﻿NO. 19 NORSE VISITS TO NORTH AMERICA — BABCOCK \6j 



ings. But was it used prior to the voyages of Thorfinn and Leif ? If 

 used in Greenland, it might easily be transferred to other savages. It 

 does not seem to prove anything, although, if shown to have a magical 

 implication, it would establish the existence of the same point of view 

 for Eskimo and Indians as for Lapps — in itself not unlikely. Dr. 

 Nansen supplies an excellent precedent in the use of Finn for three 

 races and with implication of magic. But what is the proof that 

 Skraelings originally meant fairy folk and to what period does 

 " originally " refer ? Our first introduction to them is through Thor- 

 finn, who trafficked with them as human beings and fought and killed 

 them. 



(19) The statement of the Icelandic geography, that, in the opinon of some, 

 Wineland the Good was connected with Africa, and the fact that the Norwegian 

 work, " Historia Norvegiae," calls Wineland (with Markland and Helluland) 

 the African Islands, are direct evidence that the Norse Wineland was the 

 Insulae Fortunatae, which together with the Gorgades and the Hesperides were 

 precisely the African Islands. 



Not of identity, but of supposed neighborhood in extension ; also 

 of a warm climate and luxuriance. This I have said elsewhere. It 

 does not touch the saga, but only the theories of Abbot Nicholas or 

 some one else, and perhaps the general tradition. It was natural that 

 they should think so, if Leif reached the Chesapeake. Since Edrisi 

 in the twelfth century clearly distinguished between the Canaries and 

 the other islands which lay farther at sea, since the classical geog- 

 raphers before him well knew the former, and since the early medie- 

 val maps kept and emphasized Edrisi's distinction, there seems no 

 great probability of any real confusion of identity. 



(20) Even though the Saga of Eric the Red and the " Gronlendinga-j'attr " 

 contain nothing which we can regard as certain information as to the discovery 

 of America by the Greenlanders, we yet find there and elsewhere many features 

 which show that they must have reached the coast of America, the most 

 decisive among them being the chance mention of the voyagers from Markland. 

 in 1347. To this may be added Hertzberg's demonstration of the adoption of the 

 Icelandic game of " knattleikr " by the Indians. The name of the mythical 

 land may then have been transferred to the country that was discovered. 



Fortunately the fact that the Icelanders reached the coast of 

 America does not rest wholly on the veracity of the sailors on the 

 small Greenland ship, or on any annal. America was reached by 

 Thorfinn, and more or less explored as far as southern New England. 

 Leif had previously reached the same region and probably passed a 

 long way below it. Our reasons for believing so are fully stated 

 elsewhere. 



