Hilmir Sjot: The Norse Colonization of America

The Norse were Europe's first Great Explorers. Centuries before Italians such as John Cabot and Christopher Columbus were motivated to sail in search of a new route to the riches of the Orient, the Icelanders had dared to travel far in search of new lands, riches and fame.

Then the successes of the Icelanders abrubtly and quietly came to an end. The newly discovered lands of Markland, Vinland and Helluland were abandoned; contact was abruptly lost with Greenland as the phenomenon known as the "Little Ice Age" swept Europe. The great Scandinavian Kingdoms of Sweden, Norway and Denmark wouldn't discover its fait until the 1700s, when it became clear that the colony had died out long ago.

Situations in the Norse Americas had been near perfect before one event. This event, also this timeline's point of divergence, was the 1004 unprovoked attack upon the Skraelings by Thorvald Ericson. This marked the first combat with the natives, and broke the Viking colonist's courage before they had had the chance to establish themselves.

What if Thorvald hadn't gave the order to slaughter the unnarmed, sleeping natives he discovered? What would the fait of Norse America be? This timeline shows one possible outcome.