Vinland (Merveilles des Morte)

Vinland
c. 1000 – Present
Location of Approximate borders of Vinland, c. 1400s
Capital		Not specified
Languages		Vinlandic, Old Norse, Tvennufolkish, Beothuk
Religion		Catholicism, Vinlandic Mythology, Norse Paganism, Beothuk Animism
Government		Confederal elective principality
King
-	1550-1567	Kórikuus
Legislature		Nýtinget
Historical era		Early modern period
-	Established	c. 1000
-	Disestablished	N/A

Vinland (Old Norse: Vínland), also known as Vineland or Winland, was a nation in coastal Kolumbia, first settled by Norse Vikings led by Leif Erikson around the year 1000, approximately five centuries prior to the voyages of Christopher Kolumbus and Nicholas Sommer. However, the formal nation of Vinland as rediscovered by Europeans would not coalesce until centuries later. After Leif Erikson, Vinland was infrequently explored and traded with, and sporadically settled over the next two centuries. The first confirmed example of a unified nation in Vinland would not appear until the mid 14th century, when according to legend Vinland was also unified with Greenland. Contact between Vinland and the rest of the Scandinavian world appears to have been severed around this time.

Prior to European rediscovery, Vinland was divided into a number of independent chiefdoms known as the goðorð, which were ruled by a series of goði and only loosely unified by the Nýtinget, the island's legislative assembly. A number of states rose and fall during this period, such as the Kingdom of Nóatúna in the eastern third of the island, which came to be ruled by "Storgoðar", or high chiefs. Beginning in the 16th century, the intervention of European powers on the island catalyzed more rapid unification behind a series of strongmen, culminating in the 1550 unification of the island under Kórikuus the Founder of the Farsærk Dynasty.

History

The early history of Vinland is pieced together primarily from a few Icelandic sagas, such as the Saga of Eric the Red and the Saga of the Greenlanders, as well as trace writings discovered in Vinland and Greenland, and later chronicles commissioned by the Vinlander aristocracy. The sagas often contain confused details or contradictory information, owing to the almost 250 years they were preserved as an oral tradition across numerous countries before being recorded in Iceland.

Founding

Main Article: Leif Erikson

According to the Saga of the Greenlanders, the future country of Vinland was first spotted by an Icelander named Bjarni Herjólfsson. While attempting to travel to Greenland to visit his father, who had traveled there as one of the founders of the colony along with Erik the Red, Bjarni was blown off course by a storm. He spotted a land to the west that was covered with trees and mountains, but he chose not to explore further as he sought to reach Greenland as soon as possible. He eventually reached the settlement founded by his father, called Herjolfsnes, and he spread word of his discovery among the settlers. Later in life Bjarni traveled to Norway, where he met with Eiríkr Hákonarson, Earl of Lade and Governor of Norway. Upon relaying to him the tale of his discovery, Bjarni was criticized by the Earl for not investigating further.

An interpretation of the sailing routes to Greenland, Vinland, Helluland, and Markland travelled by different characters in the Icelandic Sagas, mainly Saga of Eric the Red and Saga of the Greenlanders.

Leif Erikson, the son of Greenlander founder Erik the Red, was intrigued by the story of Bjarni Herjólfsson and organized his own expedition to the west around the year 1000. According to the Saga of Erik the Red, Leif Erikson was also under instruction by King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway to spread Christianity to the region. Leif would trace the route traveled by Bjarni, first passing a land of flat stones (Helluland) and a land of forests (Markland), and then after having sailed another two days across open sea, he reached a headland with an island off the coast. Here Leif and his expedition built a fortified encampment, which would become known as Leifsbúðir, meaning Leif's temporary shelters.

One of Leif’s old family servants, a man named Tyrker, went missing one day and when he returned he relayed the discovery of grapes further inland, which would become one legend that later explained Vinland’s name. The following spring Leif returned to Greenland, bringing with him timber, grapes, and other goods, but most importantly news of the new land. While traveling to Greenland he also discovered a shipwrecked crew, and he managed to rescue the crew and their cargo.

Leif’s brother, Thorvald, would led the second expedition to Vinland that autumn, staying over two years in the new land. There he explored south along the coasts of Vinland, and after running aground and losing a ship’s keel on a nearby headland, he christened the location of Kjalarnes (Keel Point). Further south, Thorvald began building a new settlement, but was interrupted by native inhabitants, called Skrælings. After a brief fight, Thorvald’s party pursued the fleeing natives inland, but Thorvald was killed by an arrow, forcing the survivors back north.

Thorfinn Karlsefni, an early explorer and contemporary of Leif Eriksson, and one of only a few to receive the honorary title "Chief of Vinland"

Another one of Leif’s brothers, Thorstein, married the widow of the captain rescued by Leif, named Gudrid, and the couple would organize the third major expedition to the new land in the hopes of returning Thorvald’s remains. After spending a year on the island, Thorstein would perish of disease. The following year Gudrid married her third husband, a companion of Thorstein’s expedition named Thorfinn Karlsefni, who agreed to led a fourth expedition along with Gudrid and a business partner named Snorri Thorbrandsson. Thorfinn’s expedition brought a large number of settlers and livestock to the small settlement first started by Leif Erikson, and he also managed to establish peaceful contact with the natives and begin trading. This would prove invaluable and greatly aid the settlers during the coming years.

