The Norse Discovery in America
by Chris Pelletier
copyright 2010
In America, October is a month which commemorates Christopher Columbus and his brave adventure from Spain that brought him to the Caribbean (in fact, he is credited with the discovery of America in 1492, when in fact, he had never set foot on mainland North America). The truth of the matter is that the first Europeans to land on North America had arrived 400 years before Columbus was born. That expedition was led by Leif Ericson.
Leif's father, Eric the Red, started his career in Norway, but got in trouble for killing a man. So Eric, his family and his followers fled to Iceland to avoid prosecution. In Iceland, Eric could not control his temper and once again killed a man. Eric had to leave Iceland, too, to he did not know where to go.
A fisherman told him of a land to the west, so Eric moved and founded a village in the land which he called Greenland (history's first real estate scam). Life was hard, but the village survived for hundreds of years. Leif grew up in that village and heard stories of a land to the west that fishermen had come across when they were blown off course. Eric, like his father, had an adventurous spirit and made an expedition in 1002 c.e. to explore that new territory.
After some sailing, his group landed in Canada, which he called Vinland. The land, unlike Greenland, had a lot of timber, wild game and berries. He established a colony, which was not destined to last long. The native tribes, which the vikings called skraelings, attacked the colonists and drove them back to where they came, never to return.
Archaeologists have recently discovered a viking settlement in L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada, which supports the Vinland Saga. So, perhaps Americas need to switch Columbus Day to Leif Ericson day and give credit where credit is due.
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