The RL origin of Cape Farewell

[Daniel Farewell]

When you hear the name “Cape Farewell”, you may think it's a beautiful and romantic name with somany connotations about goodbyes and adieus. Saying goodbye is always difficult...

NEVER MIND THAT

This is punk.

When I first heard about Cape Farewell, IRL, it was on a BBC weather report when I lived in the UK. I'd never heard of it before then. Well, Cape Farewell for those who don't know it, is the southernmost point of Greenland. In Greenlandic it's known as Uummannarsuaq (in the modern spelling, much more weirder in the older spelling) and in Danish as Kap Farvel.

This made me google Cape Farewell, and I came across a cool punk (or at least punk in the sense Nordic people see it) song by the Danish band Gasolin' but covered by some teenagers from Qeqertarsuaq (hope I spelt that right! Also known as Disko Island).

The song goes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwiR-u-cZyU


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Lyrics:

Der kom et skib
til Julianehåb.
Da det lagde til
da stod der skæbner på spil

Det' den hvide mand
send ham hjem
Han vil stjæle dit land
send ham hjem
Han ta'r din sjæl i pant
Hvis han kan det

Han vil drikke dig fuld
og rane dit guld
Han vil skænde din brud
Og slå ihjel din Gud
Det' den hvide mand
send ham hjem

Han har mistet sin forstand
send ham hjem
Han ta'r din sjæl i pand
hvis han kan det

I Danmarks land
var han en lille mand
men i Upernavig
der blev han mægtig og rig

Det' den hvide mand
send ham hjem
Han vil stjæle dit land
send ham hjem
Han ta'r din sjæl i pant
Hvis han kan det
Hvis han kan det
hvis han kan det
Det' den hvide mand ...

Give me a few mins, and I'll try and translate the lyrics. But Danish is difficult

[Daniel Farewell]

There came a ship
to Julianehåb.
As it anchored there
their destinies were at stake.

It's the white man -
Send him home.
He wants to steal your land -
Send him home.
He takes your soul in pledge/debt
If he can.

He wants to make you drunk
And rob your gold
He wants to violate your bride
And kill your god
It's the white man
Send him home.

He has lost his senses
Send him home
He takes your soul in pledge
If can so.

In Denmark's land
he was a little man
but in Upernavik
he got mighty and rich

[Santelran Rottsaa]

THE WHITE MAN! SEND HIM HOME!

[Ryan]

Scary that I know exactly where Julianehaab and Upernavik are....

Of course, Hyperborea did have a former claim north of Qaanaaq.

[Daniel Farewell]

Ryan, really? Tell me more.

[Ryan]

Back before the MCS was around, we all had claims on real land, just like the secessionists. Automatica claimed part of Irvine, California. Yardistan was Erik's back yard. Universalis claimed the asteroid Vesta. Blackrock claimed the suburb of Dublin with the same name. And so on and so forth.

Hyperborea claimed a small island off the northwestern coast of Greenland. What is interesting is that with the recent retreat of Arctic ice, they actually found and island there! Scott could tell you exactly which one it was, but it was one of the ones north of Etah in the Lincoln Sea.

If you use GoogleEarth you can zoom in on northwestern Greenland and see the islands and some nice photos.

[Daniel Farewell]

Aw, cool.

Once my health is better I'll join the Nordic exchange programme. You'll work the summer in one of the Nordic countries, and I'm kinda inclined to list Greenland as my priority. After all, I can understand one of their languages. And I've always wanted to taste whale

The Faroes are interesting too. Or I might go to Finland and stalk Ari. And Tahmaseb.

[Ari Rahikkala]

Yardistan was Erik's back yard.

I thought it was Stjepan's? (kinda fuzzy on this...)

[Harvey Steffke]

It was Stjepan's.

[Scott of Hyperborea]

Hyperborea claimed a small island off the northwestern coast of Greenland. What is interesting is that with the recent retreat of Arctic ice, they actually found and island there! Scott could tell you exactly which one it was, but it was one of the ones north of Etah in the Lincoln Sea.

Indeed, and the island involved may look very familiar.

[Daniel Farewell]

That's cool!

[Ryan]

Once my health is better I'll join the Nordic exchange programme. You'll work the summer in one of the Nordic countries, and I'm kinda inclined to list Greenland as my priority. After all, I can understand one of their languages. And I've always wanted to taste whale

Except for the whale-eating part, that sounds pretty awesome. I've wanted to go to Greenland for years. Convincing my wife to go someplace colder for vacation is an uphill battle... You need to go there an plant the Hyperborean flag for us!


I'd forgotten Scott copied the island directly onto Micras. I had also forgotten Yardistan was Stjepan's backyard... Old age is setting in...

[Scott of Hyperborea]

Ryan, if it's at a convenient time for me and I can part with the money, please include me in your Greenland plans. I've always wanted to go too.

(fun fact: the only direct Greenland-US flight is from Baltimore. Otherwise you've got to fly via Iceland or Denmark, which are way out of the way and very expensive)