Vinland Saga’s

VINLAND SAGAS THE QUEST TO NORTH AMERICA BY KAMALJOT BRAR 5206404 HISTORY 1F90 PREPARED FOR AARON RODENBURG 3, THURSDAY, 1000-1100 DUE OCTOBER 11th 2012, advance OCTOBER 11th 2012 A saga is markd to be a short story with historical significance that summarizes in detail events that took place during a certain period of time. In terms of Ancient Scandinavia and the Viking Age, sagas are stories of sweeps of Vikings that embarrass subjects like migration, battles, and family and inter-societal interactions.These sagas were written by unknown authors well after the actual events occurred. The Vinland Sagas translated by Keneva Kunz and edited by Gisli Sigurdsson includes deuce accounts of the Norse voyage to North America The Saga of the Greenlanders and Eirik the Reds Saga. Both sagas help to describe the journey to discover North America. However, each(prenominal) tell the prose in a different perspective. The exits between the two sagas include the initial accidental husking o f lands west of Greenland, the discovery of Keel Point, and the voyage by Thorvald.On the opposite hand there were in like manner similar aspects of the sagas that include the way the western lands were discovered and named, the story basis Leif and the shipwrecked crew, and the duration of the voyages. While both sagas are detailing the events of the Icelandic migration to North America, they are not wholly identical in the way the events are summarized. One difference between the two sagas is the initial discovery of the lands to the west of Greenland. In The Saga of the Greenlanders, after Bjarni initially noticed the lands to the west, curiosity spread amongst the people of bracing lands.Leif was the commencement to venture to the West in hopes to find the lands he soon purchased Bjarnis ship and led on a voyage of his own with fellow companions. 1 However, Eirik the Reds Saga records the initial discovery of the new lands by the voyage by Karlsefni and Gudrid who were acc ompanied by Freydis, Thorvard, Thorvald, and Thorhall. 2 This shows the discrepancy between the sagas and questions validity of who actually found and named the lands. The 1 moment difference between the two accounts is the origin of Keel Point.The first saga tells the lecturer after Thorvalds ship was wrecked, he announced to his companions that the spot of this unfortunate event will be called Keel Point. 3 Instead, the second saga reveals that Keel Point was just another piece of land named by Karlsefni and Gudrids voyage, after they witnessed seeing a keel of a boat around that area. 4 This difference outlines the different perspective the writers had in the story, it forces one to question the meaning of that ship wreck. Another difference is the social occasion of Thorvald, and how it differs between the two sagas.Thorvald in the first saga is seen more independent as he leads his own voyage with his own companions after he thinks Leif did an inadequate job in exploring Vi nland. 5 His role in the second saga is altered. He does not lead his own voyage, instead be actives along with Karlsefni and Gudrid during their voyage to Vinland. 6 The less greatness of Thorvald in the second saga makes historians believe that the writer of the first saga could have been closer to Thorvald which gives him more of an image. Along with the differences, the sagas do have many details of the voyages that can be closely comparable.In both the sagas the reader is told about the discovery of the lands west of Greenland by an accidental occurrence. The first saga describes Bjarnis discovery of the lands to happen after his ship is winded off course to Greenland where he was going to meet with his father. 7 This is similar to the second saga where Leif finds Vinland by chance, when he is tossed about in the sea while on his way to Greenland to spread Christianity. This allows one to validate the passage taken by the voyagers to North America. Another similarity betwe en the two accounts is the story about Leif and how he earned the nickname Lucky.In the first saga, Leif comes across a group of stranded men 8 2 on a skerry and ends up rescuing fifteen of them. 9 This story is alike to the one from the second saga. Leif on his way to Greenland comes across a shipwreck, where he finds men in trouble he ends up victorious them home and sheltering them during the winter. 10 Thus, he gains the nickname Leif the Lucky. This similarity not only shines light on Leif Eirikkson, just now also helps to confirm Leifs voyage to Greenland, since both the accounts agree upon the event.The last similarity is the close alliance between the lengths of the voyages. During Leifs voyage in the first saga it is said that the time spent at sea between one point to another was two days. From Markland to the discovery of Vinland it took Leif two days at sea. 11 Likewise in the second saga the voyage of Karlsefni and Gudrid had similar lengths to the voyage of Leif. Id entically to Leif, Karlsefnis voyage from Markland to Vinland also took two days at sea. 12 Since both sagas describe the oyages to have taken the some amount of money of time, it allows historians to value this source in validating the discovery of the lands because there is no discrepancy between the length of time spent at sea. As a secondary source The Vinland Sagas prove to be a precious piece of history. Not only because the sagas are the only account available from the 11th and twelfth century, but that the accounts together help to piece together the voyages made by the Vikings to America. Together the sagas compliment each other because they help to give different perspective of the Vikings discovery.Since there are many similarities between the two, it allows historians to realise that the sagas truly are factual pieces of evidence to the past. They are also important because it removes the stereotype of the Vikings being nada but pure savages. It shows that the Viking s were successful pioneers and made profound discoveries 3 In conclusion the sagas hold both differences and similarities. The differences they had was the person who initially had discovered and named the new found land, the origin of the place called Keel Point, and the role of Thorvald as a voyager.In contrast the similarities they held included the naming and way the lands were discovered, Leifs reputation of being Lucky, and the identical travel time on sea. Although the sagas may fluctuate with the differences and similarities, this source of history is still very feasible and valuable when looking back to the 11th and 12th century during the Viking Age. 4 Notes 1. Gisli Sigurdsson, The Saga of the Greenlanders In The Vinland Sagas, trans. Keneva Kunz (London Penguin, 2008), 5-7. 2. Gisli Sigurdsson, Eirik the Reds Saga In The Vinland Sagas, trans. Keneva Kunz (London Penguin, 2008), 40-41. . Sigurdsson, Greenlanders, 10. 4. Sigurdsson, Eirik the Red, 41. 5. Sigurdsson, Greenl anders, 9-10. 6. Sigurdsson, Eirik the Red, 40. 7. Sigurdsson, Greenlanders, 4. 8. Sigurdsson, Eirik the Red, 34-35. 9. Sigurdsson, Greenlanders, 8-9. 10. Sigurdsson, Eirik the Red, 35. 11. Sigurdsson, Greenlanders, 6. 12. Sigurdsson, Eirik the Red, 41. 5 Bibliography Sigurdsson, Gisli. Eirik the Reds Saga. In The Vinland Sagas. Translated by Keneva Kunz London Penguin, 2008. 23-51. Sigurdsson, Gisli. The Saga of the Greenlanders . In The Vinland Sagas. Translated by Keneva Kunz London Penguin, 2008. 1-23. 6