just a little brighter here, too. Frederick asked Nikolina about the seasons in Norway. “We just love being outside, whether it is summer or winter. But in the summer, from May to July, it can be a lot of fun because the sun stays up almost all day long. With that much sun, we can do quite a bit of hiking and biking to stay active. Bicycling is really neat here in Trondheim because we are the first city in the world to have a specially designed bicycle lift called a sykkelheis. We call it the Trampe and it takes you up the steep hill near Gamle Bybro,” Nikki boasted. “A bicycle lift, just like a ski chairlift?” asked Frederick. “Ja, except you stay on your bike and the lift pushes you up the hill. It is great and saves walking your bike up the hill!” Nikki said. “In the winter, the sun sometimes never totally comes up, or it seems like it is always twilight,” she went on. “In the winter we still go for walks, but we also snow ski and ice skate.” “Erik is from the most northern part of Norway called Finnmark. When we meet him, he can tell you more about our amazing seasons and the northern lights,” she stated. “The northern lights, what are they?” asked Frederick. “Well, the northern lights are really called the aurora borealis. At nighttime, energy from the sun sort of wraps itself around the North Pole. This energy creates all kinds of beautiful light patterns across the night sky. The lights are very bright where Erik is from, but we see them here in Trondheim too,” Nikolina described. “I know that there are some very nice photographs of the northern lights at the library. I will make sure that I point them out to you,” she said. “What do you and your family do here in Trondheim?” asked Frederick. “I study piano and take lessons at the music school,” she replied. “My mother is a teacher, and my father works on an offshore oil-drilling platform, way out in the Norwegian Sea. He works there for a couple of weeks, then he is home for a couple of weeks,” she continued. “He says that he lives on the sea just like his Viking ancestors did, except he takes a helicopter out to the platform instead of having to row out in a longship!”, she chuckled.

“He says that the sea can become angry when the weather turns bad, and he is always happy to get back home. When he is home, our family will take a drive into the country and go for a hike and picnic,” she continued. “That sounds like fun. There is probably a lot of interesting things to see,” Frederick replied. “We enjoy seeing the scenery and sometimes animals, but we make sure to keep our distance. There are brown bears, wolves, foxes, and lynx. Also there are very large elk—what some people call a moose—regular deer, and tiny roe deer. It is always exciting to see beautiful creatures, and my father says we see heldig villdyr or lucky wild animals that connect us to nature.” Nikolina glowed at the thought. “Are there reindeer here in Norway, seeing that you are so close to the North Pole?” Frederick wondered out loud. “Yes,” replied Nikolina. “Actually, reindeer are located in the northern part of the country where Erik is from. Erik’s family actually has a reindeer herd. You can ask him all about them when you meet him. He is very proud to talk about his heritage and his reindeer. Oh, there he is now!” she said. C h a p t e r 3 Erik and the Vikings

Frederick was excited to meet Erik and learn more about the northern lights and herding reindeer. Norway was so interesting and full of very unique things. Nikolina called out, “Hei, kompis! Noko nytt?” “That means ‘hello, friend’ and ‘what’s up?’” she explained. Erik was a strong-looking lad and was wearing a colorful blue shirt full of neat patterns. “Hey, Nikki, not much is new with me. How are you doing? Who is your new friend here?” Erik asked. “I am doing great,” she responded. “This is my new friend, Frederick. He is an adventurer and explorer that just arrived in Trondheim. He is really eager to learn about Norway.” Erik gave Frederick a good, firm handshake and said, “Velkommen, kompi! We will be more than happy to tell you everything about our land.” “I am also pleased to meet you and I really like your shirt.”

