Baffin Island, Arctic Circle

Baffin Island is Canada’s largest island, the world’s fifth largest, and home to Iqaluit, the capital city of Nunavut.

The first European landing on the island was made by Martin Frobisher in 1576 while he was searching for the Northwest Passage.  Frobisher led three expeditions to the Canadian Arctic, exploring Frobisher Bay and Baffin Island in his quest for the elusive passage.  On his second expedition, he returned to England with large quantities of ore, claiming they contained gold, but the ore was later found to be worthless, leading to significant financial losses. Despite these setbacks, Frobisher pressed on with his explorations and even contributed to the defence against the Spanish Armada in 1588, for which he was knighted in recognition of his service.

The island has been inhabited for over 3,000 years, first by the Dorset people, followed by the Thule, the ancestors of the Inuit.  However, Bjarni Herjolfsson is believed to be the first European to sight Baffin Island in the late 10^th century when he was blown off course while sailing from Iceland to Greenland.  Fifteen years later, Leif Erikson embarked on his own voyage from Greenland to explore new lands.  Upon reaching Baffin Island, Erikson named it Helluland, meaning “Flat-Stone Land”.  Given the island’s harsh and inhospitable conditions, Erik lost no time deciding to continue his journey and not settle there.

It's easy to imagine that the Baffin Mountain Range, rising from the Arctic landscape, could have once been seen as a home for gods, with the names of its peaks reflecting ancient Viking stories.  Take Mount Odin, for example.  Standing as the highest peak, it mirrors Odin, the Norse ruler of the gods.  Its towering height and ruggedness make it feel like a place where the god of wisdom, war, and knowledge might stand, watching over everything.

Not far off are the peaks of Asgard, aptly named after the realm of the gods, with their twin, flat-topped summits that evoke the very image of Asgard itself.  In Norse mythology Asgard is often described as a grand place where the gods dwell.  These twin peaks mirror that idea perfectly, especially the saddle connecting them, much like a bridge linking the gids to their realm.  Just beyond is Mount Thor, named after the god of thunder, whose power seems to echo through the storms that frequently sweep across the region.  These legendary names are woven into the landscape, making it feel like the myths are alive in the very mountains themselves.