Vikings in VinlandFact and Fiction

Darrell MarkewitzInterpretive Program Designer

Neil PetersonIntrepid Researcher

‘From the fury of the Northmen,

oh Lord, deliver us’

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Whose History is ‘Real’ History?

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Defining the Viking Age

• Lindisfarne raid, 793

• Norman conquest, 1066

– William of Normandy

• Typically: 800 - 1000

• English view

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‘Norse’ vs ‘Viking’: Viking is a job

WANTED!

• Young men 16-20

• Summer position

• Own equipment required

• Able to travel

– Sea voyages

• Cult of Oðin preferred

• High risk – big reward!

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‘Norse’ vs ‘Viking’: Norse is culture

• Centered in Scandinavia

• From the Early Middle Ages

• Related languages

• Similar taste in art and objects

• Shared world view & religion

• Distinct from rest of Europe

• ‘Norge’ vs ‘Norse’ vs

‘Norwegian’

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Its all about the boats

• Flexible lapstrake construction

• Long keel permits tacking

• Geography builds marine tech

• Knarr - ocean cargo

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Tough, yes - but not stupid

• Measure latitude

– even in open ocean

• Travel east/west

• Coastal sailing

• River sailing

• Constantinople to

Newfoundland

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Clues in the Sagas...

“There was a man called Thorvald, who was the father of

Eirik the Red. He and Eirik left…Norway, because of

some killings, and went to Iceland…Eirik…had a son

called Leif.”

• Saga of the Greenlanders

• Saga of Eirik the Red

• Written in Iceland 1200s

• Eiriksson Family adventures

• Settling of Greenland

• Voyages to ‘Vinland’

• Long recognized

• Endlessly debated!

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Anne Stine & Helge Ingstad

Exploration and Discovery: 1960’s

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Exploration and Discovery: 1960’s

• Three main complexes

• Each has larger dwelling

• Smaller outbuildings

• Furnace hut complex

• Along marine terrace

• Fronted by slopping beach

• Black Duck Brook to south

• Easily defendable site

• View of approaching ships

• Looks like Iceland

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Exploration and Discovery: 1960’s

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Natural Harbour - for a Longship

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Evidence: Turf Walled Buildings• Thick walls of peat

• Timber posts hold roof

• Long central hearths

• Living sod roofs

• Typical Icelandic style

• Also first nations

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Evidence: Iron Objects & Smelting• Remains of iron smelter

• Fragments of ship’s rivets

• Proves European

• Not time period

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Evidence: Textile tools

• Drop Spindle, Needle Hone

• Early textile tools

• Perhaps women on site?

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Evidence: Bronze Ring Headed Pin• A signature object!

• Well known from Viking Age

• Often found in Iceland

• Style dates to 1000 AD

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What Leif Eiriksson Named

• Helluland• Flat Rock Land

• Markland• Land of Timber

• Wonderstrands

• Long white sand beach

• Vinland

• Land of Vines

• Pasture land

• Butternuts

• Flint

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Putting the voyages in perspective

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Who came to Vinland?

• Expeditions by Chiefs

• Like Leif

• Primarily herd farmers

• Primarily men

• Main purpose - timber

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Why come to Vinland?

• Leif driven by father’s example

• Lack of timbers in Greenland

• No evidence for settlement

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Why not stay in Vinland?

• Drain Greenland manpower

• Hostility with First Nations

• Likely not a serious threat

• Too far from home and kin

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How long did the visits continue?

• At least 1065 (likely later)

• Maine penny, minted 1065-1080

• Native village 1180-1235

• Likely traded

• At least 1347

• Timber harvesters blown to Iceland

• Dendrochronology in Greenland

• 1300s

• Tanfield Valley, Baffin Island

• Pat Sutherland

• Long term trading post

Vinland Vikings Fiction

• What didn’t happen

• Welcome to pseudo-history

• Rules seem backward

• Apparently scientists are conspiring

– What about seems to change

• How do you disprove?

– Because that is now expected

• Science says “unlikely”

• Finder hears “not disproven”!

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Fiction: Viking Runestones

• Kensington Runestone

• Found 1898

• Claim

• 1362 visit

• 30 vikings

• Minnesota

• Wrong Runes

• Wrong Language

• Massive Controversy

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Fiction: Viking Runestones (more)

• Once you have one…

• Heavener

• Narragansett

• Spirit Pond

• All have issues

• All have supporters

• My favorite?

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Fiction: Viking Runestones (Norumbega)

• Nova Scotia

• Reduced version

• Sigurd stone

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Fiction: Viking Runestones (Newfoundland)

• Near L’AM

• Single clear word

• Dar = Spear

• Also single rune

• K

• Kafa – swim

• Harpoon!

• Pay no attention

to the carver

• Darkcompany.ca

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Fiction: Viking Buildings: Newport Tower

• Likely Colonial

• 1946 ‘runes’

• Stool

• 1948/9 Dig

• 20 colonial art.

• C14 Date = 1680

• Gov. Arnold

• Childhood home

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Fiction: Viking Buildings: Laval Ring Fort

• So many issues

• Found in Google

• Map saga locations

• Vinland = Norge

• Ring forts = Danish

• Vinland = 1000 AD

• Ring forts = 980-7

• Eirik in Iceland

• Laval ring 1/3 size

• Archive search?

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Fiction: Beardmore Relics

• ‘Unearthed’ 1931

• Sold to ROM 1936

• Son recanted in 1956

• Relics from Port Arthur

• Reburied

• Imported in 1923

• By Norwegian immigrant

• Currently on display

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Fiction: Viking Silliness – Norumbega

• Paul Chapman

• Vikings settle Rhode Island

• Narragansett

• Varrazano 1524, Roger Williams 1636

• ‘Excel in size’, ‘whiteness’, ‘face sharply cut’

• Agriculturists

• Name = northman (narra) settlers (gang-sett)

• 100+ runestones

• Norumbega

• Nor (north) um (all over) bega (land)

• Mercator map 1569

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Fiction: Viking Silliness – Heading Inland

• Costal Explorers

• Proved southern

• Inland problems

• Rapids

• Falls

• Portage?

• River ships

• Virgin forest

• Why risk it?

• More coasts!

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Follow up / Contact us

The Norse Encampment

www.warehamforge.ca/ENCAMPMENT

Dark Ages Re-creation Companywww.darkcompany.ca

Darrell Markewitzinfo@warehamforge.ca

Neil Petersonneil@treheima.ca