That autumn, Gudrid gave birth to a son, Snorri, who was according to legend the first person of European descent to be born in the new lands. Some time after, Leif’s sister Freydis and two Icelanders, Bjarni Grimolfsson and Thorhall Gamlason, led a fifth major expedition, and the group made contact with Thorfinn Jarlsefni and Gudrid. Freydis and company would continue south of Kjalarnes and travel past a long stretch of beaches named Furthustrandir. Further south still the expedition landed at an inlet next to an area of strong currents, named Straumfjörð, with an island just off shore that they called Straumsey. The next year Thorhall Gamlason led one group further down the western coast of Vinland, but was never heard from again. Bjarni Grimolfsson and Freydis meanwhile traveled along the eastern coast, establishing a settlement further south called Hop. Although the area around Hop was plentiful with resources, the party encountered hostile natives, and after several brief fights with locals, Freydis and company fled back north. Thorfinn Karlsefni would later lead a group to search for Thorhall, but they failed to uncover him. Elsewhere Bjarni Grimolfsson was also lost at sea.

Early Period

Although Leifsbuðir remained the primary settlement in Vinland for the next several years, it would eventually be replaced due to nearby resources being less abundant and trade with natives being infrequent. Interest in a settlement further south was resparked, and despite the failed expeditions years prior, a group led by Freydis and Ásólfur Jörundson, a son of one of the nobles of Garðar in Greenland, traveled along the eastern coast of Vinland to its eastern point. The group would settle on a cape south of Leifsbuðir near a small inlet called Thorfinnsfjord, where they founded Ásólfsnes. Nearby, a group would later follow the earlier expedition toward Straumfjörð, before settling a town at the mouth of the Nýsog River.

Artist's interpretation of the early settlers of Vinland.

Numerous trading posts would be established all around the island. One of the most successful and permanent settlements on Vinland would not be founded until 1030, when Karlsefni’s son Snorri, now an adult, returned to Vinland with 200 settlers from Greenland and Iceland. During this period, settlements on Vinland remained small, fortified centers, organized under the rule of various chieftains, similar to the settling of Greenland. Early settlers depended on pastoral farming combined with hunting and fishing, with goats, sheep, and cattle being imported to the region over the next century to be used alongside hunted caribou and seals for meat. During summer months the Vinlanders organized hunting trips north in search of narwhals, polar bears, and walruses, with skins, furs, and ivory being a valuable commodity for trade with Greenland and the European world beyond. Greenland especially prized lumber, with the Markland coast becoming a site for frequent logging. These resources also functioned as currency for many of the early settlers. Despite early conflict between the Norse and native populations, the most successful settlers initiated diplomatic relations with native communities, with trade and intermarriage being common.

Around Leifsbuðir several companions of Leif Erikson or their descendants would found notable homesteads. This included the Hillingar Islands (OTL Grey Islands) settled by Sighvatur Gunnarsson, who at first confused the small islands for a mirage, the settlement of Krákavik (OTL St. Anthony) founded by Greenlander noble Einar of Hafgrímsfjörð, and Blárnes (OTL Port au Choix). The northern peninsula remained under the influence of Leifsbuðir's leaders, but it soon became clear the peninsula paled in comparison to locations further south. Outposts would spring up all along the northern coast of the island, along fjords, rivers, and defensible positions, with the largest of which being organized into quasi provinces by local strongmen. By the end of the century dozens of named settlements would exist, with a handful of them styling themselves as higher chieftains.

Relations between indigenous peoples and the Norse led to a number of cultural exchanges. Both parties tended to live in small communities of a few dozen people, often led by a single leader, although in larger Norse communities different families acted autonomously and led themselves. Norse settlers would adopt native-style housing in some areas, which consisted of a conical dwelling with a fireplace in the center, and also used native-style canoes in more remote regions. Similarly some native groups adopted Norse tools, especially prizing metal items. Early conflict often arose when native people took tools, building supplies, and dried and cured fish deposited along the coast, and likewise the Norse raided native camps and set up traplines disrupting caribou hunts. By the later part of the century the majority of the native population adopted a policy of avoiding the foreigners, at first traveling to coasts further south, and later dwelling exclusively in the interior. As the Norse began to deprive these communities of seal hunting and fishing, this left the natives in the interior to only caribou hunting to survive, eventually leading to depopulation and subsequent famine in the mid 1200s. The traditional native population of the island was destroyed in the coming centuries, although a small minority of natives who had chosen to adopt Norse technology and initiate trade along the coastlines survived.

19th century depiction of Styrkár Einarsson preaching across northern Vinland

Christianity would be prevalent in the Vinlander settlements since the discovery of the island, as Leif Erikson seemed to have been a zealous Catholic, and was responsible for preaching Christianity in Greenland and Vinland alike. According to one account, an attempt was made to mandate Christianity in Leifsbuðir, although within a generation such a law was abandoned. As the Christianization of Iceland and Greenland intensified, Vinland became a frontier for Norse pagans to flee to, leading to most of the early settlements being non-Christian. The first church on the island was built sometime in the 1020s in Leifsbuðir, although the original building has since been lost. Subsequent missionary expeditions were launched throughout Vinland's early history, all with varying degrees of success. Thorgeir Tryggvason would successfully converted the inhabitants of Ásólfsnes in 1037, while Snorri Hallsson established a prosperous church in Blárnes in 1043. The most famous missionary would be Styrkár Einarsson, who traveled all along the coast of Vinland for the better part of a decade, performing masses, baptizing settlers, and building Christian outposts, the most famous of which becoming the fortified mission of Styrkirk in 1060. Others were less successful, such as the missionary Ketill Sturluson, who was supposedly tortured and killed on the Hillingar Islands for his destructive and pestering antics. It is estimated that the majority of settlements during the first century of Vinland's history allowed both religions to coexist, and even in Christian settlements most allowed private pagan worship and other older customs to persist, similar to the laws of Iceland.

