Historical address before the fourth annual reunion of - Tracey/Tracy ...

THE TRACV IWMILV. 5
The ancient inhabitants of Scandinavia had lived for cen-
tuiiL-s in the northern part of Er.rope. before the rest of the
world kricw of them, and it was at the beginning of written
histt>rv. in the time of Alexander the Great, about two hundred
and tiftv years before C"hi"i>t. a famous j^hilosopher and
explorer, in one of his exploring expeditions, discovered them
and made a record of the fact, hui tids hardy people, living
in the land of tlie niidniglit sim. was so pnigrcssive that they
were becoming more enligiitened and the mc^t learned of all
the people on the continent.
Their existence had been almost mythical with the later
Greek and Roman people, who used to term them Afix'i. or
' Angel-faces." as they were rumored to be so fair. In after
years, they called them •' Northmen." as they lived beyond the
line of the north winds, which was deemed an almost impas.sable
barrier. These Northmen wt-re a flaxen-haired, blue-evcd
race of n^^n. simple, honest and gdod.
Ill tlie cl.iws of (ijd when Ku.rope was degraded by the cliain
of slaver}-, this was the only people that was free and was governed
by th.eir own la.ws. which they themselves had made.
They were a powerful, athletic race, hardy beyond compare,
delighting in mairly sports and astonishing feats of strength
and endurance.
'J'hev were tir-t ruled o\"er. as far as records go. in the third
centurv ^500 \-ears after ChrijtV h\ \\'oden or ()din. who was
described in m\tholtill fewer who claimed such relationship that
coulfi trace the coniiection. J'ut that Lieutenant Thomas