| Revision as of 20:13, 6 August 2008 editInternetHero (talk | contribs)2,457 editsm There was 26 ships (25 others) in the fleet. 14 made it to Greenland. Brackets should be as simple as possible.← Previous edit | Revision as of 09:39, 8 August 2008 edit undoHordaland (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers15,186 editsm →VinlandNext edit → | ||
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| The sagas describe three separate areas discovered during this exploration: ], which means "land of the flat stones": ] "the land of forests" (something of definite interest to the settlers in Greenland, which had few trees), and ]—which recent linguistic evidence identifies as "the land of meadows" found somewhere farther south of Markland. It was in Vinland where the settlement described in the sagas was planted. | The sagas describe three separate areas discovered during this exploration: ], which means "land of the flat stones": ] "the land of forests" (something of definite interest to the settlers in Greenland, which had few trees), and ]—which recent linguistic evidence identifies as "the land of meadows" found somewhere farther south of Markland. It was in Vinland where the settlement described in the sagas was planted. | ||
| For some centuries after ]' |
For some centuries after ]' voyages opened the Americas to large-scale colonization by Europeans, it was unclear whether these stories represented real voyages by the Vikings to North America. The sagas were first taken seriously when in 1837 the archaeologist ] pointed out the possibility for a Norse settlement in or voyages to North America. | ||
| The question was definitively settled in the 1960s when a Viking settlement was excavated at ] in ] by ] and his wife. The location of the various lands described in the sagas is still unclear however. Many historians identify Helluland with ] and Markland with ]. The location of Vinland is a thornier question. Most believe that the L'Anse aux Meadows settlement is the Vinland settlement described in the sagas; others argue that the sagas depict Vinland as being warmer than Newfoundland, and therefore that it lay further south. There are still many questions remaining and only new archaeological findings can supply more information. | The question was definitively settled in the 1960s when a Viking settlement was excavated at ] in ] by ] and his wife. The location of the various lands described in the sagas is still unclear however. Many historians identify Helluland with ] and Markland with ]. The location of Vinland is a thornier question. Most believe that the L'Anse aux Meadows settlement is the Vinland settlement described in the sagas; others argue that the sagas depict Vinland as being warmer than Newfoundland, and therefore that it lay further south. There are still many questions remaining and only new archaeological findings can supply more information. | ||
| Leif's settlement did not prosper. According to the sagas, the settlers fought over the few women who accompanied the expedition, and also had conflicts with the local ]. The settlement was abandoned after a few years. The Greenland Norse remembered the existence of land to the west though, and continued to travel to Markland for wood. Evidence suggests that sporadic voyages in Markland for forages, timber, and trade with the |
Leif's settlement did not prosper. According to the sagas, the settlers fought over the few women who accompanied the expedition, and also had conflicts with the local ]. The settlement was abandoned after a few years. The Greenland Norse remembered the existence of land to the west though, and continued to travel to Markland for wood. Evidence suggests that sporadic voyages in Markland for forages, timber, and trade with the native locals could have lasted as long as 400 years.<ref> Schledermann, Peter. 1996. Voices in Stone. A Personal Journey into the Arctic Past. Komatik Series no. 5. Calgary: The Arctic Institute of North America and the University of Calgary.</ref><ref> Sutherland, Patricia. 2000. “The Norse and Native Norse Americans”. In William W. Fitzhugh and Elisabeth I. Ward, eds., Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga, 238-247. Washington, DC: The Smithsonian Institution.</ref> Evidence from the continuing trips include the following: a Norwegian coin from King Olaf Kyrre's reign (1066-80) was found on an Indian settlement in the state of Maine suggesting an exchange between the Vikings and the Natives late in or after the 11th century. Finally, an entry in the Icelandic Annals from A.D. 1347 referring to a small Greenlandic vessel with a crew of eighteen aboard that arrived in Iceland while attempting to return to Greenland from Markland with a load of timber. Because no further details were provided, this reference may indicate that voyages to Markland were relatively common.<ref></ref> | ||
| ==Aftermath== | ==Aftermath== | ||
Revision as of 09:39, 8 August 2008
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As early as the 10th century, Norse sailors (often referred to as Viking) explored and settled areas of the North Atlantic, including the northeast fringes of North America -a prelude to wide-scale European settlement in the Americas.
Unlike Greenland, which the Norse occupied for almost 500 years, the Continental North American settlements were small and never fully developed into permanent colonies -in part due to hostile relations with the Native Americans (Norse: Skrælings). Settlements in Continental North America aimed to exploit natural resources -such as furs and, in particular, lumber- which were in short supply in Norse Greenland due to deforestation. There is little supporting evidence of enduring Viking colonies in North America.
Greenland
Main article: History of Greenland
According to the Sagas of Icelanders, Vikings from Iceland first discovered Greenland in the 980s. Erik the Red led a settlement expedition there in 982 and at its peak, the colony consisted of two settlements with a total population of between 3,000 and 5,000; at least 400 farms have been identified by archaeologists.
At its height, Viking Greenland had a bishopric (at Garðar) and exported walrus ivory, furs, rope, sheep, whale or seal blubber, live animals such as polar bears, and cattle hides. In 1261, the population accepted the overlordship of the Norwegian King although it continued to have its own law. In 1380, the Norwegian Kingdom entered into a personal union with the Kingdom of Denmark.
