﻿NO. 19 NORSE VISITS TO NORTH AMERICA BABCOCK 59 



daughter of Snorri the Priest, two leading early Icelandic chieftains. 

 Yigfusson mentions six others in his masterly preface to the Stur- 

 lunga Saga. With this tendency and his opportunities it is nearly 

 certain that Ari the Wise often heard the Wineland narrative in all 

 its forms from the descendants of Gudrid, for example Bishop Thor- 

 lac Runolfsson, whom he undoubtedly knew. 



There is no question that Ari wrote the Islendingabok, which sur- 

 vives in a later abridged version or Libellus also by his hand. The 

 Landnamabok is probably in great part his too, excepting the entries 

 of the eastern settlements and certain later additions, carrying the 

 story down beyond his time, though his share in it has been double. 

 He perhaps also began the long series of historic sagas 1 as one of the 

 authors of the Kristni-Saga and the Konungabok, narrating respec- 

 tively the conversion of the island and the deeds of Norwegian kings. 



In each of these four books Wineland is mentioned; always as 

 though readers would naturally be familiar with this item of history 

 and geography. Once, being better known, it defines the supposed 

 location of Great Ireland ; and again, by a rather loose analogy, con- 

 tributes its Skraelings to identify the as yet unseen inhabitants of 

 Greenland, who had left some savage debris behind them — broken 

 boats, discarded tools, and empty hovels. The Landnamabok has 

 also a brief reference to " Karlsefni who found Wineland the Good, 

 Snorri's father " — every one plainly being' supposed to know all 

 about these personages. 



The Kristni-Saga says of King Olaf Tryggvason : 



He sent Leif to Greenland to proclaim the faith there. On his voyage Leif 

 found Wineland the Good ; he also found men on a wreck at sea, therefore he 

 was called Leif the Lucky. 



The Konungabok passage is similar: 



Leif, a son of Eric the Red, passed the same winter in good repute with King 

 Olaf and accepted Christianity. And that summer, when Gizur went to Iceland, 

 King Olaf sent Leif to Greenland, to proclaim Christianity there. He sailed 

 that summer to Greenland. He found men on a wreck at sea and succoured 

 them. Then also he found Wineland the Good and arrived at Greenland in the 

 autumn. He took with him thither a priest and other spiritual teachers and 

 went to Brattahlid to make his home with his father Eric. People afterward 

 called him Leif the Lucky. But his father Eric said that one account should 

 balance the other, that Leif had rescued the ship's crew and this that he had 

 brought the trickster to Greenland. This was the priest. 



The vellum copy of this book, known as Frisbok, may be, according 

 to Mr. Reeves, the oldest extant manuscript mentioning Wineland. 



1 Vigfusson and Powell: Origines Islandicae. 



