Vikings And Heroes

I paid a visit to Library And Archives Canada during Doors Open. The complex, which sits west of the Supreme Court and across from the Garden of the Provinces, provides some of the same services as the Library of Congress, for my American readers. The headquarters building was completed in 1967. While I've featured the exterior periodically before, this is the first time I've photographed inside.

Within the lobby, this plaque caught my eye. It features old Norse runes in the center, with English and French translations at either side. Two accounts, of Bjarni Herjolfsson and Leif Erikson, describing the sighting and early landing in North America by Viking sailors, are translated in vivid detail.

There was also an exhibit going on here on the main floor, of Canada and comic books. That includes characters in Canadian publications, characters of Canadian roots, and Canadian creative talent working on familiar characters. Joe Shuster, for example, the co-creator of Superman, was born and grew up in Canada, and some of those influences went into the character. Many contemporary Canadian comics writers and artists are in the industry today working on major titles. Canadian characters include Marvel's Wolverine (who I refer to as the Drunken Hobbit), Deadpool (who never stops talking), and the Alpha Flight team, while DC recently had one of their Justice League teams operate out of Canada, with a Canadian member.