The Vinland Sagas

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The Vinland Sagas

• Two short Icelandic Sagas discuss the settlement
  of Greenland and the first voyages to the New
  World
• Saga of the Greenlanders (Grænlendinga saga)
• Eirik the Reds Saga (Eiríks saga rauða)
• Both sagas refer to events from 970-1030, and
  both were composed much later, 1220-1280 AD.
• The sagas were written independently and record
  oral history unlike Njals saga, there was
  little if any literary reworking, reshaping or
  editing.

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The Vinland Sagas

• Both sagas contain many of the same details,
  though the elements are recast into a different
  sequence or placed into a different context.
• Fanciful and legendary elements in the sagas
  caused them to be rejected by historians until
  Helge Ingstad and Anne Stine located the remains
  of Viking settlements at LAnse aux Meadows in
  Newfoundland in 1960.
• Artifacts from excavations there proved that
  Norsemen had reached Canada c. 1000 AD.

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The Vinland Sagas

• Both sagas deal with other events as well,
  especially with the settlement of Greenland and
  with the conflict between the Heathen and
  Christian religions.
• The settlement on Vinland was short-lived,
  lasting only a few years. Conflicts with the
  natives (Skraelings) probably hastened its
  demise.
• The settlements on Greenland lasted from 985 to
  1350 (Western Settlement) and to c. 1480 (Eastern
  Settlement). Cause of abandonment is unclear.

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The Vinland Sagas

• The Greenland settlement was not entirely
  self-sufficient. Marginal land for raising sheep
  during the medieval warm climate.
• The real attraction of Greenland was the hunting,
  especially for arctic specialties walrus (ivory),
  polar bear, gyrfalcons etc., which were prized
  luxury items on the continent.
• Some trade with the natives, though the
  Greenlanders were never able to establish the
  same relationship they had with the Saami, for
  example.

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Norse Ruins in Greenland

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Norse Greenland

Brattahlid, Eastern Settlement, GreenlandWhen
Eirik the Red explored Greenland, the verdant
landscape inspired him to call it Greenland. He
chose this farmstead for himself, and the fjord
on which it lays is still called "Eirik's Fjord."
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Norse Greenland
Reconstruction of Brattahlid in Greenland
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The Vinland Sagas

Adventurer and writer Helge Ingstad (1899-2001)
unearthed the ruins of an ancient Norse village
near LAnse aux Meadows on the north coast of
Newfoundland, conclusively proving that the
Vikings has established a settlement in North
America 1000 years previously. Ingstad published
several books about his exploration, including
Landet under Leidarstjernen (1959 Land Under the
Pole Star, 1965) and Vestervej til Vinland (1965,
Westward to Vinland, 1969).
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The Vinland Sagas

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The Vinland Sagas

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The Vinland Sagas

Two views of contemporary reconstructions at
Lanse aux Meadows
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The Vinland Sagas
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The Vinland Sagas
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The Vinland Sagas
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The Vinland Sagas
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The Vinland Sagas
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The Vinland Sagas
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Saga of the Greenlanders 1-2

• Saga of the Greenlanders begins with the voyage
  of Bjarni Herjolfson, who loses his way and finds
  a forested land to the west. He does not land.
• Leif Eiriksson of Brattahlid in Greenland was
  eager to explore the new land he purchased
  Bjarnis boat and persuaded his father to lead
  the expedition.
• Eiriks horse slipped as he was leaving his farm
  and threw Eirik he took this as an omen and
  stayed behind in Greenland.

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Saga of the Greenlanders 2-3

• Leif sets sail, discovers a barren land of
  glaciers, which he names Helluland (Stone-slab
  land), probably Baffin Island.
• Leif sails farther south, discovers a flat,
  forested land which he names Markland (Forest
  land), probably Labrador.
• He sails south for two more days and finds a good
  island with much grass and fine salmon they
  build shelters and spend the winter there (639).
• Leifs foster-father Tyrkir discovers grapes.

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Saga of the Greenlanders 3-4

• They cut timber for treeless Greenland and
  collect wine berries Leif names the land
  Vinland (Wine land), probably Newfoundland or New
  England.
• While returning to Greenland, Leif rescues men on
  a skerry earns the name Leif the Lucky.
• Leifs brother Thorvald returns to Vinland with
  30 men, spend two peaceful summers there.
• A conflict ensues with men in hide-covered boats
  (642), they kill most but one man escapes
  probably men of the Dorsett culture in Canada.

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Saga of the Greenlanders 4-5

• A second battle ensues, Thorvald takes an arrow
  under his armpit and dies he is buried at his
  favorite site, called Krossaness (cross point).
• Thorstein Eiriksson now wants to travel to
  Vinland to retrieve his brothers body he takes
  25 men and his wife Gudrid. They are lost at sea
  before returning to Greenland for the winter.
• Thorstein spends the winter with Thorstein the
  Black, whose wife Grimhild dies of sickness, then
  Thorstein Eiriksson dies as well.

