IN NORTHERN MISTS 



been constant there, where their catches were assured for 

 the greater part of the year, and they were free from famine 

 and ravaging diseases — and partly perhaps through a fresh 

 gradual immigration from the north. They therefore slowly 

 spread farther to the south, and gradually the whole of the 

 southern west coast received a denser Eskimo population, prob- 

 ably after the Norsemen of the Western and Eastern Settlements 

 had declined in prosperity and numbers, so that they no longer 

 appeared so formidable, and at the same time they undoubtedly 

 behaved in a more peaceful and friendly fashion, in proportion 

 as their communication with Europe fell off, and their imaginary 

 superiority to the Skraslings proved to be more and more 

 illusory. 



We have still to speak of the Skraelings whom the 

 Greenlanders, according to the sagas, are said to have met 

 with in Wineland. G. Storm [1887] maintained that they 

 must have been Indians, which of course seems natural 

 if we suppose, with him, that the Greenlanders reached 

 southern Nova Scotia; but in recent years several authors 

 have endeavored to show that they were nevertheless 

 Eskimo.^ From what has been made out above as to the 

 romantic character of these sagas it may seem a waste of 

 time to discuss a question like this, since we have nothing 

 certain to go by; especially when, as already mentioned, 

 the name of Skraeling may originally have been used of the 

 pixies who were thought to dwell in the Irish fairy-land, the 

 land of the " sid," which was called Wineland. But even 

 if this origin of the name be correct, it does not prevent later 

 encounters with the natives of America (besides those of 

 Greenland) having contributed to make the Skraelings of Wine- 

 land more realistic, and given them features belonging to actual 

 experience. 



The description of them in these " romance-sagas " may thus be considered 

 of value, in so far as it may represent the common impression of the natives 



IE. Beauvois, 1904, 1905; Y, Nielsen, 1904, 1905; W. Thalbitzer, 1904, 

 1905. 

 90 



