One needs contacts to get thing done or published. When I was invited to David Hatcher Childress's wedding I met Brad Olson who was just completing one of his many books "Sacred Places North America"108 destinations, Since David had already published my "American Stonehenge" article in "World Explorers Magazine" www.wexclub.com it gave me a certain licence to exaggerate my weak position as an author. David introducing me to everybody as "not just a fan but a contributing member of the magazine''one of my proudest moments didn't hurt. So after a whoorwind wedding party David passed on his stalker, ME to Brad. Time was short so I had too regale Brad with my "Canadian Serpent mound Hopi and Vikings" story and its close tie in with the Peterborough Petroglyphs. Brad like David was nice enough too condense my 5000 word story into an article in his book. With Brads permission here is his story followed by mine. Check out his web site or his books its like being there. P.S. Brad is one of the most genuine people I know but if you are going too read only one of these stories please read mine . The time we spent at these sites was an adventure in it self full of good times and humor. He stayed at my place and touched up his book a bit before moving on too his next destination. It was good times.Here are some websites
PETERBOROUGH PETROGLYPHS
One long white crystalline marble outcropping in Peterborough Petroglyphs Provincial Park features a full array of Algonquin petroglyphs,along with others that seem oddly misplaced for southern Ontario.The out of place markings are remarkably similar to ancient native art found in Scandinavia,while several others are reminiscent of prehistoric images from the American Southwest. The Algonquin people were the latest artists, contributing their style sometime 100 and 1400Ce. The mamoth stone,at nearly 180 feet(55m) long and 100ft.(30m) wide contains an astonishing 800 images-300 being very distinct,the other 500 somewhat ambiguous. One carving depicts a squating figure with a natural hole in the abdomen that may be symbolic of death and rebirth. Others represent supplications to the Great Spirit. There are similar figures of Algonquin Shamans as well. Perhaps the most intiguing Algonquin image is the "Symbolic Womb"carved above a fissure in the rock,which may be an interpretation of an enterance to the underworld or the symbolic womb of the Earth Mother.The local Anishnawbe people call the slab Kinomagewapkong,meaning "the rocks that teach"Native American shaman used the Pererhorough site as a blackboard to teach new generations mythology,history and conduct rituals.After ceremonies the petroglyphs were covered up with moss and branches to protect them from damage due to the freezing and thaw effects of the Canadian winter.Forgotten for centuries the sacred slab was found again in 1924 by historian Charles Kingam. The Algonquin petroglyphs,while interesting indeed,do not convey the prehistoric mystique of other carvings with obvious characteristics of far away cultures.Two clearly evident boat petroglyphs bear no resemblance to traditional craft of Native Americans,but one solar boat-a stylized shaman vessel with a long mast surmounted by a sun-is typical of petroglyphs found in Scandinavia and Northern Russia. Several inscriptions are nearly identical to those found on a rock near Bosland,Sweeden. Harvard Professor Barry Fell was convinced that many of the Peterborough carvings were created by a Norse King named Woden Lithi, "servent of Odin"who was said to have sailed down the saint Lawrence River from Norway some time between 1500 and 1700bce.This Norseman was a precursor to the later arriving Greenland Vikings by several thousand years.While in the area trading for copper.Woden and his men made several inscriptions on the rocks depicting Norse mythology. Perhaps the Norse saw some of the Native American spirit canoe images and added there own carvings or modified the originals.The masts on the ships and the Vikings standing on the deck have a double meaning just as the did in prehistoric Europe.Fell interprets these as the Ogam language and the tranlations compiled at Pererborough does seem to describe a transatlantic voyage and trading expedition.The motivation for travel was copper,which is very abundant near the surface only a few hundred miles away in the Lake Superior region. The Peterborough area is about halfway along the strtigic Trent-Severn Waterway connectiong Lake Huron and Lake Ontario. The fact that the Peterborough Pertoglyphs are located near a known prehistoric trade route certainly reveals much about the exotic travel in bygone days right up to colonial times.
THE MORE THAN 800 PETERBOROUGH PETROGLYPHS REPRESENT ONE OF THE BEST-PRESERVED AND STYLISTICALLY DIVERSE ROCK SITES IN NORTH AMERICA.TO MANY SUCCESSIVE CULTURES IT WAS A BILLBOARD TO DENOTE AN EVENT,PHRASE A DEITY,OR TEACH MYTHOLOGY. Adding further intrigue,two Peterborough carvings look strikingly similar to the Hopi kachina flute-player called Kokopelli. This pair of Hunchbacked figures,along with long-robed anthropomorphic figures,are misplaced over three thousand miles from there Arizona homeland,where their depictions proliferates in the Southwest. Legend has it that various Hopi clans traveled on multi-year migrations across both North and South American continents. They left their marks as signposts for other Hopi travelers or to pay homage to their spirit helpers,such as the distinct hunchbacked figure Kokopelli. Of the two types of hunchbacks depicted,one is the traditional flute playing kachina protrayed with a phalanx symbol,and the other has a peculiar"antena"on its head. The latter could be viewed as one of the mythical"Ant People" deities who helped the Hopi through the destruction of the world and are viewed as very revered spiritual helpers.One of the Hopi kachinas is located near an Algonquin "spirit Canoe."In Native Canadian mythology a tribal shaman would take unhealthy people into the spirit world to help them heal by using these special boats.Similar spirit canoes are also depicted in Mayan mythology throughout Mesoamerica. Other Hopi clan symbols represented at Peterborough are the Turtle,Wolf Eagle and Crain clans.Yet these can be argued away as comon animal motifs of worship that most Native cultures used.Another Hopi clan symbol worth noting is a large serpent mound only 60 miles 97km away from Peterborough with similarities to the Great Serpent Mound in Ohio,which is also mentioned in Hopi legends. The Hopi Kachins symbol at Peterborough so far away from from their Southwest Homeland,lends credibility to their legends that the history and trade lines of North America are much more ancient and sophisticated than is commonly accepted.The argument that the Peterborough Petroglyphs revel proof of Pre-columbian contact in the heart of North America only adds to the mystique of the sight.
That was Brads version now please go Serpent Mounds Hopi and Vikings for mine.