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Saga of the Greenlanders 5-6

• Thorstein Eiriksson returns from the dead to give
  his wife Gudrid a prophesy a long and happy
  Christian life in Iceland and abroad (cite 645).
• Thorfinn Karlsefni arrives and marries Gudrid he
  gathers 60 men and 5 women and travels to
  Vinland. They feast on a stranded whale.
• Native Americans arrive, frightened by a bull,
  but trade with Greenlanders for food.
• Gudrid gives birth to a boy, Snorri (647).
• A battle with natives ends with bloodshed (648).

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Saga of the Greenlanders 6-7

• Karlsefni and Gudrid return to Greenland with a
  valuable cargo wealth and renown.
• Freydis Eiriksdottir makes arrangements with
  Icelanders Helgi and Finnbogi to sail to Vinland.
• Two boats travel with 30 men each Freydis takes
  5 extra men and ousts brothers from Leifs house.
• Freydis quarrels with the brothers, has her
  husband avenge a non-existent insult, and they
  kill half the partyFreydis axes the 5 women
  (650)!
• Freydis threatens anyone who reports her sins.

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Saga of the Greenlanders 8

• Freydis escapes punishment when she returns, but
  people expect nothing but evil from her after
  that.
• Gudrid and Karlsefni travel to Norway, earn a
  great deal of wealth, travel to Iceland and
  settle down.
• They have many descendents Gudrid later makes a
  pilgrimage to Rome she is called the
  Well-Traveled and probably had seen more of the
  world than any other woman (or man) of her age.
• Gudrid paralleled by Freydis two central
  figures.

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Eirik the Reds Saga 1-2

• This saga recounts many of the same tales as the
  saga of the Greenlanders, and dates from the same
  period, though there are slight differences.
• Eiriks father leaves Norway because of a
  slaying they settle in Iceland, but Eirik
  becomes involved in a number of homicides (654)
  and Eirik is sentenced to (Lesser) Outlawry.
• Eirik seeks the land sighted earlier by
  Gunnbjorn, Ulf Crowsson he spends 3 years
  exploring Greenland (655) probably from 981 to
  984.

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Eirik the Reds Saga 3-5

• Eirik names the island Greenland because he
  believes people will be attracted by the good
  name.
• People emigrate to Greenland (985 AD), but the
  first years are difficult. Thorbjorn and Gudrid
  go also.
• The Little Prophetess tells the future of
  Gudrid (who sings ward songs despite being a
  Christian).
• Description of seeress is best account in Norse
  literature (658f.)! Heathen shamanism in
  Greenland.
• Leif goes to Norway and is made a missionary to
  Greenland by King Olaf Tryggvason (661).

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Eirik the Reds Saga 5-6

• Leif gets lost on his voyage, sees land where he
  had not expected any to be found. He also
  rescues men and earns nickname the Lucky (661).
• Leif converts his mother Thjodhild but not his
  father she builds a chapel and refuses to sleep
  with Eirik the Pagan (661f.)!
• Thorstein Eirik (who falls, but continues) sail
  that summer for Vinland, but do not find it
  (662).
• Gudrid marries Thorstein sickness that winter,
  Thorstein dies, then speaks to Gudrid (663f.).

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Eirik the Reds Saga 6-8

• Thorfinn Karlsefni arrives and marries widow
  Gudrid they and a large party (140 men, Freydis
  too) plan a trip to Vinland the next summer.
• They find and name Helluland and Markland.
• Karlsefni sends out two foreigners (Scotsmen) to
  explore an island they return with wild grapes.
• Thorhall the Pagan prays for food Thor sends him
  a beached whalethey eat and get sick (667f.).
• The others put their trust in Christ the fishing
  is suddenly good and they have plenty of supplies.

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Eirik the Reds Saga 9-12

• Thorhall takes one ship, explores to the north,
  becomes lost in a storm, shipwrecked on Ireland,
  enslaved and Thorhall the Pagan dies (668f.).
• Karlsefni heads south, explores the bountiful
  land, has contact with natives they trade goods
  until a bull frightens the Skraelings away (670).
• The natives attack the men flee in panic until
  Freydis beats her bare breast with a swordwhich
  causes the natives to flee in fright (?? 671).
• Thorvald Eiriksson is killed by an arrow (672).

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Eirik the Reds Saga 12-14

• Karlsefnis son Snorri was three years old when
  they decided to leave Vinland.
• They capture a few natives and take them back to
  Greenland.
• One ship under Bjarni fails to return only half
  the men survive in a small boat.
• Karlsefni and Gudrid return to Greenland, travel
  on to Iceland, where their descendents become
  some of the first Bishops in Iceland.