Tim Severin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tim Severin
Born	Timothy Severin (1940-09-25)25 September 1940 Jorhat, Assam, British India
Died	18 December 2020(2020-12-18) (aged 80) Timoleague, West Cork, Ireland
Occupation	explorer, historian and writer
Period	1978–2020
Genre	Historical fiction, non-fiction

Timothy Severin (born September 25, 1940 – died December 18, 2020) was a famous British explorer, historian, and writer. He was well-known for traveling the world to retrace the amazing journeys of people from history and legends. Severin received important awards like the Founder's Medal from the Royal Geographical Society and the Livingstone Medal from the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. His book The Sindbad Voyage also won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award in 1982.

About Timothy Severin's Life

Timothy Severin was born in 1940 in Jorhat, Assam, India. His father managed a tea plantation there. When he was seven, he moved to England for school. He went to Tonbridge School and later studied geography and history at Keble College, Oxford. He chose the name Severin to honor his grandmother, who took care of him when he was young.

Severin was married two times. His first wife was Dorothy Sherman, who studied old Spanish literature. They later divorced. He then married Dee Pieters.

Timothy Severin passed away on December 18, 2020, at his home in Timoleague, West Cork, Ireland. He was 80 years old. He is remembered by his daughter, Ida Ashworth, and his two grandsons.

Recreating Ancient Journeys: Severin's Expeditions

Timothy Severin loved to explore and learn about history by reliving famous journeys. He would build boats or travel routes that ancient explorers might have used.

Retracing Marco Polo's Journey (1961)

While he was a student at Oxford University, Severin and two friends, Stanley Johnson and Michael de Larrabeiti, decided to follow Marco Polo's journey from the 1200s. They used Polo's book The Description of the World as their guide. They rode motorcycles from Oxford through Europe and Asia, going through Turkey, Persia, and Afghanistan.

They faced many challenges like sandstorms, floods, and even motorcycle accidents. They also spent time in jail! Severin and his guides rode camels through a pass to find places Marco Polo had described. They couldn't finish the whole trip to China because of visa problems, so they sailed back to England from Bombay.

Exploring the Mississippi River (1967)

Severin explored the Mississippi River, which is a very long river in the United States. He followed the paths of explorers from hundreds of years ago, from early Spanish explorers to those in the 1800s. He traveled the entire length of the river himself, using a canoe and a small boat.

The Brendan Voyage: Across the Atlantic (1976–1977)

Some historians believe that old Latin stories from around 800 AD tell about St Brendan's seven-year voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to a new land. Severin thought this legend might be true. In 1976, he built a replica of Brendan's boat, called a currach.

This 36-foot (11 m) boat was made by hand using traditional tools. It was built from Irish ash and oak wood, tied together with almost two miles (3 km) of leather rope. The boat was covered with 49 specially treated ox hides and sealed with wool grease.

On May 17, 1976, Severin and his crew sailed from Tralee, Ireland, on the Brendan. For over 13 months, they traveled 4,500 miles (7,200 km). They arrived in Canada on June 26, 1977, landing on Peckford Island, Newfoundland. The Canadian Coast Guard then towed them to Musgrave Harbour.

Severin told reporters that they had proven a leather boat could cross the North Atlantic. They stopped at the Hebrides, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland along the way. He believed his trip helped explain parts of the old legend, like the "Island of Sheep" and "Paradise of Birds." Severin's book about this adventure, The Brendan Voyage, became a huge success and was translated into many languages.

Today, the Brendan boat is on display at the Craggaunowen museum in County Clare, Ireland.

The Sindbad Voyage: Sailing to China (1980–1981)

The famous stories of the sailor Sindbad from One Thousand and One Nights inspired Severin's next journey. He spent three years studying the legend and old drawings of medieval ships. In 1980, he went to Sur, Oman.

With help from the Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said al Said, Severin guided Omani shipbuilders to create the "Sohar." This was an 87-foot (26.5 m) replica of a ninth-century Arab dhow ship. It had cotton sails and was built in seven months. The wooden planks were hand-sawn and sewn together with almost 400 miles (640 km) of rope made from coconut husks.

The Sohar left Oman on November 21, 1980. Severin and his crew of 25 navigated by the stars. They traveled almost 6,000 miles (9,600 km) in eight months. They sailed across the Arabian Sea to India, then to Sri Lanka, and across the Indian Ocean. They faced calm waters for nearly a month, had broken parts on the ship, and almost crashed into large cargo ships. Finally, they reached Guangzhou, China, on July 6.

The Jason Voyage: Quest for the Golden Fleece (1984)

Severin's next adventure was based on the ancient Greek poem Argonautica, which tells the story of Jason and the Argonauts. He studied old Greek ships and the poem's details. A master shipbuilder in Spetses built a 54-foot (16.5 m) replica of a Bronze Age galley ship, like the Argo.

In 1984, Severin and twenty volunteer rowers sailed and rowed from northern Greece. They went through the Dardanelles, across the Marmara Sea, and through the Straits of Bosphorus into the Black Sea. They reached the Phasis delta in what was then Soviet Georgia. This was a journey of 1,500 miles (2,400 km). Along the way, they found places mentioned in the Jason story and possibly an explanation for the legend of the Golden Fleece. Severin wrote about this trip in The Jason Voyage (1985).

