Our maps and the vikings

When historian and DNA researcher Sturla Ellingvåg first contacted us three years ago, we didn't think much of it. He was just another guy with a Youtube channel who asked for permission to use our maps in his videos. (As you very well know, it happened many times before.)

Then his book about the vikings and Norwegian history got in the finish line, and he again went for a Grasshopper Geography map. After this, we stayed in contact, occasionally fixing up a map for him to suit his latest research or lecture.

One of his talks this summer was held in a nearby town here in Northern Norway. The event was part of a festival celebrating coastal traditions and the water bodies that surround us - a really fitting environment for some colourful river maps.

It was great to see our maps in action, how they were integrated in the stories that Sturla told us about the vikings and their ancestors. He is an excellent storyteller with a great sense of humour and an immense amount of knowledge, who is clearly in love with his work. Even during our private talks he was always circling back to Norwegian history with an entertaining anecdote or a fun fact. We really enjoyed spending some time with him and getting to know the local history and culture a bit better.

The book he wrote in collaboration with Wolfgang Wee, 12000 år med norsk historie (12000 years of Norwegian History), will soon be available in English with the title The Roots of the Vikings. Looking forward to read it!