“Thanks, it is a gákti, the traditional shirt from my people. Sometimes we make them from reindeer leather, but because the weather is warm today, I wore this lighter one,” Erik explained. “I am ready and raring to learn about Vikings, the northern lights, and reindeer. Norway is awesome!” Frederick eagerly answered. “So what do you want to learn about first?” asked Nikki. “Let’s start with the Vikings!” said Frederick. As they continued into the library, Nikolina walked over to a display case with all kinds of artifacts. The case had an interesting stone with carvings on it, steel helmets and swords, and all types of tools. “That stone is pretty neat. Does it mean anything?” Frederick asked. Nikolina told Frederick that the stone is called a rune stone. The carvings are actually letters from the runic alphabet, and they can tell a story or mark an important spot, like a memorial. Sometimes a rune stone can have carvings that look like animals or symbols. “The note below the stone states that it may have been a burial marker,” she read aloud. She also explained to Frederick that the helmets in the display were true Viking helmets, without any horns. “Many people think that Viking helmets had horns, but they didn’t. It seems that many people are intrigued by the Vikings,” she continued. Erik added, “The Vikings were also excellent sailors. They sailed all over the north seas and throughout Europe, exploring. Did you know that some historians say that the term víking actually refers to ‘an expedition overseas’? But others think it means more like ‘warriors raiding from the sea.’” “I prefer the expedition meaning, kind of like what you do Frederick,” Nikolina stated. Frederick had a vision in his mind of being a Viking sailing and exploring the high seas. “Frederick, if you have the time on this visit, you should go to our capital city of Oslo and visit the Viking ship museum there. It even has a complete longship. Those boats sat very low in the water, pretty scary sailing!” Erik added. “There were many famous Vikings such as Leif Erikson and his father, Erik Thorvaldson, better known as Erik the Red because of his red hair,” Erik explained. “My parents named me Erik because Erik the Red was a great explorer. Just like you, Frederick, they wanted me to travel and explore around the world,” he continued. “Many Norwegian last names are based on the old way of using your father’s name. Leif Erikson was Leif, son of Erik, and Erik Thorvaldson was Erik, son of Thorvald. It got a little confusing, especially if there were a couple of men who lived in your village named Thorvald,” Erik explained, and they all chuckled. “Vikings also had many mythological characters that are still popular today: Thor, the hammer-bearing god of thunder, and his father, Odin, ruler of Asgard, just to name a couple of them. Actually, the days of the week Wednesday and Thursday are named after them. Wednesday was known as Odin’s Day, and Thursday was known as Thor’s Day,” Erik continued. “The myths also talk about giants known as jötnars and dwarves we call trolls,” he added. “Some people still believe that the jötnars and trolls still live up in the mountains. Nikki, have you ever seen one on your hikes?” he prodded. “The only troll I have ever met is standing next to me!” she joked as she gave Erik a little nudge in the stomach. They all laughed.

C h a p t e r 4 From the Land up North

“All those facts about Vikings are fascinating. What about telling me something about where you are from, Erik?” Frederick said. Erik began to describe where he was from. “I come from a town called Hammerfest in Finnmark, way up north. We border Russia on the east and Finland on the south. Finnmark is above the Arctic Circle and is the home of my people, the Sámi. The Sámi people have lived there for many thousands of years.” Erik proudly continued, “The Sámi people live there in the tundra by being excellent fishermen and, in my family’s case, herding reindeer. My gákti is the traditional shirt worn by Sámi men. In winter it can also get very cold, so we wear reindeer leather and fur to protect us from the wind. Our clothes have meanings too.” Erik explained that the colors of the beading and patterns can indicate a person’s village and also if they are married or not. “It is tradition that if the buttons on your belt are square, it means you are married. If they are round, you are single.” “I guess we all have round buttons!” Nikolina chimed in. Erik continued, “Because Finnmark is so far north, we have the midnight sun from the middle of May until early August. That is really great to do things outside, but in the deepest and coldest months of the winter, we have polar nights.” “Polar nights, what are those?” inquired Frederick. “Polar nights occur when the sun never gets above the horizon. During these days, there are only a couple hours of faint bluish twilight around lunchtime,” Erik explained. “Midnight sun, polar nights, and northern lights, yikes,” exclaimed Frederick. “How do you get used to all of these changes?” “You get used to doing a lot more during the summer months and trying to stay warm in the winter,” replied Erik. “The northern lights are a different thing altogether.” “Nikolina told me a little about the northern lights, but she said you could give me a much better explanation,” Frederick said. “That was very kind of you, Nikki,” said Erik as he nodded toward Nikki. Erik went on to describe the beautiful colors that dance across the night sky. “Because there are not many streetlights in my hometown, and the air is so clear and dry during our long polar nights, people come from all over the world to see the northern lights.” He continued explaining, “When solar particles from the sun hit the gases in the Earth’s atmosphere at the North Pole, the gases can start to glow. The most common color is an eerie shade of green, and they can cover the sky like the rippling waves on the ocean,” Erik described. “They are truly a magnificent sight to see.” “You will need to come back in the winter to see them firsthand,” Nikolina added. “That sounds like a plan. I will just make sure that I pack plenty of warm clothes and a flashlight!” Frederick responded with a laugh. “So is it true that your family really has a reindeer herd, Erik?” asked Frederick. “Oh yes,” Erik replied. “I actually will have to return home in about a week to help my family move the herd to their summer feeding grounds. I have to help set up our kata, which is like a tepee.” “The Sámi people have a strong connection to our reindeer. In fact, Norwegian law states that only the Sámi people are allowed to have a reindeer herd. My family has had this herd for many generations,” Erik continued.