The Ulysses Voyage: Homer's Odyssey (1985)

Using the same Argo ship from The Jason Voyage, Severin followed the route of Ulysses' journey home in The Odyssey in 1985. He sailed from Troy to Ithaca in the Ionian islands.

During this trip, Severin identified places like the land of the Lotus-eaters, King Nestor's palace, the Halls of Hades, the Roving Rocks, Scylla and Charybdis, and even the sirens. His book, The Ulysses Voyage (1987), shares the story of the expedition, his historical research, and the discoveries he and his crew made.

By Horse to Jerusalem (1987/88)

Nine hundred years after the First Crusade, Tim Severin and Sarah Dormon rode horses to follow the 2500-mile path of Duke Godfrey of Boullion and other Crusaders. They started in Belgium and traveled through modern-day Germany, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Syria, aiming for Jerusalem.

They chose a riding school horse named Mystery and a strong Ardennes horse named Carty. Carty was a descendant of the war horses used by Crusaders. This journey was a return to long-distance land exploration for Severin after many sea trips. The journey took place over two years, with the horses and riders resting during the winter of 1987/88. Severin could not follow the exact Crusader route because of a civil war in Lebanon, so he went through Syria and Jordan to reach Jerusalem.

In Search of Genghis Khan (1990)

Severin had studied the first European travelers in Central Asia from the 1200s and 1300s for his university thesis. To celebrate the 800th birthday of Genghis Khan, he rode with Mongol herdsmen along the routes used by messengers of the Mongolian empire. He also spent time with camel herders in the Gobi Desert and ate with Kazakhs in their yurts. His book, In Search of Genghis Khan (1993), combines travel stories with his research.

The China Voyage: Bamboo Raft Across the Pacific (1993)

Ancient Chinese stories tell of Hsu Fu, an explorer sent by the first Emperor of China in 218 BC to find life-extending medicines in the "Eastern Ocean." Some believe Hsu Fu reached America and returned on a bamboo raft.

Severin wanted to see if such a voyage was possible. On a beach in Sam Son, Vietnam, he oversaw the building of a 60-foot (18.3 m) long, 15-foot (4.6 m) wide raft. It was made from 220 bamboos and rattan cords, with an 800 square foot (74 square meter) sail.

After leaving Asia in May 1993, Severin and his crew faced monsoons, pirates, and typhoons. The rattan began to rot, and the raft started falling apart in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. After traveling 5,500 miles (8,850 km) in 105 days, they had to leave the raft about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) short of their goal.

Even though the Hsu Fu raft didn't complete the trip, Severin believed the journey was a success. In The China Voyage (1994), he wrote that the expedition proved a bamboo raft from the second century BC could have crossed the Pacific, just as Hsu Fu's story claimed.

In Search of Moby Dick: Quest for the White Whale (1999)

Following the path of the Pequod from the famous novel Moby Dick, Severin set out to find a living, white sperm whale. His search took him to remote parts of the South Pacific. He visited the Philippine island of Pamilacan, where people hunt whale sharks with their hands and grappling hooks. He also went to the Indonesian island of Lamalera, where people hunt sperm whales with harpoons from open boats. During his trip, Severin compared Melville's book to what he found in real life.

Timothy Severin's Fiction Books

Besides his non-fiction books about his expeditions, Severin also wrote historical fiction.

Viking Series

This series, first published in 2005, tells the stories of a young Viking adventurer who travels the world.

• Odinn's Child (2005)
• Sworn Brother (2005)
• King's Man (2005)

The Adventures of Hector Lynch Series

Starting in 2007, this series is set in the late 1600s and follows the adventures of a 17-year-old Corsair.

• Corsair (2007)
• Buccaneer (2008)
• Sea Robber (2009)
• Privateer (2014)
• Freebooter (2017)

Other Works by Timothy Severin

Non-fiction Books

• Tracking Marco Polo (1964)
• Explorers of the Mississippi (1968)
• The Golden Antilles (1970)
• The African Adventure (1973)
• Vanishing Primitive Man (1973)
• Adventurers and Explorers (1973) - Severin wrote the text for fifty tea cards about adventurers and explorers.
• The Oriental Adventure: Explorers of the East (1976)
• The Brendan Voyage (1978)
• The Sindbad Voyage (1983)
• The Jason Voyage: The Quest for the Golden Fleece (1986)
• The Ulysses Voyage (1987)
• Crusader (1989)
• In Search of Genghis Khan (1991)
• The China Voyage (1994)
• The Spice Islands Voyage (1997)
• In Search of Moby-Dick (1999)
• Seeking Robinson Crusoe (also called In Search of Robinson Crusoe) (2002)
• The Man Who Won Siberia (2014)

Saxon Series

• The Book of Dreams (2012)
• The Emperor's Elephant (2013)
• The Pope's Assassin (2015)

Awards and Honors

• 1986 Founder's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society
• Livingstone Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
• Honorary Doctor of Letters from Trinity College Dublin
• Honorary Doctor of Letters from University College, Cork
• Gold Medal of the Maritime Institute of Ireland