The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1967, Blaðsíða 31

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
29
A CHAPTER IN CANADIAN HISTORY
DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE
This plaque commemorates the discovery of the Eastern Coast of Canada by
Mariners from Iceland and Greenland in the late Tenth Century.
The historic excerpt reproduced below is from Graenlendinga Saga (The Saga of
The Greenlanders) first committed to writing in Iceland about A.D. 1200 and
preserved in Flateyjarbok (The Flatey Book), a vellum manuscript compiled
in Iceland about A.D. 1390.
Part I records the sighting of new land in the west by Bjami Herjolfsson, of
Eyrar in Iceland, in A.D. 986. Part II describes the voyage of discovery of Leifr
Eiriksson some years later and his landings in Helluland (Flatstoneland), Mark-
land (Woodland), and Vinland (Wineland). These explorations led to an at-
tempt at colonization by Thorfinnr Karlsefni whose son, Snorri Thorfinnsson,
was born on this continent.
Archaeological Research in Western and Eastern Canada supports
these ancient Icelandic recods o£ exploration and colonization.
I
BJARNI HERJ6LFSSON SIGHTS NEW LAND
. . .After that they saw the sun again and were able to get their bearings;
they hoisted sail and after a day’s sailing they sighted land.
They discussed amongst themselves what country this might be. Bjarni
said he thought it could not be Greenland. The crew asked him if he wanted
to land there or not; Bjarni replied, ‘I think we should sail in close’.
They did so, and soon they could see that the country was not moun-
tainous, but was well wooded and with low hills, so they put to sea again, leaving
the land on the port quarter.
II
LEIFR EIRIKSSON’S EXPLORATIONS
. . . They made their ship ready and put out to sea. The first landfall they
made was the country that Bjarni had sighted last. They sailed right up to the
shore and cast anchor, then lowered a boat and landed. There was no grass to be
seen, and the hinterland was covered with great glaciers, and between glaciers
and shore the land was like one great slab of rock. It seemed to them a worthless
country.
Then Leifr said, ‘Now we have done better than Bjarni where this
country is concerned—we at least have set foot on it. I shall give this country
a name and call it Helluland”.
They returned to their ship and put to sea, and sighted a second land.
Once again they sailed right up to it and cast anchor, lowered a boat and went