Age of Heroes

The Battle of Boghmoot by Kaapa August Malmström, 1868

Concrete sources for much of Vinland's early history is nonexistent, and aside from early sagas regarding Leif Eriksson which were also recorded independently in Iceland in the 13th century, most of the sagas pertaining to early Vinlandic history would be recorded in the 15th or 16th centuries. Many of these sagas were similarly crafted for the purpose of legitimizing certain dynasties or states, often aligning them with a handful of legendary Vinlandic heroes or historical figures who were said to have existed around the time of the founding. Northern states such as Leifsland and their important families would often trace their lines back to Leif Eriksson and Erik the Red (nicknamed the Rauðr Dynasty), or Thorfinn Karlsefni and his son Snorri. The most prestigious individuals in Vinlandic history often had a claim to the honorary title of "King of Vinland", prior to the island's formal unification into a true kingdom.

Perhaps one of the most important legendary heroes during this period would be Býleistr Rauðkrákur, a central figure in the foundation of several states, including Nýsogland, Tryggviskjól, and Ísagríma. As told in such sagas as the Rauðkráka, one of the island's most important works of epic literature, around the 1040s the island of Vinland became terrorized by a unified, aggressive native presence, controlled by an evil sorcerer king named Izzobath. Býleistr Rauðkrákur is said to have been the leader of the Vinlander resistance against Izzobath, and was responsible for leading the Vinlanders to victory in the Battle of Boghmoot. This conflict is nicknamed the "First War in Vinland", as it plays a central role in the foundation myths of most of the chiefdoms of Vinland. Býleistr himself was said to have settled Nýsogland, slaying the land's ancient giant known as Júkefring at the start of the war. His first son, Jörundr the Echoer, is said to have succeeded him there as goði establishing a dynasty. His second son, Sveinn One-Eye, is said to have become Goði of Svansauma, while other sons such as Gormundur Giantsbane and Kaapa Priesthater became celebrated heroes and founders as well.

Gormundur is said to have followed in his father's footsteps of slaying the island's giants, and was instrumental in continuing to war against the Beothuk locals. He lived in the west of the island and settled the town of Reinahús near Ísagríma, and also conquered and razed a supposed Beothuk city called Skáldmoot somewhere in central Vinland. The Gissingar Dynasty of Ísagríma would claim that Gormundur's dynasty was a pivotal one in Ísagríma, marrying into their own on multiple occasions. According to the Gissingar sagas, Gormundur's son was Gymir the Mad, a wild and unsavory raider who led an unsuccessful war into the south. His great-grandson Gymir Wyeeðr is the last ruler of Reinahús mentioned by name, and is said to have been brother-in-law to Kobet I, it being implied that Reinahús was subsequently an integral vassal of Ísagríma from then on. Sveinn One-Eye is said to have won the throne of Svansauma after the death of the elderly hero Úlf Ferðaðist, having fought for his daughter's hand in marriage against numerous suitors.

Kaapa Priesthater is said to have been the founder of Logandeyjar, the island domain north of Nýsogland, becoming a feared sea-king, pirate, and viking. He is mentioned in the records and sagas of the monks of Styrkirk, who claim that he pillaged Christian holdings out of a deep hatred for the religion. Aside from these admittedly biased accounts of Kaapa's raids, and his apparent brutal end, little else is known about his life. He is said to have fathered a dynasty that included Thorfinn the Mighty and Jón Óskírður ("the Unbaptized"), a Christian apostate who founded Kaupatorg in Tryggviskjól. The Kaapa line may have collaborated with Jörundr the Echoer, who was said to have been a great warrior and conqueror, although little is known of his immediate descendants aside from mentions of their names in a few Styrkirk texts and sagas.

Medieval statue of St. Naðún.

Many of the most popular Saints' Sagas, or sagas depicting the semi legendary feats of Vinland's most famous saints and holy men, are set during this period in Vinland's history. One of the most famous stories in Vinland's history is Naðúnsaga, a fiftheenth-century saga describing the life and times of St. Naðún, as well as his family and a legendary feud surrounding them in the eleventh-century. The saga deals with the process of blood feuds, showing how the requirements of honor often lead to warfare breaking out from minor slights and insults. St. Naðún is described as an important character in developing an alternative to these ways, and is credited with spreading Christianity to the southern reaches of Vinland, namely Barðsland, which is described as a bastion of pagan worship compared to the more Christianized north. Additionally, the saga encapsulates many of the cultural phenomena prevalent in Vinland society, taking inspiration from its Scandinavian origins, but also Greenlandic and native Kolumbian influences. The story is famous for laying the foundation for many of Vinland's most famous mythological creatures, and also incorporates many other famous heroes and villains from across the Age of Heroes, such as Kaapa Priesthater.

The saga begins in the land of Greenland, following the central character of Grímr Thorleiksson, the father of the future St. Naðún. He is put on a quest to travel to Vinland by the ghost of Þorkell Farserkur, legendary hero and Erik the Red’s nephew; progenitor of the Farsærk Dynasty of Vinland. However, in his deelings fleeing Greenland his family becomes cursed, leading to misfortunate and supernatural occurrences which plague the family for a generation. After arriving in Vinland and settling near Árlanghús, Naðún and the family's adopted son Játvarður come of age, the former as a great scholar and pious man, the latter as a strong warrior. After Naðún wins a bet against his father with the intervention of the holy spirit, the two boys are allowed to depart for the monastery of Styrkirk so that Naðún can become a priest, and along the way they battle with numerous enemies. The two also become caught up in the larger feud surrounding their family, with Naðún battling the man Utstein in skaldic poetry. Upon arriving in Styrkirk, Naðún miraculously commands the famous viking Kaapa Priesthater back into the sea.

