[0x07c0]

Thor Heyerdahl had this theory, Columbus did not go to Norway but his family is of the Norwegian Nobel Bonde family. They lost a power struggle, and had to go abroad, to Genova . This as I recall is based on a book written by a family member of Columbus, think the brother(if he had one). Stating that the name of the family is not from Italy, but it a Latinifaction of the original language from where the family is from. Bonde means farmer (In Norwegian), Columbus apparently means something of the same. He should then know about Vinland (name of America given by Norse explorer) from his family roots in Norway. I also think part of the theory also was him being a period (some years)aboard a Danish or Norwegian ship, this would have given him hint of a land on the other side of the ocean. Also there are Danish tax records stating that the fishing banks outside New Foundland was taxed by the Danish crown, from before Columbus. There are also tails of Norse-Indian settlements encountered by early settlers.. And I think some one found a Indian skeleton in Denmark or Norway some years back.

Only article I found.. (In Norwegian)

http://tux1.aftenposten.no/kul_und/kultur/d105453.htm

Some more sources here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_colonization_of_the_Amer...

[ZanyProgrammer]

Of course a famous Norwegian thinks Columbus is Scandinavian! I'm reminded of the phrase Samuel Eliot Morrison used in his books on the European Discovery of America-"Scandinavery". Its about as realistic as the "runes" discovered in the midwest in the late 19th century. There's a bit of a cottage industry in the US of various ethnic groups either claiming Columbus was really one of their own, or claiming that some other ethnic group (theirs, coincidentally!) actually discovered America.

[rfrey]

I don't think Scandinavians have any desire to claim Columbus. Now the Portuguese conspiracy to claim Eiriksson on the other hand...

[hinkley]

I think the Polynesians have the best claim on discovering the Americas, at this point.

[elcapitan]

Everybody knows that Columbus was German!

[jo6gwb]

In 1492 Columbus was a Jew.

[Wildgoose]

There are also records of Bristol fishermen using the then highly productive fishing grounds off the coast of Newfoundland and obviously keeping their location quiet!

[Florin_Andrei]

Heyerdahl was a man of extraordinary capability, but he had a tendency to go off on wild tangents once in a while. It's interesting how those wild tangents were, in a sense, what fueled some of his more spectacular projects.