Map Contest/Archive 13

Map Contest 13 (Open): By Odin's Beard
Challenge: Create a map of the world where the Vikings created large successful colonies in the New World. Be sure to include a back-story and a map.

Time Frame: Two weeks, January 18 - February 1

I Know Nothing of the Little Ice Age! - Imp
In the map, them in their full glory in 1879.

The Viking colonies were flourishing in the north. Finally the Vikings could have the space to expand upon they so badly desired. And then ... a bad storm hit. It was unsure what was going to happen next as the future of the colonies, and the whole empire, hung in the balance. And then? The Sun came out, and the Empire of the Vikings never looked back.

Under whom would the empire flourish? , of course. He would lead the longboats to all around the North Sea, and would become responsible for the large influx of Norse into the Northumbrian and the Lowlands regions. Under him, the Vikings would begin to flourish like no other state in history had after the Roman Empire, but while Rome moved on land, the Vikings were lords of the seas. He would become the first Viking King to set foot on "" and the first major city on the new landmass would be named after him, while earning the reputation on whom luck always smiled. He was able to gain influence with the Pope and the Byzantine Emperor and became to be seen as a devout Christian - helping his cause on the British Isles where he managed to expand the hold of the Vikings to its greatest point. Because of him, the never managed to establish complete control over England and so was restricted to the south. Various wars would be fought over the centuries with the Vikings, however. Yet, in his long life, he would not let the old Norse gods die out, instead incorporating them into Christianity, making them into God's angels and creating a new church - the Norse Church. But history would remember this leader as Cnut the Immortal, for his contributions. One of his soldiers would comment on his deathbed - "if Jesus was the son of god, he was the saviour of his people", marking him as a major figure in the Norse Church.

His successors would be competent and would lead to the continuation of an (albeit Christian) Viking Empire. When the Crusades came, the Christians thank their stars the Vikings were on their side. They would become the greatest trading empire in history, and in their glory have a world under their control. Well apart from the Chinese - and perhaps the Inca. Others did follow the Vikings westward, but not many managed to establish colonies. However, in this age of the Vikings, there would be something that would support their transformation into a major power early on. You see, a Christian monk was peacefully approached by the Vikings in a bid to find out if the rumour that he held ancient knowledge was true or not, and eventually yielded that he did possess (Roman) knowledge which they traded it with the Vikings for security and brought about a boom in technology and science before the age of rebirth (look at Vsauce to see what actually happened - mistakes video). I know, it's a pretty cool world. XD

Comments: Votes:
 * I assume you mean Vsauce, not Vsource
 * Soz, yes I do. :)
 * Mmm ... this map ... I can't stop looking at it. It is exquisite and immaculate. Well done. (Labels would be nice, but that's my only complaint). Cour (talk) 20:40, January 29, 2014 (UTC)
 * This isn't the final version lol - only a stopgap. XD [[Image:1.png|23px]] Imp (Say Hi?!) 22:05, January 29, 2014 (UTC)
 * Cour (talk) 20:40, January 29, 2014 (UTC)
 * el scraw 18:04, February 2, 2014 (UTC)
 * Banner_of_the_Holy_Roman_Emperor_with_haloes_(1400-1806).svg Labarum.jpg CrimsonAssassin- I have special eyes 03:33, February 4, 2014 (UTC)

Seafarers of Midgard - Bfoxius
What if the great Norse kingdom under the Danish king Cnut had not split apart with the rebellious English and Norwegians each rebelling? What, if in fact, instead of marrying two wives, Cnut married an Anglo-Saxon, and had a son, thus cementing his leadership over both England and Denmark? Let us also say that he was less harsh with the Norwegians, prompting them to not leave his great kingdom. The world today is very different.

With a great united realm, the Norse Kingdom, let's call it Nororifit, or "North Land" was able to levy enough troops to repel Duke William's invasion of England, forever exiling him to a backwater portion of old Gaul. Without the hybrid Norse-Latin culture of the Normans, Europe was divided between the Latin south, and the Norse north. Meanwhile, with the fertile fields of England to supply them, voyages resumed. The cities of Novgorod, and Kiev remained Norse, and with trade from across the world to supply them, the voyages continued. The Vikings, not the Normans conquered Sicily, and it became a vassal state of the vast northern realm.

