OSLO'S SHIP MUSEUMS

THE KON TIKI  MUSEUM

RA II

            In Oslo, Norway, the Kon Tiki Museum is just down the road from the Viking Museum.  Thor Heyerdahl, 1914-2002, sailed the balsa Kon Tiki, with six men, 4000 miles from Peru to Polynesia in 1947 to prove South Americans could sail to Polynesia. The Kon Tiki used a small oar as Heyerdahl wanted to sail the currents, not steer the craft. Unfortunately after 101 days Kon Tiki hung up on a coral reef in Tahiti.

             In 1970 he sailed the Ra II, made of papyrus reed with seven men across the Atlantic. In 1969 Ra I’s reeds became saturated after six or seven weeks during that voyage. Both original crafts are on display in the museum.  The reed boat, although as sturdy as, looked nothing like the attractive reed boat of Peru’s Eros people. This raft was strictly utilitarian.

            The museum is small but well done. It was exciting to see the actual craft I’d heard about in my youth as well as the Ra. All I can say is that it took a lot of courage to set out to sea in either craft, as they didn’t look all that sturdy to me.  

 THE VIKING MUSEUM

 Viking Museum is located on the Bygdey (sounds like big day) Peninsula. In 1913, a Swedish professor suggested a special building be constructed to house the Viking ships which were in storage at a University of Oslo facility. The Oseberg, excavated in 1904, was moved in 1926 and the two other ships, discovered in   in 1932. Three 9^th century ships are surrounded by artifacts from days of plunder. The ships were excavated from Oslofjorden. Made of oak, the ships were buried in blue clay which preserved them well. The boats were used as tombs for the nobility. Things needed for their journey including jewelry, furniture, and food were buried with the bodies.1867 and 1880, were moved

            The Oseberg, buried in 834 and found by accident in 1904, sports an elaborate dragon and serpent carvings. It took 30 people, 15 on each side, to row the 71-foot long, 15-foot wide boat. Considering their age, the boats were in incredible condition. The main boat had 90% of its original lumber! The mast was 49-foot high and carried a 120-square-meter sail. With its shallow draft it skimmed the water.

BRASS FIGURES TO PET SHINY

                       Good Luck Brass Figures

The first brass figure I came across 25 plus years ago was Tacca on my first trip to Victoria, BC. He sat in the patio area near the gift shop at Buchart Gardens. A large 1620 bronze boar, he is a copy of an original that was in the Straw Market in Florence, Italy. The Bucharts purchased him on one of their European trips.

The unique posture of Tacca suggests neither attack nor repose, but instead that he was awakened suddenly by the sound of the hunt. Years later a pond was added at the base with bronze frogs, snakes, and turtles among the plants. His snout is finely burnished by hundreds of visitors who have given him an affectionate rub for good luck. He is dedicated to all the children and animals who visit Buchart Gardens. I gave him a pat years later but  my last visit to the gardens was at night and I somehow missed him.

The statue of a little dog is one of the most photographed statues in Edinburgh, Scotland. The little Skye Terrier was the dog of an Edinburgh policeman known as a bobby. For five years he accompanied his master on his rounds all over the city. Then the policeman died. The gates to the cemetery proclaimed NO DOGS, and the gates were shut the day of the funeral before the little dog could get through them.

Each day after the one o’clock cannon firing at the fort above the Royal Mile the little dog walked to the coffeehouse his master often frequented. He was given a few scraps to eat, then he’d return to the cemetery to guard his master’s grave. After the first day when the cemetery caretaker found him and realized the dog was Greyfriars Bobby he ignored the no dogs rule. Every day for ten years the little dog would repeat his routine. Often on very cold winter nights a caring person would give him shelter in their home. When the little dog died, an exception was made to allow him to be buried beside his master. The little brass replica on a post on the Royal Mile is a favorite photo op.

At one end of the small park in Kiev, Ukraine stands a bronze statue of a little cat whose ears and

tail are shinny from the many rubbings they have received---a sign of good luck. Years ago the little cat smelled smoke and scratched the security people to warn its owners of a fire in time for all of them to make it to safety. But in all the confusion the little cat was forgotten and died of smoke inhalation.

 

In Havana, Cuba there is a life-size bronze statue of a French gentleman standing on the sidewalk outside Basilica Manor.

To touch either his beard or hand is supposed to bring good luck. Both were shiny from much rubbing.

I’ve seen many many statues in my travels, but these are the good-luck charmers of which I have fond memories.