Wilhelm August Graah (1793–1863) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

naval officer and

Arctic explorer Arctic exploration is the physical exploration of the Arctic region of the Earth. It refers to the historical period during which mankind has explored the region north of the Arctic Circle. Historical records suggest that humankind have explored ...

. Graah had mapped areas of West

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...

when he, in 1828–30, was sent by

King Frederick VI Frederick VI (Danish and no, Frederik; 28 January 17683 December 1839) was King of Denmark from 13 March 1808 to 3 December 1839 and King of Norway from 13 March 1808 to 7 February 1814, making him the last king of Denmark–Norway. From 1784 ...

of Denmark on an expedition to the unmapped eastern coast with the purpose to search for the lost

Eastern Norse Settlement The Eastern Settlement ( non, Eystribygð ) was the first and by far the larger of the two main areas of Norse Greenland, settled by Norsemen from Iceland. At its peak, it contained approximately 4,000 inhabitants. The last written record from t ...

Expedition

The expedition set out from

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

in the

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...

''Hvalfisken'', but - once arrived in

- used

umiak The umiak, umialak, umiaq, umiac, oomiac, oomiak, ongiuk, or anyak is a type of open skin boat, used by both Yupik and Inuit, and was originally found in all coastal areas from Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲir� ...

s able to navigate in the waters between the coast and the sea ice of southeastern Greenland. In 1829, the expedition reached

Dannebrog Island Dannebrog Island ( da, Dannebrogsø) is an uninhabited island of the King Christian IX Land coast, Sermersooq municipality, southern Greenland. The island was named by officer of the Danish Navy Wilhelm August Graah and it was the northernmost ...

(65° 18' N), where it was stopped by ice. They wintered at Nugarlik (63° 22' N) and returned to the settlements on the west coast of Greenland in 1830. Two naturalists participated - the

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...

Christian Pingel Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρισ ...

and the

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

Jens Vahl Jens Laurentius Moestue Vahl (27 November 1796 – 12 November 1854) was a Danish botanist and pharmacist. Biography He was son of the Danish-Norwegian botanist and zoologist Martin Vahl (1749-1804). Jens Vahl graduated as a pharmacist in 181 ...

. Graah published an account of the exploration. Graah named the southeastern coast of Greenland King Frederick VI Coast and mapped about 550 km of formerly uncharted territory. Although he had been asked to reach 69°, Graah fell short of his goal of going further north owing to innumerable hardships. He made numerous contacts with the now extinct Southeast-Greenland Inuit, describing in detail some of their customs and way of life.Spencer Apollonio, ''Lands That Hold One Spellbound: A Story of East Greenland'', 2008 pp. 29-40

Honours

The

Graah Mountains The Graah Mountains ( da, Graah Fjelde or ''Graah Bjerge'')Spencer Apollonio, ''Lands That Hold One Spellbound: A Story of East Greenland'', 2008 p. 33 are a mountain range in southeastern Greenland. Administratively this range is part of the Kuja ...

''(Graah Fjelde)'' and

Graah Fjord Graah Fjord, also known as Devold Fjord and Langenæs Fjord, is a fjord in King Frederick VI Coast, eastern Greenland. Administratively it is part of the Sermersooq municipality. History There are remains of ancient Inuit settlements of the south ...

in the King Frederick VI Coast of SE

, as well as

Cape Graah A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck. History Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. The ...

in King Christian X Land were named after him.Greenland Pilot - Danish Geodata Agency, p. 22

Literature

*English translation, ''Narrative of an Expedition to the East Coast of Greenland,'' London, 1837

References

External links

The Fate of Greenland's Vikings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graah, W. A. Explorers of the Arctic Danish polar explorers Scandinavian explorers of North America Greenlandic polar explorers 1793 births 1863 deaths

Expedition

Honours

See also

Literature

References

External links