Later in life Naðún has become a famous priest, and he departs on a voyage to the south of Vinland. It is here that he evidently avenges the mission ordained by Þorkell Farserkur, ending the curse placed upon his family. In the south Naðún performs many amazing feats and miracles, and helps convert the native population to Christianity. However, it is in the south that Naðún is betrayed and killed. When his friend Játvarður learns of this he travels to the south to avenge his friend's death and give him a proper burial. Játvarður seeks out his revenge against all those who had wronged his family, but in the process loses his humanity and becomes disillusioned with the killings. His story ends with him finally accepting baptism in memory of his long lost friend.

Tryggviskjól

The daughters of Haraldr taking part in witchcraft

The Rauðkrákur Dynasty is next mentioned in the pivotal text the Tryggvisaga, which primarily serves as the origin story of the important chiefdom of Tryggviskjól, and an early war against the Rauðkrákur. According to this text, Tryggviskjól was first settled by Tryggvi Kálfrsson, who was apparently a follower of Býleistr Rauðkrákur at Boghmoot or a son of a warrior there, and married a daughter of Jörundr the Echoer. The Tryggvisaga gives one possible mention of Býleistr's death having occurred in 1111, as they contrast his death with the birth of Tryggvi's son, Haraldr. It is said that Haraldr became known as "The Witch", having traveled across Vinland to learn the secrets of dark magic. He seized the magic ring of power first mentioned as being among the possessions of Býleistr, granting him remarkably long life, strength, and ability to control others. Using this power he expanded his domain across Vinland and corrupted numerous people, including a daughter of the Lord of Styrkirk, apparently convincing her to become an apostate and become a powerful witch known as Kristín of the Lake. Her nickname seemingly came from her ability to breath underwater and swim the depths to reclaim the ring of power from the Rauðkrávatn, or from a story of summoning a sword from the waters near Kaupatorg to crown Haraldr as a dark king.

Haraldr the Witch came into conflict against the other chiefs of the region, including Ísleifr Ironside of Sálstað and the Rauðkrákur, but he managed to best them through constant trickery and magic. According to one source, the mighty warrior Ísleifr Ironside was cursed and died of disease early on in the conflict. His son, Pétr Pennabrot, melted down his coins and riches, believing that Haraldr and his men could only be defeated with weapons of solid gold. Pétr was apparently assassinated, and his son Ishu the Griever was overtaken by grief and indecision, as elaborated on in the 16th century tragedy known as the Ishaga. The ruler of Nýsogland, Sturla, was slain in combat by Haraldr, and Nýsogland was subsequently conquered into Haraldr's domain. However, Sturla's son Jörundr managed to escape, going on to become a hero in exile. Sálstað apparently made peace with Haraldr, after Ishu witnessed Jörundr the Exile in possession of his father's golden weapons, allowing Haraldr to convince him that Pétr Pennabrot had been assassinated by Sturla. Ishu subsequently married a daughter of Haraldr named Svana the Sibyl, who delivered a prophecy that Ishu's family would one day get their revenge.

Decades later, it would be Jörundr's son Noduera Nýsog who returned to Tryggviskjól. He seduced one of Haraldr's daughters Kristín the Younger (it is said he had too many descendants to keep count of), and with her assistance he managed to steal Haraldr's magic ring. Now heavily weakened, Haraldr was slain in a duel, and so Noduera proclaimed himself goði. This lead to a flipping of the original territories, as Ishu the Griever ruled Nýsogland, and fearing that he was now surrounded by the Rauðkrákur, he became convinced that Noduera Nýsog had to be defeated. Meanwhile, one of Haraldr's distant sons became Písakoor Langseg, a feared sea-king and conqueror, while Haraldr's primary heir, his grandson, became Haraldr the Masked, so named for his metal mask that he wore to cover the scars of his grandfather's magical experimentation to make him stronger. Haraldr the Masked would outlive Ishu, but was later killed by Noduera in battle, along with Ishu's son Ólafur the Unready. This left two young sons, Ísleifr II the Young and Gormundur Fánasmiður, to avenge their father, leading to a fierce back-and-forth between the two parties. Ísleifr II would lead an invasion of Tryggviskjól in 1209, however, he was killed in battle. Although defeating a counter-invasion, Gormundur was killed himself around the year 1224.

Ishu the Avenger in his old age

Ísleifr's young son Ishu was smuggled out of Sálstað by his mother Shaudama, being raised in secret to one day retake his kingdom. Shaudama was a princess of Ásólfsnes; an alliance was attempted between Sálstað and Ásólfsnes to surround Tryggviskjól's ally Svansauma. Noduera Nýsog died of old age in 1226, and Jörundr Langskeg ascended to the throne. Around this time Ishu returned from exile and quickly began raising rebels to his banner. After a long fought guerilla war, the two armies engaged at the Battle of Mamshesfjörð. Jörundr Langskeg was defeated and killed, and Ishu became known as "The Avenger", retaking all of Nýsogland. Years later, Jörundr's son Noduera II attempted to avenge his father, but in a skirmish near Sálstað his golden armor snagged on a tree branch and caught his leg, allowing Ishu's men to cut him down. After the death of Noduera the Unlucky at the conclusion of the Tryggvisaga, Ishu the Avenger became known as one of Vinland's finest rulers. The male line of the Rauðkrákur through Jörundr the Echoer had died out, but Noduera II's brother-in-law, who was also a claimed, distant descendent of Kaapa Priesthater, known as Jörundr II the Good, eventually returned to Tryggviskjól after Ishu's death.

