Sailing race for the helmet
In the tale, Donald Duck and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie are on the hunt for a mystical, ancient Viking helmet - "The Golden Helmet". The helmet belonged originally to Olaf the Blue, who was the first to sail to America. This means that the one who finds the helmet will become King of North America! Unfortunately Donald is not the only one who wants to get his fingers on the Viking helmet - the evil villain, Azure Blue, successor of Olaf the Blue, is also out to grab the treasure.
America's true discoverer
The character Olaf the Blue is inspired by a real life person: Leif the Lucky, who sailed to America on board a Viking ship over 1,000 years ago. It can be said that Leif the Lucky "discovered" America at least 500 years before Columbus. Not having our modern aids for navigation at sea, the old Vikings were obliged to rely on tracking the sun and the stars to find their way across the Atlantic.
Starry firmament as navigator
At one point in the story, Azure Blue steals Donald's ship and puts the duck and his nephews on a little life raft. This means that they, just like the old Vikings, are forced to use nature's own aids in their hunt for the Golden Helmet. Whether or not Donald and his nephews manage to find the helmet before the villain will not be divulged here.
Martin Blemsted is editor of the Donald Duck & Co. (Anders And & Co.) weekly.
Painting: Donald Duck: The Golden Helmet by Carl Barks. © Disney.