Eventually the good weather in the northern seas ended, and great bergs of ice covered waters that were once clear. The inhabitants of Greenland and parts of Iceland looked home. Their home was becoming crowded with too many people. Then they looked west, rediscovered the old sagas of Erik the Red's son who settled in the vast woods of Vinland. Yes, there they would find a better life. So with the favor of the king, and the food and wealth that he controlled, they were granted the ability to go west and settle a new Jarldom in the name of the king. Settlements were established on the island of Vinland, and eventually new, better lands were found to the south, on the mainland. They had good harbors and fishing, thick forests, and less cold winters. The lands were named Nyrgard.

Soon, the vast forests of Nyrgard fueled the settlers' want to sail the vast seas on a more southerly route to the old kingdom, avoiding the ice of the north. Contact with Nororifit was re-established and the wealth of the new lands continued to fill the coffers of the king. Eventually, however, the good times began to end. Rebellious lords, on the fringes of the vast realm of the Norsemen, were building great armies to remain independent of the king. Over many years, however, that was not a problem, as the king could just hire mercenaries from across the world with the fabled Norse coffers. Trade, however, had slowed recently and the king had been forced to raise taxes. This was unpopular amongst the ever-rebellious Norse lords, and many revolted. Thus began the Great Nordic Insurrection. Battles were fought across the known world, but eventually a treaty was hammered out between the Kingdom and the rebels.

Comments: Votes:

Brœðr Muno Beriaz ~ Ms


The Atlantic Region in the year 1750.

Brœðr Muno Beriaz, Brothers Will Fight, is a universe where many Norse colonies in the New World managed to survive for years after their OTL collapse.

Comments: Votes:
 * The doubt is strong with this one. ~Scraw
 * I like the illustrations. Good touch. What do you mean, Scraw? Tr0llis (talk) 13:27, January 22, 2014 (UTC)
 * Meaning it looks too professional for any one user. ~Scraw
 * "Tell Scraw that I did indeed make that map." -MS (here)
 * I don't think you will be allowed to circumvent wiki rules like that. Like how banned players can not get other players to post for them in a Map Game ( *cough* personal experience *cough* ), I would think the same rules would be put into effect on the wiki. ~Imp
 * With what program, Mr. Map God? I assume this is at least taken from a base map. ~Scraw
 * Thank you for your interest in my map. To answer your question, I hand drew that map in a program called Paint.net. The base map I used was a blank, uncolored map of the northern hemisphere. The drawings were based on ones by Olaus Magnus and his work, the Carta Marina. Mscoree (talk) 23:48, February 2, 2014 (UTC)
 * Shouldn't this map have won? It's been more than a month. Tr0llis (talk) 02:23, March 2, 2014 (UTC)
 * Tr0llis (talk)
 * RazorFangZ14 (talk) 14:06, February 3, 2014 (UTC)1
 * Millgy (talk) 14:13, February 3, 2014 (UTC)
 * NonEuclidean ツ (Talk)
 * User:Edboy452 [[Image:Flag of Romania.svg|25px|border]] [[Image:Flag of German Reich (1935–1945).svg|25px|border]] [[Image:Flag of Israel.svg|25px|border]] [[Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg|25px|border]] (talk) 00:54, February 11, 2014 (UTC)

Thorfinn Karlsefni Survives His First Meal - LightningLynx89


In our world Thorfinn Karlsefni and his party had been killed by a native raiding party after his bull had reportedly gotten loose and escaped the camp and frightened the local natives coming to trade with his crew. However, what if those natives had decided not to kill Karlsefni and his crew and had somehow captured Karlsefni's bull and returned it to him?

With Karlsefni seeing the honor of the natives willing to return his prized bull back to him, he began expanding more trade with the natives than he was given permission to, as he felt he needed to repay the debt. With this, the Viking populations had begun hearing more and more of this place called 'Vinland', a place of prosperity and virgin land untouched and ready to be settled and natives willing to trade goods that were alien to the Europeans. The Viking population over the next 200 years would settle the coast of the Hudson Bay and would set up permanent settlements. The native population had been exposed to European sicknesses, but at a leisurely pace which allowed generations to adapt and become affected by the Vikings carrying these diseases.

However, with the Catholic Church's influence increasing in Europe, the Vikings were forced into a war by the kingdoms of Norway and Sweden. The cost of war hurt the dispersed clans people as they were fighting a nation united under a king and a strong religion. The effects of the war forced the Vikings to leave their homeland of Scandinavia and forced them into Greenland and into Vinland to hopefully find a place to rebuild.

Comments Votes
 * I really do like this one as well, but I only have one vote ... Cour (talk) 02:29, February 4, 2014 (UTC)