Tímarit Þjóðræknisfélags Íslendinga - 01.01.1962, Blaðsíða 90

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TÍMARIT ÞJÓÐRÆKNISFÉLAGS ÍSLENDINGA
Laier map of Claudius Clavus Swarl (Vienna iexi) afier 1466
know, but we know from a book
which he wrote years later, entitled
the Descripiion of Greenland, that
he was acquainted with all parts of
Greenland, both northern and the
farming districts. From this it is
not unreasonable to conclude that
he made visitations to the various
parts of the Canadian Arctic to
which the Icelanders had moved for
he remained administrator of the
see of Gardar for 20 years until he
returned to Norway in 1363 or 1364,
where he wrote his book.
It is not fanciful to suggest that
here he met the author of Inven-
fio Fortunata and that he there gave
him the information which the lat-
ter then recorded in his book. It
is fanciful to suggest that this friar
was the leader or the navigator and
scientist of a large expedition sent
in the years between 1355 and 1360
to reclaim apostates for the faith.
It is inconceivable that such an
event would have gone unreported
in any written sources which sur-
vive and especially in the Descrip-
tion of Greenland by Ivar Bardar-
son.
Another argument against any as-
sumption of an expedition in which
the author of the Inveniio may be
thought to have taken part is the
completely confused narrative of
the Inventio as it is found in the
letter of Mercator, not to mention
other accounts, such as Hakluyt’s
“Testimonie” taken f r o m Dee’s
summary of Mercator’s letter which
is as follows:
„Anno 1360. (that is to wit, in the
34. yeere of the reigne of the trium-
phant King Edward the third) a
frier of Oxford, being a good As-
tronomer, went in companie with
others to the most Northren Islands
of the world, and there leaving his
company together, hee travailed
alone, and purposely described all
the Northerne Islands, with the in-
drawing seas and the record there-
of at his returne he delivered to
the king of England. The name of