Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • Anonymous - The Vinland Sagas - The Norse Discovery of America (Penguin Classics) - Penguin Classics (1965) PDF

    Uploaded by

    annoporci
    1K views66 pages

    Original Title

    Anonymous - The Vinland Sagas_ The Norse Discovery of America (Penguin Classics)-Penguin Classics (1965).pdf

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    1K views66 pages

    Anonymous - The Vinland Sagas - The Norse Discovery of America (Penguin Classics) - Penguin Classics (1965) PDF

    Uploaded by

    annoporci

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 66
    vroxcum @ ceases ‘THE VINLAND SAGAS Machus MAcwUsioN is an lelander wo tas been resident in| Scolind for mow of his if, After «carer in newspaper journal i ‘Scond, he fr no a Gclance author and broadcater, bre known 2 te presenter ofthe BBC quiz programme ‘Mastermind’. He is ako ‘Ghaioman ofthe Sooeith Natural Hertage, He ried Engh and Old Keelandic at Oxford Univerty, and is hobby 16 warlaing fom Keeani, both old and new. With Herman Pilon he har tanted tice other Saga Volumes for Penguin Clsicy Nols See, King Hal's Saga ao Lal Sg Hienwann Paussow said clini t che University of land and Celac st Univesity College, Dubin. He wat formerly Profesor in Tecan atthe Univerty of Edinburgh, where he taught fom 19300 1988 He is the General Eder of the New Saga Library andthe author of many Books on the hitory and Kterture of medieval end: bis ‘more recent plistons ince Legendary Futon in Medel Lelnd| (orth Paul Edrard), Ar and Bic on Hf’ Sage and Viking ‘use (vith Pal Edward In aditon tothe tree other Saga tran lations with Magnas Magnasion (Mas Sapa, King Hal's Sug ac Leela Sag), Hermann, Pilmon bis sso wanted nes Sop and (wih aul Edward) Eps Sage, Ones Sap, Eby Segand Seven Viking Romane fr the Penguin Clan. Macnus Macwusson is an ledunder who has been rien in ‘Scr for ton of bh We, Aer» carer in newpaper Jouraln in ‘Scodnd, he fr now a feeance author and brosdcartr, Best kaown 3 she prescter of the BBC quiz programme "Manerming’ He i | ‘Chatominof the Scots Natural Hertage, He tied Engh and Ol Icelandic ae Oxford Univesiy, and it hobby se raring. fom Tecan, both ol and new. With Herman Plt he he tested thee oer Suga volumer for Penguin Claes, Nuls Sega King Han Saga an Lact Sos CCloc at Univenity College, Dulin. He wat formerly Profesor in Telanic tse University of Eainburgh, where be tnught fom so fo 19h He is the General Edo of the New Saga Library andthe author of many Books on the hitory and Kterture of media eld: hi tote recent publications inlade Lzgrnay Futon tw Medioo! land (ith Paul Elward) Art and hin H's Sage and Viki Rese (vith Pl Edward In aon eo the eve oer Saga tan Istons wrieh Magnos Magnan (Mia Sepa, King Moll’ Sag an LEaela Sus), Hermann Pilson has ko tasted Hotels Sa and (wih Pal Edward) E's Sage, Onin Sap, Erbe Sega Sten king Romans or the Peng Css THE VINLAND SAGAS The Norse Discovery of America GRANLENDINGA SAGA ‘AND EIRIK'SSAGA MAGNUS MAGNUSSON AND HERMANN PALSSON PENGUIN BOOKS Ct a tena CONTENTS Merropucrion NOTE ON THE TRANSLATIONS GRANLENDINGA SAGA EIRIK'S SAGA CuRoNoLocicAL TABLE INTRODUCTION The two medieval celandic sagas tranlated in this volume tll, one ofthe mot facinating stories inthe history of exploration the discovery and attempted colonization of America by Norsemen, five centuries belare Christopher Columbus, In spare ane vigorous prose they record Europe’ first surprised glimpse ofthe caster shores ofthe North American continent and the Native Americans who inhabited them, The sagas describe how Eirik the Red, outlawed from leland late in the tenth century, founded an Ielandic colony on the western cost of Greenland; how a prudent young merchant named Beni Herjlfson, hastening towards Greenland acrom ‘he Denmark Strait inthe wake of the frst ect of colonizers ‘os oF 986, was Blown blindly past his destination south-west, {eros the Atlantic and there sighted unknown lids; and how Some fifteen years later Lai the Luck, son of Eirk the Red, Thought dhe hip tht hal survived this voyage and steered t back to the shores ofthe New World to explore andi possible exploit Barns chance discovery ‘What Let and his crew of thirty-five found dere delighted them: wild grapes in profsion, rong pats, vast stretches of towering timber, an abundance of game ofall kinds, rivers, teeming with giant salmon, meadows rich witha harvest of wid ‘wheat, and avcimate so kin that winter frosts were hardy Inown; even the dew seemed to them meecter than anything they had ever tated before. And Leif the Lack, exulting in is find, eam the country Vinland:" Wineland’, te Indo grapes Other voyages of exploration fllowed, led by Lei’ brothers. But the explorers now encountered natives whoee appearance and habits indicate beyond doubt that they were Native Americane. These voyager of exploration culminated, sceoeding to the sagss, inthe expedition led by a wealthy leclandie merchant, Thorfinn Karlsen, Leil's Brother inlaw, whose second name means, appropriately, Making of man’. wa Fh wok dec tp of epg fund he rmaent European setlement ia America Pefpee segs ve been a source of enormous controversy forthe pat century and more, No scalar doubts the athe thay of the cena forte of exploration an caoniation of the New World, but the ecount in the two sagas confit with sre Moher atseverlsportant pity and there has been Shite gumene about thir relative eri as histori Sica Beemer the pletre of aly leventh-century America Shey ara analisingly ary, 2 seres of blurred impressions {Bok though with vied eta, On the evidence ofthe texts ‘hermscves hay so far proved npossible to make irrfetab encaons of any ofthe particular bays and havens visite ithe Norsemen, oa the exact leaton of tht man stl Metin Vlad Yaris avd ngenous calculations have been Eade om the basis ft coment equivocal navgtioal and Toppan clues conten the two sages, and Vinland se aeernidenly Tocted by enthuses im areas as far apart i Hoon Bay nthe north ad Virginia inthe south. Every She ofthe theories pul forward hs ad to csregard one or tore Incnsistncey between the 80 sages oF even within Uh sagan themselves fat penrlly speaking, the most cep Bie Rterpretation af the elusive formation in the sags gers that Vnknd (it war anywhere) was Inthe New ireland region, sul the majonty uf scholars have inclined to hs em Uni recently apchaologs fa falled co unearth any tangle evidence of the wt by the Norsemen which cou Ten soport to any patclar theory. Various alleged reli hve ttoncl ap from tine to time, but none of thet has survived many have Been shown to be blatant caper sry, "the 496, however sme very intresting discoveries were sna in Nena by Dr Helge nga lrmer Governor UT Eat Grecland and Spibergn) and his archaeologist wife ising geoprapel aeuatone on he ling tes and “lvctions ven th sagas anon a stcemhrcentuy clanic snap ofthe North Antic drown by Sigurd Stfansion in 1596 (reproduced on +21, he dcied to explore Newlounda the Telit loon fr Vin. And at L'Anse tax Meatows 4 bay in the norseat ofthe land became avn tes which ave now eon conclusively ented ss» Norse stement

    You might also like