Nóatúna

The city of Nóatúna was said to have been founded by Óttvanuar Eeshang, a legendary hero that had been rescued from the fall of Boghmoot. The Skagisaga, a Vinlandic-language saga written by Jónanun Shebinsson around the year 1400, claims there was a Norse hero who chose to live among the Beothuk and had infiltrated Boghmoot, named Óttvanuar. He was apparently a patrilineal descendant of the Norse Vanir deity Frey/Yngvi, as his lineage is partially traced to Halfdan the Old, a legendary ruler of the Yngling Dynasty and the common ancestor of many of Scandinavia's famous dynasties, and then through his sixth son, Jǫfurr. Matrilineally, Óttvanuar was said to be a descendant of Erik the Red, founder of Greenland, as his mother was said to be Bergþóra, who was either a daughter or niece of Leif Eriksson. No such women is mentioned in the Grænlendinga Saga, which details Leif Eriksson's discovery of Vinland, but several relatives of his are mentioned in the founding myths of Kjalarnes, including a niece's marriage to an adventurer named Eeshang (Vinlandic for "blue"), which is believed to have been a nickname or alternative name of Óttvanuar.

This saga claims that Boghmoot had been located at place where the ancient borders of Kjalarnes, Ísagríma, and Ásólfsnes all met. There Óttvanuar had lived and learned their ways, when the siege began. According to the Skagisaga and Nóatúna's myths, Njörun appeared to the hero in his dreams and warned him the impending fall of the city and how to escape, relaying to him his destiny in the east. With a band of freed Norse prisoners, native brides, and soldiers of the war, Óttvanuar escaped the fall of Boghmoot and traveled by sea around the eastern edge of Vinland.

Nóatúnan soldiers during the Third Mjór War

The text alludes to a great journey around the entire coast of Vinland, although many of the exact details have been lost. The Skagisaga picks up again with Óttvanuar's arrival at the Mjór, the narrow strip of land that separates the peninsula from the rest of Vinland. It is said that the cities of the peninsula ruled the seas to the east, and imposed harsh taxation on any ship wishing to pass. Refusing to pay this tax, Óttvanuar instead perilously forded the Mjór and arrived on the other side, going on to found the settlement of Nóatúna. This infuriated the towns of the peninsula, who vowed to fight the upstart city for the rest of their days. According to the Nóatúninga saga, dated to around 1450, the first ruler of the city was "Nóatún", a son of Odin, whereas the Skagisaga implies the city was named after the abode of Njörðr, who had guided Óttvanuar's journey by sea and was related to or coexistent with similarly named Njörun. The Nóatúninga also makes reference to a hero named "Eeshangr", who follows roughly the same story as Óttvanuar.

During the reign of Vómaldr the Old, a claimed son of Óttvanuar, the first of many Mjór Wars broke out between Nóatúna and the states of the eastern peninsula. During this time the legendary Greenlander sea-king Alrekr Wathmark captured Nóatúna with peninsular assistance, before the city was retaken and the war was ended by Ijǫfurr Illready. However this was not the end of conflict, as Ijǫfurr Illready's regent Óláfr Twoskins is said to have usurped the throne for a period of ten years, and Teitursland sponsored the usurpation of one Anundr Refilsson. Nóatúna's fortunes were not reversed until the ascension of Áskyaseekr the Victorious, a legendary king who defeated the rulers of the peninsula completely, and strengthened Nóatúna as one of the key cities of the east. Áskyaseekr's direct line was short lived, although numerous other dynasties and kings would claim some sort of relation to him. Instead a nephew of Vómaldr the Old named Ívarr Wartooth ascended to the throne, and he was succeeded by one of the city's most consequential rulers, Vísburr Trételgja. In creating one of the largest fleets in Vinland's history, Vísburr successfully conquered the eastern peninsula and ruled Ímaheim, a feat that would not be repeated for centuries.

Frequent civil war appeared in Nóatúna throughout the decades after Vísburr Trételgja, often between a line that claimed descent from Áskyaseekr the Victorious and the many branches from Vísburr, and with intervention from various peninsular cities. During the Third Mjór War, the House of Óttvanuar was deposed completely by Jónakr the Northerner, a foreigner to Nóatúna believed to have been from Vǫtbýr. Around the year 1251 the monarchy was apparently completely abolished, leading to the creation of the First Republic, an elective system unique to Nóatúna among the goðorð.

Creation of the Nýtinget

Artist's depiction of a meeting of the Nýtinget

For most of Vinland's history the island's communities would remain independent and only loosely organized, but an attempt was made to unite all of the island's inhabitants through a yearly assembly similar to those held in Iceland and Greenland, which eventually evolved into the Nýtinget. Unlike Iceland however, the Vinlander assembly proved to be far more informal, infrequent, and disorderly, and rarely featured the entire island represented. According to legend, leaders such as Snorri Thorfinnsson were responsible for organizing the first meeting of the Nýtinget in 1087, although smaller assemblies likely existed prior. Snorri's gathering took place in Árlanghús, and featured chieftains from all across the northern coast. Although Vinland as a whole would not be unified, the Nýtinget of 1087 seems to have achieved a series of important peace treaties, an agreement for a concentrated war against the natives of the island, and a series of mutually beneficial laws.

Snorri Thorfinsson died around 1090, but the Nýtinget would continue in some capacity for centuries. Additionally many regions began to adopt more local assemblies, creating a series of domains known as the "goðorð", which were ruled by local, sometimes elected, chieftains usually from a select group of powerful clans. The original peninsula of the island, later referred to as both Kjalarnes and Leifsland, came to be ruled largely be descendants of Leif Erikson or Thorfinn Karlsefni. The Goðorð of Ásólfsnes came to dominate the area surrounding Thorfinnsfjord and south to Jórvatn (OTL Grand Lake), while it was bordered to the west by the Gissingar domain of Ísagríma (OTL Corner Brook), and to the northeast by the small but densely settled peninsula of Lágrstrǫnd. South of Lágrstrǫnd arose the Goðorð of the Villingar clan, and to the east of them the region of Svansauma, while much of the far southern coast became unified as Bárðsland.

