Thule

Thule (thOO'lē) [key], name given by the ancients to the most northerly land of Europe. It was an island discovered and described (c.310 B.C.) by the Greek navigator Pytheas and variously identified with Iceland, Norway, and the Shetland Islands. The phrase “Ultima Thule” is used figuratively to denote the most distant goal of human endeavor or a land remote beyond all reckoning.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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