Page 59 - All About History - Issue 70-18

Vikings in America

fine weather they explored the island. Seeing the North America, there was presumably some delicious
Erik the Red, founder of the first Norse settlement in
dew on the lush grass, they tasted it and found it berry there that produced a sufficiently intoxicating Greenland. Erik was exiled from Norway and Iceland asa
result of his combative nature. He is also in Eiríks saga
the sweetest water in all the world. Taking their ship drink when fermented. rauða, which deals with his settling of Greenland
to the land across the narrow gulf, the tide fell and It was from this discovery of vines that it is said
the ship was grounded on a sandbank. Despite the that Leif named the new land Vinland. Leif now set
dangers, they abandoned the ship in a small boat his crew to cutting timber and collecting fruit. The
and crossed to the mainland. They discovered rich cargo was loaded on the ship in the spring and they
rivers and lakes in an abundant land. As the tide set out into the rising sun for home.
lifted the ship again, they rowed out and took the
vessel up one of the rivers into a lake for safety. Leif the Lucky
With fair winds and a calm sea, the ship made its
The vines of Vinland way swiftly back to Greenland. Within the sight of

Once ashore, the crew decided to build a long house the ice mountains and valleys of their destination the
there. The nearby rivers teemed with the largest crew called to their captain,` “Why are you steering
salmon any of them had seen and as winter drew so much into the wind?” Leif had been turning the
in, the grass barely withered. There would be no ship for some time. He asked if anyone could see
need to supply cattle with fodder. Even in the depth anything out on the waves. None of the crew could,
of winter, the nights were nowhere near as long as but then none of the crew could match Leif’s hawk-
those in Greenland or Iceland. The longer days shone like vision. “I see a ship or raft,” Leif told them and
on a land that had no frost. pointed. Now they saw it too and the ship steered
Leif split the company in half. One group would ever closer. “If they need help we will give it, and if
stay and guard the house while the other would they seek a fight we will be better prepared.” On the
a
explore the land they had discovered. On no account ship they discovered party in need of help.
were the explorers to stay away overnight. When Thori, leader of those in the ship, heard
One night it was found that Tyrker the German Leif’s name, he asked whether he was son of the
had not returned with the foragers. This Tyrker famous Erik the Red. Leif said that he was and
was a loyal friend of Leif and Erik the Red, and Leif invited them onto his ships, with as many of their
was angry with Tyrker’s companions for losing possessions as it could hold.
him in this strange land. With 12 men he set out For this rescue of those lost in the midst of the sea the rich lands around them. When spring arrived,
to recover his friend. Only a short distance from he became known as Leif the Lucky. Leif took Thori Thorvald loaded a smaller boat to explore the
the settlement they discovered Tyrker in a state of and his wife Gudrid into his own home. That winter western coast during the summer.
bewildered excitement. He babbled to the men in illness struck the settlers and Thori died, as did Erik The land they found was wooded and welcoming.
German and could not be understood. Rolling his the Red. While Leif had no plans to return to Vinland The forests came down close to the sea and the
eyes and grinning madly, Tyrker began to explain his brother, Thorvald, felt there was more exploring beaches were of soft and pale sand. The islands
his discoveries in the Old Norse tongue. Having gone to do. He borrowed his brother’s ship and set out. and rivers offered many places to explore. Despite
only a little further than the others, he stumbled their searches, they found no animal lairs or signs
on something new. “I have found vines and grapes,” Thorvald’s voyage of human habitation until they came to one of
he told them. Tyrker swore that his homeland was Following Leif’s advice, Thorvald made for the place the western islands. There they found a wooden
famed for its grapes and that he knew what he was his brother had previously settled. Over winter, structure clearly set up to hold grain and keep it safe.
talking about. Despite grapes not being native to Thorvald and his 30 men took in provisions from Finding nothing else, Thorvald returned to the Norse
settlement in the autumn.
The next summer they explored the eastern coast.
a
As they crossed the sea, high wind pushed them
The Norse colonies in Vinland were soon onto the rocks and damaged the keel of the ship.
abandoned, possibly due to the difficulty of
the crossing and the lack of profit from trade Putting ashore, they repaired the keel and Thorvald
named the place Keelness. Sailing on after the
mending, they came to a place of safe anchorage.
The land there about was fair and fine. Thorvald
looked at it and declared that this was where he
would make his home.
Returning to the ship, the men stopped. There on
the sand they saw three small mounds that had not
been there before. Approaching, they could make out
three canoes made of skin, each concealing three
indigenous men, whom the Norse named Skraelings,
underneath. The party divided into three to approach
them. All but one of the hiding men were captured.
The eight that they had seized they killed on
the spot, but the ninth escaped into the woods.
Returning to the headland, they looked about and in
the distance discerned villages.
Then, as if placed under a powerful charm, the
Norsemen were overcome by a sudden need to sleep.
Only a voice booming out of the sky was able to

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