Thule
From Freepedia
- For other uses, see Thule (disambiguation).
Thule or Tile is in classic sources a place, usually an island, in the far north, often Scandinavia. Ultima Thule in medieval geographers may also denote any distant place located beyond the "borders of the known world".
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Pytheas
It was first mentioned by the Greek geographer and explorer Pytheas of Massalía (present-day Marseille) in the 4th century BC. Pytheas claimed that Thule was six days north of Britain, and that the midsummer sun never set there. Thule is sometimes seen to have some commonality with Atlantis. The most likely locale for Thule is nowadays considered to be the coast of Norway; other historians think it was the Shetland Islands, Faroe Islands or Iceland, however.
Procopius
In Procopius, Thule was a large island in the north inhabited by 25 tribes. It is clearly Scandinavia since several tribes are easily identified, such as the Geats (Gautoi) and the Saami (Scrithiphini). He also wrote that when the Heruls returned, they passed the Varni and the Danes and then crossed the sea to Thule, where they settled beside the Geats.
Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, the name was sometimes used to denote Iceland, such as by Bremen's Deeds of Bishops of the Hamburg Church, where he probably cites old writers' usage of Thule.
Modern use
A settlement in Greenland was named Thule after the old tradition. Its name was later changed to Qaanaaq.
The name of Cthulhu, the tentacle-headed monster in H.P. Lovecraft's story The Call of Cthulhu, may also be derived from Thule.
Ultima Thule is also the name of the Swedish rock band Thule.
See also
- Aristeas Another Greek voyage to the far north.
- Phantom island
- Thule Society
