ness of the summer nights, denies that the island is surrounded by ice, and mentions a frozen sea one day's sail to the north. It appears from his words that the monks voyaged to Iceland even in winter. The strength of this testimony finds corroboration in what we read elsewhere of the Irish anchorites, and it is difficult to refuse them the credit of discovering Iceland during the eighth century.
Whether they went farther still afield is a matter for speculation. From Iceland to Greenland is only a short passage—not very much longer than that from the Shetlands to the Faroes or from the Faroes to Iceland. There may too have been land at some time between, as the early Norse voyagers mention "Gunnibjorn's" skerries, whilst an early map marks a terra quae fuit totaliter combusta. There are hints and stories of earlier white settlers, both on the Greenland coast and farther south towards Winland, in the Norse Sagas. On these has been based the Irish claim to the discovery of America. It does not appear to the writer that there is intrinsic improbability in such a claim, but the evidence with the lapse of time must necessarily be vague, shadowy and inconclusive.[1]
The passages in the Sagas which may refer to these Irish missionaries or settlers are as follows: "Leif Eriksson sailed to Greenland, and found men upon a wreck at sea, and succoured them[2] ... Then likewise he discovered Winland the Good." This is probably the event to which allusion is made elsewhere—"Leif found Winland ... and he then found merchants in evil plight at sea, and restored them to life by God's mercy." There is nothing whatever to show that they were not daring Norsemen; indeed, the Flateybook would lead us to suppose this. Karlsefni, sailing south on a later voyage, discovered—if we can believe the Saga—new-sown wheat in Vinland,[3] and also came upon the keel of a ship on the coast.[4] Thorwald, brother of Leif, saw in the same place a "wooden shelter for grain."[5] In "Markland," he captured five
- ↑ Beauvois is the most devoted apostle of the Irish claim. Reeves, the most recent authority, considers the stories puzzling, and not to be readily explained away. Torfæus, Rafn, Zesterman, and De Costa are amongst the other believers. Winsor, 'Hist. America,' i. 83, appears sceptical, as also is Laing, editor of 'Heimskringla.' Cunningham, W., 'Growth of English Industry' (i. 86), is favourable.
- ↑ Saga of Eric the Red. Reeves, 'Finding of Wineland,' 37.
- ↑ Ib., 47. Reeves translates "self-sown wheat," and believes it to have been wild rice.
- ↑ Ib., 43. Reeves supposes it was the remains of one of Red Erik's ships carried south by the current.
- ↑ Ib., 68.
