Early Norse Telegraphy - The Tradition of Naming Newspapers is Born
Olaf Searle sat in his office yesterday discussing many interesting topics in his usual interesting way. A card was lying on his desk on which appeared the word "Budstikken" as the name of a Scandinavian newspaper.
Mr. Searle was asked what the word meant, he replied: "It is a Norwegian word, 1200 years old at least. In those days when the coasts of Norway were ravaged by pirates, the inhabitants had to resort to all sorts of devices to warn those at a distance of the approach of these piratical craft.
When one was seen on the horizon, a man when up to the top of a mountain, where he lighted a beacon fire. This could be seen for a long distance, and was know to be a warning. When it was seen in the distance, another fire was lighted on another hill, until all over the country fires blazed from every hilltop and the people prepared to defend themselves.
They also had a system of messengers. The man who first sighted the sail would take an arrow and send it to his neighbors. From town to town, this arrow was sent until all were warned.
These were rather primitive ways of telegraphing, but were so effectual that in the course of twenty-four hours, all of Norway knew of the approach of pirates. This system of spreading the news was called "Budstikken," and the name is extensively used as a name for newspapers in the old country.
Source: St. Paul Globe, January 6, 1890
