Medieval History
Old Norse sagas such as Saga of Erik the Red and the Saga of the Greenlanders have been long been considered among the most important sources of information about relations between Vikings and Native Americans. But new research suggests that accounts about a mysterious island known as Hvitramannaland are also other descriptions of the New World and its inhabitants.
In the article ?Hvitramannaland and other fictional islands in the sea?, Else Mundal examines references in saga accounts about the island, which was described as being six days and nights of sailing west of Ireland. Other accounts suggest that it was close to Vinland, which is now considered to be somewhere along the eastern coast of North America.
Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net
- Medieval Norse Trappers On Baffin Island
Icelandic sagas and a single archaeological site in Newfoundland document a Viking Period presence of Norse people in the Americas. Now National Geographic?s November issue has a piece on new work in the field, lab and museum collections by Dr. Patricia...
- Oar Walking, Underwater Wrestling And Horse Fighting ? Historian Examines The Sports And Games Of The Vikings
Playing ball games is an activity played by children around the world. While today?s parents might worry that their sons and daughters might get scrapes and bruises, in the Viking world such a game could end with an axe being driven into an opponent?s...
- Historian Uncovers Cases Of Ransoms Paid To Vikings In The 11th Century
How much were two women worth in 11th century Iberia? For the Vikings the price was a blanket of wolf skin, a sword, a shirt, three scarves, a cow and some salt. This fascinating story is part of research done by Helio Pires from the New University of...
- Vikings Not Alone When They Crossed The North Atlantic ? Mice Hitched A Ride Too
New research has revealed that when the Vikings sailed across the North Atlantic to places like Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland, they brought with them the common house mouse. An international team of researchers from the UK, USA, Iceland, Denmark...
- Summer Course In Iceland On Sagas: History, Culture, Language, And More
A two-week summer course has been announced by Háskólasetur Vestfjarða (University Center of the Westfjords) in Iceland. The course is an intensive introduction to the sagas and medieval literature of the north, using Gísla saga as the example. Language,...
Medieval History
Scholar finds evidence of links between Vikings and North American natives
Old Norse sagas such as Saga of Erik the Red and the Saga of the Greenlanders have been long been considered among the most important sources of information about relations between Vikings and Native Americans. But new research suggests that accounts about a mysterious island known as Hvitramannaland are also other descriptions of the New World and its inhabitants.
In the article ?Hvitramannaland and other fictional islands in the sea?, Else Mundal examines references in saga accounts about the island, which was described as being six days and nights of sailing west of Ireland. Other accounts suggest that it was close to Vinland, which is now considered to be somewhere along the eastern coast of North America.
Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net
- Medieval Norse Trappers On Baffin Island
Icelandic sagas and a single archaeological site in Newfoundland document a Viking Period presence of Norse people in the Americas. Now National Geographic?s November issue has a piece on new work in the field, lab and museum collections by Dr. Patricia...
- Oar Walking, Underwater Wrestling And Horse Fighting ? Historian Examines The Sports And Games Of The Vikings
Playing ball games is an activity played by children around the world. While today?s parents might worry that their sons and daughters might get scrapes and bruises, in the Viking world such a game could end with an axe being driven into an opponent?s...
- Historian Uncovers Cases Of Ransoms Paid To Vikings In The 11th Century
How much were two women worth in 11th century Iberia? For the Vikings the price was a blanket of wolf skin, a sword, a shirt, three scarves, a cow and some salt. This fascinating story is part of research done by Helio Pires from the New University of...
- Vikings Not Alone When They Crossed The North Atlantic ? Mice Hitched A Ride Too
New research has revealed that when the Vikings sailed across the North Atlantic to places like Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland, they brought with them the common house mouse. An international team of researchers from the UK, USA, Iceland, Denmark...
- Summer Course In Iceland On Sagas: History, Culture, Language, And More
A two-week summer course has been announced by Háskólasetur Vestfjarða (University Center of the Westfjords) in Iceland. The course is an intensive introduction to the sagas and medieval literature of the north, using Gísla saga as the example. Language,...