The colony began to a decline in the 1300s. The Western Settlement was abandoned around 1350, and by 1378, there was no longer a bishop at Garðar. After a marriage was recorded in 1408, no written records mention the settlers. It is probable that the Eastern Settlement was defunct by the late 1400s, although no exact date has been established. The most recent radiocarbon date found in Norse settlements as of 2002 was 1430 A.D. (+/- 15 years). Several theories have been advanced about the reasons for the decline. The Little Ice Age of this period would have made it harder to travel between Greenland and Europe. More difficulty for Greenlanders to farm for subsistence would also be a cause for the decline; in addition, Greenlandic ivory may have been supplanted in European markets by cheaper ivory from Africa.
Vinland
Main article: VinlandAccording to the Icelanders' Sagas ("Eirik the Red's Saga" and the "Saga of the Greenlanders"—chapters of the Hauksbók and the Flatey Book)—the Vikings started to explore lands to the west of Greenland only a few years after the Greenland settlements were established. While sailing from Iceland to Greenland with a migration fleet consisting of 3,000 settlers and 25 other ships (14 of which made it without turning back), a merchant named Bjarni Herjólfsson was blown off course and sighted land west of the fleet. He described his discovery to Leif Ericson who explored the area in more detail and later planted a small settlement.
The sagas describe three separate areas discovered during this exploration: Helluland, which means "land of the flat stones": Markland "the land of forests" (something of definite interest to the settlers in Greenland, which had few trees), and Vinland—which recent linguistic evidence identifies as "the land of meadows" found somewhere farther south of Markland. It was in Vinland where the settlement described in the sagas was planted.
For some centuries after Christopher Columbus' voyages opened the Americas to large-scale colonization by Europeans, it was unclear whether these stories represented real voyages by the Vikings to North America. The sagas were first taken seriously when in 1837 the archaeologist Carl Christian Rafn pointed out the possibility for a Norse settlement in or voyages to North America.
The question was definitively settled in the 1960s when a Viking settlement was excavated at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland by Helge Ingstad and his wife. The location of the various lands described in the sagas is still unclear however. Many historians identify Helluland with Baffin Island and Markland with Labrador. The location of Vinland is a thornier question. Most believe that the L'Anse aux Meadows settlement is the Vinland settlement described in the sagas; others argue that the sagas depict Vinland as being warmer than Newfoundland, and therefore that it lay further south. There are still many questions remaining and only new archaeological findings can supply more information.
Leif's settlement did not prosper. According to the sagas, the settlers fought over the few women who accompanied the expedition, and also had conflicts with the local indigenous people. The settlement was abandoned after a few years. The Greenland Norse remembered the existence of land to the west though, and continued to travel to Markland for wood. Evidence suggests that sporadic voyages in Markland for forages, timber, and trade with the native locals could have lasted as long as 400 years. Evidence from the continuing trips include the following: a Norwegian coin from King Olaf Kyrre's reign (1066-80) was found on an Indian settlement in the state of Maine suggesting an exchange between the Vikings and the Natives late in or after the 11th century. Finally, an entry in the Icelandic Annals from A.D. 1347 referring to a small Greenlandic vessel with a crew of eighteen aboard that arrived in Iceland while attempting to return to Greenland from Markland with a load of timber. Because no further details were provided, this reference may indicate that voyages to Markland were relatively common.
Aftermath
Despite the loss of contact with the Greenlanders, the Norwegian-Danish crown continued to consider Greenland a possession and the existence of the island was not forgotten by European geographers. It is also possible that the lands west of Greenland were remembered.
Not knowing whether the old Norse civilization remained in Greenland or not—and worried that if it did, would it still be Catholic 200 years after the rest of Scandinavia had experienced the Reformation—in 1721 a joint merchant-clerical expedition led by Norwegian missionary Hans Egede was sent to Greenland. Though this expedition found no surviving Europeans, it marked the beginning of Denmark's assertion of sovereignty over the island: a story that belongs to the Danish colonization of the Americas.
Adam of Bremen is the first historian in the Old World that referred to the Americas (by the name Vinland). The Icelandic sagas remain the most important written sources about the early Norse activities in America. Purported runestones have been found in North America (e.g. the Kensington Runestone, the Newport Tower, and Heavener Runestone) that are thought by some to be artifacts from further Viking exploration. However, these runestones are generally considered to be forgeries. There is a map depicting North America (the Vinland map) that some believe is related to Norse exploration, though it is almost certainly a hoax.
References
- Diamond, Jared: Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
- Irwin, Constance; Strange Footprints on the Land; Harper&Row, New York, 1980; ISBN 0-06-022772-9,
- Wernick, Robert: The Seafarers: The Vikings, Time-life Books, Alexandria, Virginia: ISBN 0809427095.
- Schledermann, Peter. 1996. Voices in Stone. A Personal Journey into the Arctic Past. Komatik Series no. 5. Calgary: The Arctic Institute of North America and the University of Calgary.
- Sutherland, Patricia. 2000. “The Norse and Native Norse Americans”. In William W. Fitzhugh and Elisabeth I. Ward, eds., Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga, 238-247. Washington, DC: The Smithsonian Institution.
- Helluland/Markland Archeology
See also
- Helge Ingstad
- Inventio Fortunata
- Pathfinder (2007 film) - a fictional movie based on Vikings encountering Native Americans