Thor Heyerdahl's Search for Odin. Ancient Links between Azerbaijan and Scandinavia?

Thor Heyerdahl (1914 2002) became world-­famous with his 1947 Kon-Tiki expedition across the Pacific on a balsa raft. He followed with other expeditions the Ra and Ra II and the Tigris and also organized numerous archaeological digs in unexpected places. His books have sold millions of copies. Less known is Heyerdahl s interest in the Caucasus, which was first triggered by a visit to Azerbaijan where he saw the boat petroglyphs in Gobustan. As a result, Heyerdahl was convinced there had been migrations ­between this region and his homeland in Scandinavia. He found confirmation in Snorri Sturluson s medieval saga about Odin s journey from the Caucasus. Thor Heyerdahl s Search for Odin deals with issues related to Heyerdahl s insistence on early man s relationship between the two regions, which was discussed at the Thor Heyerdahl Conference (Baku 2011) by experts in fields such as archaeology, history, music and philology. The forum was a cooperative effort between universities in Azerbaijan and Norway and served as a catalyst in the creation of this book, which ­documents much of the research to date related to Heyerdahl s theory both supportive, as well as critical, of it. The continued exploration of the merits of Thor Heyerdahl s theories, however controversial they might be, is a worthy tribute to his lasting legacy. His enduring courage in challenging conventional wisdom should remain an example to us all. - Espen Barth Eide Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, 2012 2013