WHO WAS THE FIRST EUROPEAN TO DISCOVER AMERICA?
IF YOUR ANSWER IS CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, WHO DISCOVERED THE NEW WORLD IN 1492, THEN YOU ARE WRONG.
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS DISCOVERED AMERICA IN THE YEAR 1492.
THE FIRST EUROPEAN WHO SAW AMERICA WAS BJARNI HERJOLFSSON, A SEAFARING NORWEGIAN MERCHANT WHO SAILED FROM NORWAY TOWARD ICELAND IN THE SUMMER OF THE YEAR 986 A.D.
HIS SHIP WAS SWEPT OFF COURSE IN A SEVERE STORM, TO THE EXTENT THAT IT REACHED THE COAST OF PRESENT DAY NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA.
BJARNI HERJOLFSSON REPORTED SEEING FROM HIS SHIP HILLS COVERED WITH GREEN FORESTS. HE DID NOT ATTEMPT TO LAND BUT RESUMED HIS NAVAL TRAJECTORY BACK TO ICELAND.
INFORMED OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE MERCHANT BJARNI HERJOLFSSON , AN ICELANDER OF
NORWEGIAN DESCENT, LEIFR EIRIKSSON, SON OF ERIK THE RED, CHIEFTAIN OF ICELAND, BOUGHT THE SHIP OF BJARNI AND SET SAIL WITH 35 MEN.
ERIC THE RED, CHIEFTAIN OF ICELAND
AND DISCOVERER OF GREENLAND
HIS FATHER, ERIC THE RED, WANTED TO SAIL WITH HIS SON LEIFR BUT, ACCORDING TO THE RECORD IN THE GREENLANDERS SAGA, HE FELL OFF HIS HORSE ON THE WAY TO THE HARBOR.
INTERPRETING THIS INCIDENT AS REPRESENTING BAD OMEN, ERIC THE RED DECIDED TO STAY IN ICELAND AND NOT TO EMBARK UPON HIS SON'S SEAFARING JOURNEY.
LEIFR EIRIKSSON, KNOWN TODAY AS LEIF ERICSON, RETRACED THE COURSE OF BJARNI HERJOLFSSON AND LANDED IN NORTH AMERICA 500 YEARS BEFORE CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS.
VIKING SHIP CROSSING THE OCEAN
LEIF ERICSON ON HIS SHIP RETRACING THE COURSE OF BJARNI HERJOLFSSON
HE ESTABLISHED A SETTLEMENT AT PRESENT DAY L'ANSE AUX MEADOWS, NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA AND NAMED THE NEWLY DISCOVERED LAND VINLAND BECAUSE OF THE ABUNDANCE OF GRAPES THAT HE AND HIS CREW FOUND THERE.
LEIF ERICSON IS HISTORICALLY CREDITED WITH BEING THE FIRST EUROPEAN TO SETTLE IN AMERICA.
HE WAS HOWEVER NOT THE FIRST MAN TO HAVE SET FOOT UPON THE SHORE OF AMERICA BECAUSE WHEN HIS SHIP LANDED ON THE COAST OF NEWFOUNDLAND, HE RESCUED TWO UNNAMED ICELANDERS WHO WERE SHIPWREKED AND STRANDED THERE.
THESE TWO EUROPEANS HAD ARRIVED TO THE NEW WORLD EVEN BEFORE LEIF ERICSON BUT BECAUSE THEIR NAMES WERE NOT RECORDED IN THE SCANDINAVIAN SAGAS, THEY HISTORICALLY REMAINED IN ANONIMITY.
AFTER ESTABLISHING A SETTLEMENT CALLED LEIFBOUIR AT THE NORTHERN TIP OF NEWFOUNDLAND, LEIF ERICSON RETURNED TO HIS ESTATE IN GREENLAND WHERE HE FARMED AND PREACHED CHRISTIANITY TO THE GREENLANDERS.
HIS BROTHER THORVALD LED A SECOND EXPEDITION TO VINLAND TO FURTHER POPULATE THE SETTLEMENT WITH MORE VIKINGS BUT WAS UNFORTUNATELY KILLED THERE IN A SQUIRMISH WITH NATIVE SAVAGES.
ANOTHER BROTHER, THORSTEIN, SAILED WITH MORE SETTLERS TO VINLAND WITH THE INTENTION OF ENLARGING THE COLONY AND BRINGING THE BODY OF HIS BROTHER THORVALD BACK TO GREENLAND FOR BURIAL.
