The Pre-Columbian Discovery of America by the Northmen: Illustrated by Translations from Icelandic SagasDeCosta, B. F. (Benjamin Franklin)
History
The Pre-Columbian Discovery of America by the Northmen: Illustrated by Translations from Icelandic Sagas
DeCosta, B. F. (Benjamin Franklin)
America -- Discovery and exploration -- Norse
want."[92] Now they let the sails stand and kept along the land and saw
it was an island. Then they turned from the land and stood out to sea
with the same breeze; but the gale increased, and Biarne ordered a reef
to be taken in, and not to sail harder than the ship and her tackle
could easily bear. After sailing three days and nights, they made, the
fourth time, land; and when they asked Biarne if he thought this was
Greenland or not, Biarne replies: "This is most like what has been told
me of Greenland; and here we shall take to the land." They did so, and
came to the land in the evening, under a ness, where they found a boat.
On this ness dwelt Biarne's father, Heriulf; and from that it is called
Heriulfness. Biarne went to his father's, gave up sea-faring, and after
his father's death, continued to dwell there when at home.
SECOND NARRATIVE.
A man named Heriulf, son of Bard, son of Heriulf, a relation to
Landnamsman Ingolf, who gave the last named Heriulf the piece of land
that lies between Vaag and Reikianess. The younger Heriulf went to
Greenland, when Eric Red began to settle there, and on his ship was a
Christian man from the South Islands [the Hebrides] who was the author
of the poem, _Havgerdingar_, in which was the following verse:
I to the monk's protector pray
That he will give my voyage luck!
The heaven's great Ruler
Save me from danger.
Heriulf took possession of Heriulfsfiord, and became one of the chief
men. Eric Red took to himself Ericsfiord, and lived in Brattahlid, and
Leif, his son, after his death. Those men who at the same time went away
with Eric took possession of the following pieces of land: Heriulf
Heriulfsfiord, and he lived in Heriulfness, Ketil Ketilsfiord, Rafn
Rafnsfiord, Sölve Sölvedale, Snorro Thorbrandson Alptefiord,
Thorbiornglora Siglefiord, Einar Einarsfiord, Havgrim Havgrimsfiord and
Vatnahverf, Arnlaug Arnlaugfiord; but some went to the west bygd. A man
named Thorkel Forsark, cousin to Eric Red on their mother's side, went
to Greenland with Eric, and took possession of Hvalsöfiord, together
with the greater part of the piece of land between Eyolfsfiord and
Einarsfiord, and lived in Hvalosöfne. From him came the Hvalsöfiord
people. He was very strong. Once Eric Red visited him, and he would
welcome his guest in the best way possible, but he had no boats at hand
which he could use. He was compelled to swim out to Hvalsö, and get a
full-grown sheep,[93] and carry it on his back home to his house. It was
a good half mile. Thorkel was buried in a cave in the field of
Hvalsöfiord.
IV. LEIF'S VOYAGE TO VINLAND.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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