Who Named America? Surprising Facts About Its Origins

  • Thread starter Aufbauwerk 2045
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In summary, the conversation discussed various theories and facts about the origin and discovery of America. It was mentioned that the old Norse word for "Far Land" is Omme-rike, which is similar to the German word "Reich." It was also noted that Columbus visited Iceland, a Norse country, before discovering America. The discussion then touched upon the possibility of the clovis people being a European derived culture, but the scholars rely on written documents and monuments for accurate information. The conversation ended with a humorous remark about destroying fantasies and a laugh.
  • #1
Aufbauwerk 2045
Today I learned several interesting facts about America. Perhaps it's not named after "Amerigo" Vespucci after all.

The old Norse word for "Far Land" is Omme-rike. "Rike" is similar to the German word "Reich."

Columbus visited Iceland, a Norse country, years before he "discovered" America.

The Icelanders needed wood from somewhere. Much shorter and safer to sail to Greenland than to Europe, and from Greenland it was a certain landfall to the heavily wooded coasts of Omme-Rike.
 
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  • #2
I would need some significant evidence before going with that "Omme-Rike" notion.
Amerigo put his name of the maps of America that he drew.
The Nordic culture was not well known to the New World adventurers.
 
  • #3
FWIW - Mousterian (France) and Clovis (New World) neolithic technology were somewhat contemporary - that is the points and cutting tools have a lot of unique features that they share. Some scholars have posited the clovis people may have been a European derived culture. This is on a level with your Omme-Rike concept.

This whole problem is why scholars go with written documents, stelae, runestones, or monuments when they exist. That they are completely correct is impossible to prove, but it is far better than anything else we have. As @.Scott mentioned. This is the why of it.
 
  • #4
I see. Next thing you'll be telling me that my family tree going back to Adam and Eve via some Norse warlords is not authentic. Go ahead and destroy all my fantasies while you are at it.

LOL

:)
 

Related to Who Named America? Surprising Facts About Its Origins

1. Who named America?

The name "America" is derived from the Latin version of the name "Amerigo," which was the first name of Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. However, the continent was named after him by German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller in 1507.

2. Why is America named after Amerigo Vespucci?

Amerigo Vespucci was a popular explorer during the Age of Discovery and was one of the first to recognize that the land discovered by Christopher Columbus was, in fact, a new continent. Martin Waldseemüller decided to name the continent after him as a tribute to his contributions.

3. Was America always called "America"?

No, before it was named America, the continent was referred to by many names such as "The New World," "The Western Hemisphere," and "The Indies." It wasn't until Martin Waldseemüller's map in 1507 that the name "America" was officially used.

4. Are there any other theories about the origin of the name "America"?

Yes, some scholars believe that the name "America" comes from the indigenous word "Amerrique," which means "land of the winds." However, there is little evidence to support this theory, and the majority of historians still credit Amerigo Vespucci as the origin of the name.

5. Did Amerigo Vespucci ever set foot in North America?

No, Amerigo Vespucci only explored parts of South America and the Caribbean. However, he wrote letters and accounts of his voyages, which were widely read and contributed to the popularization of the name "America."

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