Summary of The Smokey God (Part 1) Voyage to the Inner World

00:00:00 - 00:15:00

In "The Smokey God," Willis George Emerson tells the story of his voyage to the inner world and his experiences there. After being released from confinement in a madhouse, Olaf sets sail for the Lofoten Islands, where he worked as a fisherman for five years before starting his own business. Over the course of his life, Olaf has made numerous trips to the inner world, where he has met a variety of strange and wonderful creatures. In 1862, Olaf is finally released from his confinement and returns to his uncle's property, where he lives out the remainder of his days.

• 00:00:00 Willis George Emerson, known as "Olaf," tells the story of his voyage to the inner world and his experiences there. Four years and eight months after his father's death, Olaf is released from confinement in a madhouse and sets sail for the Lofoten Islands, where he worked as a fisherman for five years before starting his own business. Over the course of his life, Olaf has made numerous trips to the inner world, where he has met a variety of strange and wonderful creatures. He never reveals his experiences to anyone, fearing they would be disbelieved or persecuted. In 1862, Olaf is finally released from his confinement and returns to his uncle's property, where he lives out the remainder of his days.
• 00:05:00 The Smokey God is a memoir by a Swedish fisherman who sailed to the Americas in the early 1800s. He tells of his experiences during his voyage, including encountering icebergs and sea birds in such great numbers that they hid the rocks. After sailing through the northland, he and his father arrived at a small inlet in France called Joseph Land. They were pleased to find the area was green and growing, and they spent a few days fishing before sailing back to Sweden.
• 00:10:00 The narrator's father is an argent believer in Odin and Thor, and they decide to sail north in search of a more beautiful land. They pass through channels so narrow that their small boat would have been destroyed, and on the third day they come to an island. There is no timber on the island, but they find a large accumulation of driftwood. The next day, their boat is caught in a fierce storm, and their sails have to be lowered immediately. They are driving towards some icebergs, but fortunately the channel is open directly to the north. They make it safely to shore, but the next day a snowstorm forces them back into the open sea.
• 00:15:00 The narrator tells of being shipwrecked and surviving a harrowing storm with the help of Odin, the god of the waters. After being rescued, they find that they are nearly out of food and water. The narrator's father figures out how to pump water out of the boat and they wait for a favorable wind. Eventually they are able to sail back to civilization.