The Discovery of America Vol. 1 (of 2): with some account of Ancient America and the Spanish ConquestFiske, John
History
The Discovery of America Vol. 1 (of 2): with some account of Ancient America and the Spanish Conquest
Fiske, John
America -- Discovery and exploration; Latin America -- History
[Footnote 184: The name means "Turk," and has served as a
touchstone for the dullness of commentators. To the Northmen a
"Southman" would naturally be a German, and why should a German
be called a Turk? or how should these Northmen happen to have
had a Turk in their company? Mr. Laing suggests that he may
have been a Magyar. Yes; or he may have visited the Eastern
Empire and taken part in a fight _against_ Turks, and so have
got a soubriquet, just as Thorhall Gamlason, after returning
from Vinland to Iceland, was ever afterward known as "the
Vinlander." That did not mean that he was an American redskin.
See below, p. 203. From Tyrker's grimaces one commentator
sagely infers that he had been eating grapes and got drunk; and
another (even Mr. Laing!) thinks it necessary to remind us that
all the grape-juice in Vinland would not fuddle a man unless it
had been fermented,--and then goes on to ascribe the absurdity
to our innocent chronicle, instead of the stupid annotator. See
_Heimskringla_, vol. i. p. 168.]
[Sidenote: Voyages of Thorvald and Thorstein, 1002-05.]
In the spring of 1001 Leif returned to Greenland with a cargo of
timber.[185] The voyage made much talk. Leif's brother Thorvald caught
the inspiration,[186] and, borrowing Leif's ship, sailed in 1002, and
succeeded in finding Vinland and Leif's huts, where his men spent two
winters. In the intervening summer they went on an exploring expedition
along the coast, fell in with some savages in canoes, and got into a
fight in which Thorvald was killed by an arrow. In the spring of 1004
the ship returned to Brattahlid. Next year the third brother, Thorstein
Ericsson, set out in the same ship, with his wife Gudrid and a crew of
thirty-five men; but they were sore bestead with foul weather, got
nowhere, and accomplished nothing. Thorstein died on the voyage, and his
widow returned to Greenland.
[Footnote 185: On the homeward voyage he rescued some
shipwrecked sailors near the coast of Greenland, and was
thenceforward called Leif the Lucky (et postea cognominatus est
Leivus Fortunatus). The pleasant reports from the newly found
country gave it the name of "Vinland the Good." In the course
of the winter following Leif's return his father died.]
[Footnote 186: "Jam crebri de Leivi in Vinlandiam profectione
sermones serebantur, Thorvaldus vero, frater ejus, nimis pauca
terrae loca explorata fuisse judicavit." Rafn, p. 39.]
[Sidenote: Thorfinn Karlsefni, and his unsuccessful attempt to found a
colony in Vinland, 1007-10.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account