“Reindeer are smaller than most people think. The biggest reindeer is only about one hundred ten to one hundred twenty centimeters tall, or between three and four feet. Plus, did you know that both boy and girl reindeer grow antlers?” Erik asked. “I did not know that. So, Erik, with all these reindeer, do you worry about Santa borrowing any?” Frederick asked with a little glimmer in his eye. “Well, in the winter we do keep a sharp eye out for anyone wearing a funny red suit!” Erik chuckled. “We use reindeer for food, milk, and clothing. We use their antlers to make tools and art. We even use them as transportation,” Erik added. “Transportation, do you mean like pulling a sleigh with seven other reindeer?” Frederick said, and Nikolina giggled. “No, don’t be silly. We keep the chubby guy and his sleigh away from our herd. You can actually ride them, but we usually have them pull a pulk, which is like a toboggan or sled.”

C h a p t e r 5 Let’s Celebrate

“Why don’t you tell Frederick about your singing, Erik?” Nikolina asked. Erik then told Frederick that he was invited to Trondheim to perform the traditional folk singing of the Sámi called the yoik. A yoik is a songlike chant with a deep emotional tone. Erik also uses a hand drum to accompany his singing. “It is a very big honor for Erik to be invited here to Trondheim to sing the yoik. Tomorrow is Syttende Mai, which translates to May Seventeenth. It is Norwegian Constitution Day, our largest national celebration of the year,” Nikolina described. “There are parades, and everyone dresses up in their finest bunad or gákti. Performers from all over Norway come to celebrate,” she added. “Okay, I know what a gákti is, but what is a bunad?” Frederick asked. “Oh, sorry about that. Bunad is also traditional Norwegian clothing like gákti. Girls have very beautiful dresses and boys handsome suits made with elaborate embroidery. Norwegians wear bunad for celebrations such as folk dances or weddings but especially for Syttende Mai,” Nikolina answered. “My bunad is a beautiful forest green with many silver buckles and buttons. It has embroidered roses and pine boughs. You will really like it,” she said with a sparkle in her eye. Erik then added, “I have brought along one of my family’s best reindeer gákti and belt. My jacket has a brightly colored pattern of beads and pewter buckles. Plus my belt, which was my grandfather’s, has buttons carved from reindeer antlers.” “Oh, Erik looks so handsome in his gákti too,” Nikki added. The next morning, Erik, Nikolina, and Frederick watched the parades and everyone in their bunad and gákti. It seemed like everyone was waving a Norwegian flag. People were singing, dancing, and having a great time. Nikki and Erik were correct; they both looked beautiful and handsome in their traditional clothes. Frederick was a little jealous that he did not have a neat outfit just like them. Just then Erik handed him a small Norwegian flag on a stick for Frederick to wave. “Frederick, here is a small souvenir of the day for you,” Erik said. Frederick was fond of the bright red flag with its white and blue stripes. He would make sure that he put it in his journal so he would not lose it. “For lunch we are going to eat some traditional Norwegian food. Interested in trying some?” asked Nikolina. “Sure,” replied Frederick, “I am game for anything. What’s on the menu?” “Because we are a coastal country, we eat quite a bit of fish. Today, we are having smoked salmon, gravlaks, and lutefisk. I think you will like the salmon and gravlaks, which is cured and spiced salmon. Lutefisk is an acquired taste, and most non-Norwegians and even some native Norwegians like me do not like it,” Nikolina admitted, looking around to make sure no one heard her. “We also have reindeer and elk meat which is served with juniper berry sauce or lingonberry jam. They are very tasty,” Erik added. Frederick’s stomach started to rumble. “Sounds yummy. I cannot wait to try everything—well, except the lutefisk!” Before eating, Nikki and Erik offered a toast to Frederick, “Skål! That means ‘cheers and to good health.’” Frederick thought he just might need it after tasting all these unique treats. Once lunch was finished, Nikolina said that they need to make their way to the Ringve Museum, which is Norway’s national music museum. That is where Erik was performing the yoik. After a quick stroll, they were there. Erik walked up to the stage and gripped his hand drum. Just as he was about to start his melody, Frederick noticed that the drum was painted with a globe. “Well, it seems that when each of my adventures is drawing to a close, I can see the globe, and one is painted on Erik’s drum,” Frederick stated. Then Frederick could feel himself beginning to swirl with brilliant colors just like he imagined the northern lights. “Here I go again. I feel myself getting drawn in,” Frederick replied with a look of anticipation on his face. He grabbed hold of his satchel containing his journal as he heard “Se deg senere, kompis” in the background. Nikolina and Erik both chimed, “That means ‘See you later, friend’!”

