VINLAND THE GOOD 



Nansen calls attention to the frequent refer- 

 ence in the Saga to vinvio as well as vinber, to 

 the vines as well as to the grapes. These grape- 

 vines were cut by the Norsemen and formed 

 part of their cargoes. Hovgaard suggests that 

 they were used and were of great value in 

 tying the bottom planks of the ships to the 

 frames. A Viking vessel, the so-called Gok- 

 stad ship, was found in 1880 near Sandefiord, 

 Norway. It was, in an excellent state of pres- 

 ervation owing to the fact that it had been 

 used as the burial casket of a chieftain, and 

 was covered by a mound of blue clay. In this 

 vessel the planks were fastened to the frame 

 by withes. 



I cannot help agreeing with Nansen that 

 the Norsemen would not have named a mar- 

 velous new country after such a familiar berry 

 as the mountain cranberry. It is as if a native 

 of New England should name a new and won- 

 derful country "Huckleberry Land" even if 

 huckleberries grew there abundantly. Either, 

 therefore, Eric sailed a long distance south 

 of Newfoundland and found the real grape 

 when he named Vinland, or, like a dutiful son, 

 he raised the grapes from his own fertile imagi- 

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