VIKING BURIAL
AFTER THORSTEIN RETURNED TO GREENLAND, A VIKING MERCHANT NAMED KARLSEFNI LED A LARGE EXPEDITION TO VINLAND.
THE YOUNGEST DAUGHTER OF ERIC THE RED, FREYDIS EIRIKSDOTTIR, JOINED THIS EXPEDITION TO VINLAND.
AT THE VINLAND SETTLEMENT, THE VIKINGS AGAIN CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE NATIVE PEOPLE WHOM THEY CALLED SCRAELINGS.
SCRAELINGS OR SCRAELINGJAR MEANS SAVAGES. THE SCRAELINGS ENCOUNTERED BY THE VIKINGS WERE THE PROTO INUIT ESKIMOS BELONGING TO THE THULE TRIBE.
THE MEETINGS WERE INITIALLY PEACEFUL AND THE VIKINGS EXCHANGED COLORFUL CLOTH FOR ANIMAL SKINS.
VIKINGS TRADING WITH THE SCRAELINGS
HOWEVER DURING ONE TRADING SESSION, A BULL AT THE SETTLEMENT BECAME UNCONTROLLED AND THE SCARED SCRAELINGS RAN AWAY.
VIKING SETTLERS REACHING VINLAND WITH BULLS, COWS AND SHEEP
THEN THE SCRAELING SAVAGES RETURNED AND ATTACKED THE VIKING SETTLERS.
THE VIKING MEN INITIALLY FOUGHT BRAVELY, THEN SCATTERED IN ALL DIRECTIONS, RUNNING AWAY FOR THEIR LIVES.
VIKINGS FIGHTING THE SCRAELINGS
ONLY FREYDIS EIRIKSDOTTIR, WHO WAS SEVERAL MONTHS PREGNANT, REFUSED TO RUN AWAY.
SHE CURSED THE VIKING MEN FOR THEIR COWARDICE, SAYING, ACCORDING TO THE SCANDINAVIAN SAGA OF GREENLANDERS, WHICH WAS WRITTEN IN 1250 A.D.:
" WHY RUN YOU AWAY FROM SUCH WORTHLESS CREATURES, STOUT MEN THAT YE ARE, WHEN, AS SEEMS TO ME LIKELY, YOU MIGHT SLAUGHTER THEM LIKE SO MANY CATTLE?
LET ME BUT HAVE A WEAPON. I THINK I COULD FIGHT BETTER THAN ANY OF YOU."
AS THE SCRAELINGS SURROUNDED HER, FREYDIS PICKED UP THE SWORD OF A DYING VIKING AT HER FEET.
SHE THEN EXPOSED HER LEFT BREAST AND, TAPPING THE SWORD ON HER EXPOSED BREAST, LED OUT A FIERCE BATTLE CRY.
SEEING THE PREGNANT AND BRAVE VIKING WOMAN, WITH HER SWORD READY FOR A FIGHT, THE SCRAELINGS RAN AWAY TO THEIR BOATS.
FREYDIS PICKING UP THE SWORD OF A DYING VIKING
FREYDIS CHALLENGING THE SCRAELINGS TO A FIGHT
KARLSEFNI AND OTHER VIKINGS RETURNED TO THE SETTLEMENT AFTERWARDS AND, INSTEAD OF PRAISING FREYDIS FOR HER COURAGE, REPRIMANDED HER FOR NOT HAVING RUN AWAY WITH THEM.
AFTER SPENDING A YEAR AT THE VINLAND SETTLEMENT, FREYDIS RETURNED TO GREENLAND AND SOON PLANNED A SEAFARING EXPEDITION OF HER OWN.
SHE NEGOTIATED A DEAL WITH TWO ICELANDIC BROTHERS, HELGI AND FINNBOGI WHO OWNED A LARGE SHIP, FOR A JOINT TWO SHIPS EXPEDITION BACK TO VINLAND.
EACH SHIP WAS TO CARRY 30 MEN AND FOUR WOMEN, WITH ALL THE NECESSARY SUPPLIES.
IT WAS AGREED UPON THAT WHEN THEY REACHED VINLAND, THEY WOULD TRADE WITH THE SCRAELINGS AND COLLECT TIMBERS AND OTHER WOODS AND RETURN FOR SALE IN GREENLAND.
THE PROFITS WOULD BE EQUALLY SHARED BETWEEN HERSELF AND THE BROTHERS HELGI AND FINNBOGI.