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Book 3: Alpacas in the Andes - Peru Book 4: Turtles of the Reef - Belize Book 5: Where the Earth Meets the Sky - Nepal Book 6: Magic in Marrakech - Morocco My Incredible Adventures Glossary aurora borealis—Also known as the northern lights in the northern hemisphere and aurora australis (or the southern lights) in the southern hemisphere. Caused when charged particles collide with the Earth’s magnetic field to illuminate the polar regions with a yellow-green or sometimes faint-red to purple glow. bunad—Traditional Norwegian clothing with typically elaborate embroidery worn for celebrations such as folk dances, weddings, and National Day (May 17) celebrations. gákti—Traditional clothing worn by the Sámi people for both ceremonial purposes and while working, particularly when herding reindeer. The colors, patterns, and accessories of the gákti can tell you where a person is from, if they are single or married, and sometimes their family, similar to the tartan plaids of Ireland and Scotland. gravlak—A dish made of raw salmon cured in salt, sugar, and dill. jötnar—A group of giant beings from Scandinavian folklore who were known to be very big and strong. One jötnar is known as a jötun. kata—A cone-shaped tent traditionally used by the Sámi people, having a frame of wooden poles and a reindeer hide covering, very similar to a tepee. Land of the Midnight Sun—Norway’s nickname due to the fact that the northern part of Norway is located above the Arctic Circle and is known to receive sunlight twenty-four hours a day from mid-May to mid-July. lingonberry—The edible fruit of a short evergreen shrub that grows in the Arctic tundra. longship—A sleek wooden ship designed by the Vikings for speed. The ships were light and double-ended so that they were easy to maneuver. Longships had oars for rowing and a large sail and sailed all throughout the North Atlantic Ocean. lutefisk—A dish made from aged or dried whitefish that has a gelatinous texture and an extremely strong, pungent odor. Nordic countries—The term Nordic (meaning “northern”) is often used when discussing the countries of Scandinavia, Finland, Iceland, and their other territories such as Greenland. Norse mythology—Mythical figures such as Thor, Odin, and Loki were chronicled in sagas or tales about their exploits and interactions with humans and other beings, such as the jötnar (giants) and trolls, that might have been friends, foes, or family. Norway—The Kingdom of Norway is a sparsely populated country of about five million people located in the Northern European area referred to as Scandinavia. The largest city and capital is Oslo. reindeer—Most reindeer in Norway are domesticated animals, but wild reindeer can still be found. Norwegian reindeer do not grow that big, and both male and female have antlers. roe deer—Roe deer are petite members of the deer family, and only the males have antlers. rune stone—Memorial stones and markings left behind by Vikings, with lettering from the runic alphabet or other carvings. Sámi—The indigenous group of people who live in the far northern arctic regions of Europe (Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia). The Sámi people are well- known as nomadic reindeer herders and as excellent coastal fisherman. Scandinavia—Refers to the Northern European countries of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, although Finland and Iceland are sometimes included. sykkelheis—A bicycle lift. troll—A small supernatural being from Scandinavian folklore. Trolls live away from people in the mountains or in caves and do not like helping humans. tundra—A geographic term used to describe an area where trees cannot grow due to cold temperatures and short growing seasons. Viking—A term used to refer to the seafaring people who lived in Scandinavia. They explored, traded, and settled (and sometimes raided) the islands of the North Atlantic. The term Viking loosely translates to “an overseas expedition.” Besides being warrior-explorers, Vikings were also farmers, fishermen, and craftsmen.