It is believed that the majority of the native Beothuk population of early Vinland largely tried to avoid contact with the Norse settlers. They began to migrate into the interior of the island, returning only to the coast to repurpose discarded metal objects and tools. Many early Norse camps established the coast, which often included deposited dried and cured fish and building materials stockpiled for return trips, were searched and looted by native peoples. Those who remained on the coast, especially in the south, competed with the Norse for natural resources such as seals and fish, while the majority of the Beothuk population was now solely reliant on caribou hunting, something which the Norse greatly disrupted. Norse hunters gradually overhunted the caribou in much of the island, while elsewhere their hunting tactics caused havoc on native communities. There were exceptions to this, with a handful of Norse clans on the eastern coast managing to establish trade relations on a regular basis. As intermittent violence broke out between Norse settlers and the natives, the Norse are believed to have captured numerous native peoples as slaves, a practice that many Christian settlers objected to. Nonetheless it appears a large number of Beothuk people were incorporated into Norse settlements, usually by force. Peoples of mixed descent became common in the following century, usually as a result of a Norse man taking Beothuk wives. According to subsequent sagas, a series of disease outbreaks over the next century devastated the native Beothuk people and gave the Norse the upper hand over time, however, the incorporation of native customs, traditions, and peoples into Vinlander society evolved them into something vastly distinct from their Scandinavian origins.

Further Exploration

Although the exact dates and circumstances of early Vinlander settlement and expansion is unknown, it is clear that the Vinlanders further explored their surroundings by sea early within their history. Later sagas and chronicles would often claim a connection to the early, famous Vinlander explorers, with local towns claiming to have been founded extraordinarily early in the Vinlander chronology. These accounts state that within the first few years of the settlement of Vinland local explorers had circumnavigated the island and had also followed the coastline of Markland south toward the rest of the mainland. According to legend one such explorer was Herjólf Bjarnisson, the son of Bjarni Herjólfsson, who is believed to have first spotted what would become Vinland prior to Leif Eriksson’s voyage. Herjólf is said to have traveled along the western coast of Vinland until reaching its southern point, before crossing a brief bay and spotting more land to the south (OTL Nova Scotia).

Herjólf built a small camp and wintered at the northern end of the island he discovered, establishing contact with the local Miꞌkmaq peoples, before departing the following spring and following the coast west. He is said to have been the first settler on the island that bears his name Herjólfsey (OTL Anticosti Island), where he established a more permanent camp. After spending much of the subsequent year exploring the island and building a dwelling for his family, he returned to Vinland to spread word of his homestead. He claimed the island to be uninhabited and fertile, although in actuality neighboring native peoples used the island as a seasonal hunting ground. Upon returning to the island with several dozen settlers, Herjólf established a permanent fort with himself as leader. It became clear that many of Herjólf’s claims were exaggerated, but nonetheless his contingent sustained themselves by fishing the neighboring waters and hunting moose and other animals in the interior.

This eventually led them into conflict with several bands of natives coming to the island themselves. For the next several years the Norse and the natives both hunted across the island, only occasionally coming into contact with each other, sometimes resulting in violent skirmishes. Eventually, natives began ignoring the island due to the hassle and Herjólf’s settlement was left alone. Herjólf’s tale concludes that in his old age the first native ships began to return once more after decades, this time not to hunt but rather in search of the fabled trade hub he had established. The island became an intermediary for those traveling between Vinland and the mainland, especially as the Norse explored increasingly southward, however, the island’s permanent population remained miniscule in comparison to the estates on Vinland proper.

The first settler of Markland is said to have been Klængur Runólfsson, a pagan from Iceland who led a large number of people to Vinland in search of an unrestricted place of worship. Finding the settlement by Leif Eriksson too Christian for his liking, he traveled across the narrow straight to the west and established a rival camp of his own. It is said that numerous ambitious chieftains, both Christian and pagan, followed his lead and established trade posts all along the coast of Markland. In the Saga of Markland it is claimed that the entire coast was divided into a series of kingdoms, although this is likely hyperbole. Archaeological evidence suggests that Markland was only lightly settled by the Norse, and likely only constituted a series of small outposts and homesteads. The “Eastern Settlement”, which claims descent from Klængur and his band of followers, became centered around the settlement of Jektvik (OTL Pinware), while other notable homesteads emerged at Svimstað (OTL St-Augustin) and Verndarey (OTL Natashquan).

Around the year 1054 an Icelander named Þorvaldur Ísleifursson, son of Ísleifur Gissurarson, future Bishop of Skálholt, led an expedition that explored along the coast of Markland and deep into the OTL St. Lawrence River. His titular saga claims the searched for the origin of the river and traveled until he reached a great lake to the south. He also is said to have spotted numerous native peoples and their cities, a claim which would spark traders to pursue Þorvaldur’s route for countless generations in search of fabled cities and riches. After a year in the south he traveled once more to the edge of Markland and settled the town of Lauvsnes (OTL Sept-Iles), which would later become the most populous settlement on the coast generations later. Þorvaldur Ísleifursson is also mentioned in the Saga of Markland, which states that he was a commander during a major war, which if it took place was supposedly after his voyage to the south. According to legend the Marklanders had begun to settle deep into the interior, in what was called a mythic era of heroes and vast kingdoms. The Marklanders reached as far north as a great river (likely the OTL Churchill River) under a series of outstanding warriors and adventurers, with a chief named Magnús Gissurarson of Verndarey claiming much of the territory and settling an inland city named Magnúsvik.

The sack of Magnúsvik, 19th-century etching.