THE IDEA OF LIMITING EACH SHIP TO 30 VIKING MEN WAS TO NOT ALLOW THE OCCUPANTS OF ONE SHIP TO ATTACK AND OVERPOWER THOSE ON THE OTHER SHIP.
FREYDIS TOLD THE BROTHERS HELGI AND FINNBOGI TO LEAVE PORT FIRST.
SHE THEN FOLLOWED IN HER SMALLER SHIP WITH 35 MEN.
WHEN THE SHIP OF HELGI AND FINNBOGI REACHED VINLAND, THE VIKING CREW DISEMBARKED AND SETTLED IN THE LARGE HOME BUILT BY LEIF ERICSON.
WHEN THE SHIP OF FREYDIS ARRIVED LATER, SHE ORDERED THE CREW OF HELGI AND FINNBOGI TO VACATE THE HOME OF HER BROTHER LEIF ERICSON AND TOLD THEM BUILD THEIR OWN LODGINGS SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THE TWO GROUPS REMAINED IN VINLAND FOR ABOUT A YEAR BUT WERE ENGAGED IN CONSTANT DISCORD AND CONFLICT.
ONE DAY FREYDIS WENT ALONE TO SPEAK WITH HELGI AND FINNBOGI.
SHE TOLD THE BROTHERS THAT SHE WISHED TO RETURN TO GREENLAND WITH HER CREW IN THE BIGGER SHIP BELONGING TO THE TWO BROTHERS.
NOT WANTED TO AGGRAVATE THEIR CONSTANT CONFLICT, HELGI AND FINNBOGI COMPLIED AND AGREED TO STAY IN VINLAND WITH THE SMALLER SHIP.
RETURNING TO HER HOME, FREYDIS INTENTIONALLY CAUSED SELF INJURY BY HITTING HERSELF ON VARIOUS PARTS OF HER BODY.
SHE THEN PRESENTED HERSELF TO HER HUSBAND, EXHIBITING SIGNS OF TRAUMA ON HER BODY.
HER CLOTHING WAS WET AND SHE APPEARED DISHEVELED.
WHEN HER HUSBAND ASKED HER WHY SHE WAS IN THAT PITIFUL CONDITION, SHE LIED TO HIM THAT SHE WAS BEATEN AND RAPED BY HELGI AND FINNBOGI AND CONVINCED HER HUSBAND TO AVENGE THE DISHONER WHICH THE TWO BROTHERS HAD INFLICTED UPON HER.
WHEN HER HUSBAND HESITATED, SHE THREATENED TO DIVORCE HIM.
FREIDIS, HER HUSBAND AND 34 VIKING WARRIORS THEN ATTACKED THE SETTLEMENT OF HELGI AND FINNBOGI IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
THEY SUCCEEDED IN MURDERING HELGI, FINNBOGI AND ALL 28 VIKING MEN WHO ACCOMPANIED THE BROTHERS TO VINLAND.
THE LIVES OF THE FOUR VIKING WOMEN WHO CAME IN THE LARGER SHIP WERE SPARED BECAUSE THE ATTACKING VIKING MEN DID NOT WANT TO KILL THEM.
WHEN FREYDA SAW THE FOUR SPARED WOMEN, SHE SAID :
"GIVE ME AN AX"
AND KILLED ALL FOUR VIKING WOMEN WITH HER OWN HANDS.
SHE SAILED BACK TO GREENLAND AFTER ORDERING HER CREW TO REMAIN SILENT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ON VINLAND.
UPON ARRIVAL TO GREENLAND, FREYDIS TOLD HER BROTHER LEIF ERICSON THAT THE TWO BROTHER HELGI AND FINNBOGI HAD DECIDED TO REMAIN AS PERMANENT SETTLERS IN VINLAND.
LEIF ERICSON, WHO HAD BECOME CHIEFTAIN OF GREENLAND FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER ERIC THE RED, DID NOT BELIEVE HIS SISTER.
HE ORDERED THAT THREE MEN BELONGING TO HIS SISTER'S EXPEDITION BE TORTURED AND WAS TRUTHFULLY INFORMED ABOUT THE ATTACK AND MURDER OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE SHIP OF HELGI AND FINNBOGI, CAUSED BY THE RUSE AND LIE OF HIS SISTER.
LEIF ERICSON DECIDED TO LEAVE HIS SISTER UNPUNISHED. HE SIMPLY SAID THAT HER DESCENDANTS WILL FIND NO HAPPINESS.
No comments:
Post a Comment