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Thor Heyerdahl

In the spirit of Thor Heyerdahl
The story of Thor Heyerdahl is that of a extraordinary Norwegian.  Who led an even more extraordinary life.

It all started in 1914. Little Thor was born on the 6th of October in Larvik. With a sister 11 years older than him, Thor grew up as an only child.  While other children in Larvik enjoy the summer and beachlife, Thor battles with a fear of water after having nearly drowned under the ice at a very young age.  He spent much of his time alone, but found joy in nature and the rich animal life of the area.  He started collecting reptiles and insects and as he grew, so did his collection.  From his room, he can see out to the ocean and the horizon.  Buried in biology and history books, the big questions begin forming.  How does it all fit together? Where did it all begin? Where do we come from?

Throughout his youth, Thor Heyerdahl cannot help, but feel that these questions need answers.  New answers.  As a 19 year old student in Oslo, he comes into contact with Bjarne Kroepelien, who opens the doors to his private collection of books and papers on Polynesia.  Heyerdahl is quickly gripped by the story.  During the day he studies zoology at the University of Oslo, in the evening he buries himself in books on related subjects such as oceanography and anthropology – and everything else he can find on the Pacific.

Slowly, but surely, a plan begins to form.  Thor Heyerdahl will test the accepted theories and at the same time prove his own theories.  While attending a dance in his hometown, Thor meets Liv Torp from Brevik.  The dancing is awkward, but they are smitten – Liv is charmed by the power, curiosity and strong will of the young Thor.

They get married on Christmas Day in 1936.  On the day after the wedding, the young couple set off on an expedition to the South Pacific island of Fatuhiva, and the life that is going to provide the answers Thor is looking for.

Thor Heyerdahl is now best remembered for his famous voyages – Kon tiki, Ra I and Ra II and Tigris.  Right up to his death on the 18th of April 2002 at the age of 87, however, he was honoured around the world for his untiring work in many different fields.  Thor Heyerdahl was an archaeologist, ethnologist and scientist.  He was a historian, champion of the environment and peace.  His work lead to him being named an honorary citizen of his birth town of Larvik and “Norwegian of the Century” and in deed one of the most recognised Norwegians of all time.  Not all of his theories were accepted in scientific circles, but that was never his goal!

For Thor Heyerdahl it was more important to keep finding and asking new questions and not always to assert full answers.  Call it curiosity of you will.  Call it humility.  Call it belief, hope or desire.  In Thor Heyerdahl’s world, his thoughts new no boundaries, much like the great oceans he crossed.

Distinctions and Honorary degrees
Heyerdahl’s numerous awards and honors include the following:

Retzius Medal, Royal Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography (1950)
Mungo Park Medal, Royal Scottish Society for Geography (1951)
Bonaparte-Wyse Gold Medal, Société de Géographie de Paris (1951)
Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav (1951) and with Star, (1970)
Bush Kent Kane Gold Medal, Geographical Society of Philadelphia (1952)
Honorary Member, Geographical Societies of Norway (1953), Peru (1953), Brazil (1954).
El Orden por Meritos Distinguidos, Peru (1953)
Elected Member Norwegian Academy of Sciences (1958)
Fellow, New York Academy of Sciences (1960)
Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Oslo, Norway (1961)
Vega Gold Medal, Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography (1962)
Lomonosov Medal, Moscow State University (1962)
Gold Medal, Royal Geographical Society, London (1964)
Distinguished Service Award, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington, USA (1966)
Grande Ufficiale Ordine Al Merito della Republica Italiana (1968)
Knight in the Order of Saint-John of Jerusalem.
Order of Merit, Egypt (1971)
Grand Officer, Royal Alaouites Order, Morocco (1971)
Kiril i Metodi Award, Geographical Society, Bulgaria (1972)
Honorary Professor, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico (1972)
Officer, La Orden El Sol del Peru (1975)
International Pahlavi Environment Prize, United Nations (1978)
Order of the Golden Ark, Netherlands (1980)
Doctor Honoris Causa, USSR Academy of Science (1980)
Bradford Washburn Award, Museum of Science, Boston, USA, (1982)
Doctor Honoris Causa, University of San Martin, Lima, Peru, (1991)
Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Havana, Cuba (1992)
Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Kiev, Ukraine (1993)
President’s Medal, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, USA (1996)
Civitan International World Citizenship Award

Bibliography

På jakt efter paradiset: Et år på en sydhavsøy (1938) / (‘Hunt for Paradise’; 1938)
Kon-Tiki ekspedisjonen (1948) / Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific in a Raft (The Kon-Tiki Expedition: By Raft Across the South Seas) (1984)
American Indians in the Pacific: The theory behind the Kon-Tiki Expedition
Aku-Aku : Påskeøyas hemmelighet (1957) / Aku-Aku: The secreit of Easter Island (1957)
Sjøveier til Polynesia (1968) / Seaway’s to Polynesia (1968)
The Ra Expeditions (1970)
Fatuhiva : Tilbake til naturen (1974) / Fatu Hiva: Back to Nature (1974)
Early Man and the Ocean: The Beginning of Navigation and Seaborn Civilizations (1978)
Tigris: På leting etter begynnelsen (1979) / The Tigris Expedition: In Search of Our Beginnings (1979)
Fatu-Hiva (1980)
Mysteriet Maldivene (1986) / The Maldive Mystery (1986)
Påskeøya: En gåte blir løst (1989)
Grønn var jorden på den syvende dag (1991) / Green Was the Earth on the Seventh Day: Memories and Journeys of a Lifetime (1991)
Skjebnemøte vest for havet: De beseiredes historie (1992)
Pyramidene i Tucume (1993) / Pyramids of Tucume: The Quest for Peru’s Forgotten City (1993)
I frøyas fotspor (1998) / In the Footsteps of Adam: A Memoir (1998)

Literature

Christopher Ralling og Thor Heyerdahl: Thor Heyerdahl, eventyret og Livsverket. Gyldendal, 1989
Snorre Evensberget: Thor Heyerdahl, Oppdageren. Stenersens forlag, 1994
Ragnar Kvam jr.: Thor Heyerdahl, Mannen og havet. Bind 1. Gyldendal, 2005

Films

Kon-Tiki 1950
Galapagos 1955
Aku-Aku 1957
Ra 1971
Tigris 1980
Maldivene 1983
Opåskeøya 1987
Jakten på Odin (April 2002)

Expeditions

1937 - 38   Fatu Hiva
1940       British Columbia
1947       The Kon Tiki Expedition
1953       Galapagos
1956       Easter Island, East Polynesia
1969       Ra
1970       Ra II
1978       Tigris
1985       Maldives
1988       Easter Island
1993       Tacume
1998       Tenerife, Canary Islands
1999 - 2000 Azov, Russia
2002       Independant Samoa, West Polynesia

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