It is said that the Marklanders were overstretched and isolated from the Vinlanders under the rule of greedy chieftains such as Magnús, and when the native peoples attacked they were driven back in a series of costly defeats. The settlement of Magnúsvik was razed and the Norse retreated to a series of forts that hugged the coast, with many homesteads and less defensible positions being abandoned. Þorvaldur Ísleifursson returned to Vinland and collected warriors in the hopes of reinforcing Magnús’ domain. It is said that Þorvaldur traveled with a native woman named Demasduit, who he later married, and she managed to attract a small number of natives to their cause. It is said that the Norse repulsed the natives and killed the belligerent chief of the skrælings, returning Markland to peace, but in a much more diminished capacity. There would be no evidence of a Norse settlement in the interior for the next few centuries, leaving only a few towns in the region remaining. The Saga of Markland last mentions Þorvaldur as returning to a settlement in the southwest, likely Lauvsnes, with a number of survivors and native allies. His titular saga picks up again with his subsequent exploration of the great river and the lakes to the south.

Elsewhere, the Norse also are believed to have explored along the eastern seaboard, perhaps as far as OTL New York City during this period. Under the explorer Snæbjörn Ulfsson the Norse are said to have explored Miꞌkmaq territory and introducing trade. Norse contact revolutionized Miꞌkmaq society, and they became industrious traders. It is believed that prior to European contact the Miꞌkmaq already possessed a strong maritime tradition. They are known to have traveled by boat to neighboring islands, including Vinland, temporarily taking up residence, hunting, and interacting with the Beothuk and other peoples. They likely were organized into small, semi-nomadic bands of a few patrilineally related families, subsisting on fishing and hunting, as there is scarce evidence of early agriculture in the region. The Miꞌkmaq would spend winters in interior camps, before migrating toward large settlements along the coast during the summer.

However, upon making contact with the Norse and seeing evidence of their continued presence, their customs greatly shifted. The Miꞌkmaq began to spend more and more time along the coast where the Norse explorers were arriving. The first permanent settlements were established, taking advantage of year-around trade, shipbuilding, and fishing, while the interior communities began to diminish initially. Later these interior camps reemerged as the desire for trade goods such as furs developed, and a trade network emerged as goods were shipped from these preferable hunting spots toward the nexuses established along the coast. While before there had been dozens of small, familial locations on the coast for the summer migrations, the Miꞌkmaq began to organize into larger communities around good harbors, establishing the first true settlements and encouraging the development of larger clans systems led by the most capable negotiators.

This was all in contrast to the Beothuk, who struggled in comparison. This is largely because initially the Norse did not have the numbers or capabilities to attempt to settle Miꞌkmaq lands, whereas the Beothuk were caught directly in the way of the Vinlander settlements, leaving them increasingly at risk of violence, disease, and out-competition. The Beothuk also seemingly had little interest in European goods of weapons, and failed to adapt the technology the Norse brought, unlike the Miꞌkmaq. This became increasingly evident as the Miꞌkmaq began making regular trips to Vinland themselves. The Miꞌkmaq directly claimed the southern third of Vinland and established their own trade posts, which they visited throughout the year, and soon the Miꞌkmaq were directly warring with the Beothuk and seizing their lands and resources, nearly as readily as the Norse settlers. A cross pollination occurred, as subsequent Norse explorers took interest in the cheaper, more agile boats the natives constructed, while the Miꞌkmaq adopted shipbuilding techniques brought by the Norse.

The Miꞌkmaq are tangentially mentioned in a handful of early Vinlander sagas, including a mention of an ambitious chieftain who “invaded” southern Vinland. However, disease eventually forced the Miꞌkmaq off the island in any large numbers, and they preferred to let the Norse come to them. Disease likely ravaged the homeland of the Miꞌkmaq as well and contributed to their rapid cultural shift. The innovations led by the Miꞌkmaq soon spread to their like-minded neighbors, and throughout the world of the fellow Algonquian-language nations. A series of semi-rigid borders emerged, which eventually developed into seven autonomous districts led by different chieftains of the Miꞌkmaq people, as well as a western border with the neighboring Wolastoqiyik. The Mi'kmaq would later evolve into the paramounts of the Wabanaki Confederacy, the southern neighbor and primary trader partner of the Vinlanders.

Kjalsund War

The Kjalarnes at its greatest territorial extent, including the Markland territories conquered by Thorffinn the Battler.

It is estimated that sometime during the latter reign of Thorfinn the Battler of Kjalarnes (c. 1202–1277), the Vinlanders made their first and perhaps only military campaign of conquest against the coast of neighboring Markland. Known as the Kjalsund War, the campaigns of Thorfinn the Battler would for a time lead to the subjugation of the upper Marklander coast by the Goðorð of Kjalarnes, leading to that state's dominance of the lucrative Kjalsund strait for about a century.

Throughout its early history the coast of Markland undoubtedly had a close relationship with the rulers of Kjalarnes, who were separated by only a narrow strait called the Kjalsund, as evidenced by numerous references to Markland in the stories and histories of the early Kjalarnes chieftains. Examples include the storied wedding of Snorri II of Kjalarnes (f. 1140s), who is said to have been married to an Åsa of Jektvik, and a mention of Leifr III of Leifsland traveling to Markland around the year 1160. It is likely that Jektvik grew into a major settlement and a crucial trading hub for Markland due to its close proximity to the coast of Vinland, and its control of the narrow strait that separated the two. Controlling the settlement became crucial to controlling northern trade to Markland, and with the exception of famed vikings like Thorfinn the Mighty, the settlement never fell to raiders due to its great investments in fortifications, ensuring that no such pirate would be able to wield such unparalleled power in the north again. There are also a few minor references to Kjalarnes directly ordaining outposts along the coast near the settlement; a younger son of Thorbjorn II (d. 1208), Eyvindr, is said to have wed a princess from Jektvik and settled his own homestead further up the coast, named Eyvindsnes.

According to the Saga of Thorfinn the Battler, whose eponymous chieftain lived approximately 1202–1277, the Vinlanders made a direct foray into Markland that conquered a large portion of the coastline. First Thorfinn conquered the island of Bjarney, much like the forebearer of his name, Thorfinn the Mighty, building a strong trading hub where pirates were expelled. Three years later he traveled north along the coast with a fleet as far north as Helluland, hunting an outlaw named Gautstafr who had kidnapped his sister. It is said that he traveled as far north as the town of Sheshatshiu, the site of a prominent Innu camp, where he traded a sword to a native chief in exchange for a magic staff. Two years later he returned to the coast of Markland with a larger fleet, attacking the town of Jektvik itself and forcing it to swear fealty to him.

A naval struggle during the attack on Jektvik.

A number of forts and markers would be placed on the coast to solidify his control over the region. In the north his domain reached as far as Gythasfjörð (OTL Mary’s Harbour), whose chieftain Hákon Hunchback swore fealty to him and was granted rule over half of the Markland coastline. There Thorfinn also settled the nearby island of Bardaghǫfn (OTL Battle Harbour) to commemorate the site of a battle against an Innu chieftain named Nishnapeu, and placed a stone monument at Karlshǫf (OTL Cape St Charles). In the south his domain reached Skrælingsfjörð, where he built a large hillfort. Thorfinn’s saga concludes that after his death the land grew restless, and the next several rulers from Kjalarnes fought numerous wars against the local settlers and the native Innu to subdue the land. However, direct rule by Kjalarnes later lapsed sometime before 1366, as during the reign of Heimdallr the Fat it is noted that the local nobility of Markland did not swear fealty to the Goði of Kjalarnes.

End of Greenlander Contact

For the first few centuries of Vinland’s existence they depended on semi-regular contact with Greenland, and therefore the rest of the Nordic world. Vinlander merchants routinely traveled to Greenland bringing much needed timber, and other goods were exchanged with Iceland and beyond. As the climate began to cool, which nearly collapsed the Greenland colony entirely, contact between Greenland and Vinland began to diminish, and both territories underwent intense hardships. During this time Vinland was undoubtedly organized into a series of autonomous chiefdoms and communities, which met at an annual meeting at a central location of the island, but for all intents and purposes had no overall ruler or government. According to the Saga of the Greenlander Jarls, a highly influential saga from the 16th century, Vinland was united into a kingdom, and even formed a personal union with the rulers of Greenland. Although historians now believe this to likely not be the case, the early modern Greenlanders believed this saga as an important foundational myth, and later interest in Vinland was directly sparked by the legends preserved in the saga.

The saga is likely based in some truth, namely the idea that there was continuous exchange between the two territories and intermarriage between nobles and important clans. The saga claims that the personal union was disrupted when Iceland conquered Greenland, which was particularly damaging for the local population and likely contributed to practical knowledge of Vinland disappearing. The saga also mentions a grand exodus that occurred as a large percentage of the population of Greenland fled west. Although greatly exaggerated, it is likely that some sort of exodus did occur among those angered by Icelander rule, and these people disappearing may also have contributed to the end of interest in Vinland. Whatever the case, both Greenland and Vinland experienced a period of isolation that nearly destroyed both colonies. The survival of Vinland was said to be indebted to several pious and virtuous chieftains, although increased trade with natives, intermarriage, and migration southward likely constituted the biggest factors.

It is estimated that the Norse population, which was likely in the low thousands, began to increasingly mingle with local Beothuk and Mi’kmaq peoples. The Vinlander vocabulary developed with heavy Algonquian influence, and the neat division between the two populations diminished. By the time of widespread European contact with Vinland, the native Vinlanders had developed their own language, customs, and appearance that appeared partially alien to Europeans.

Consolidation Era

Approximate borders of the major goðorðs in Vinland, c. 1400.

Contemporary sources regarding the events in the intervening years between the end of Greenlandic contact and full scale European discovery are scarce. Many of the events known regarding the 14th and 15th centuries would come from later archaeological evidence and sagas compiled after Vinland's unification, the latter of which often painting the events in a biased or politicized light. Evidence suggests that Vinland experienced increased hardships at the dawn of the Little Ice Age; climate change and cumulative environmental damage caused the settlements on Vinland to decrease in population. However, the Vinlanders seemed to have displayed a great deal of adaptability. Major settlements on Vinland became increasingly consolidated and minor lords banded together under the leadership of the most prepared chieftains. Technology from Greenland had permeated the settlements, as did customs and techniques observed from the native populations—it appears native populations became increasingly incorporated into Norse society. Vinland possessed greater natural resources compared to Greenland, causing deforestation, overhunting, and soil erosion to be far less pronounced, while those that survived sought to limit these native actions in subsequent generations. Elsewhere the most independent minded of the settlers generally migrated south, establishing new settlements that were better suited for the harsh winters.

The original settlements on Vinland, collectively known as the region of Kjalarnes, which included Leifsbuðir, Krákavik, and Blárnes, slowly fell out of favor and experienced rapid depopulation. Blárnes appears to have been the most successful out of the region's towns, as numerous towns and homesteads emerged surrounding its fjord, effectively making the town the capital of the Kjalarnes chiefdom. The southwestern coast, which had been the last place to be directly settled by the Norse and was home to the last remnants of Beothuk villages and Mi'kmaq trade posts, eventually saw the development of several key towns, which sustained themselves off native trade and fur trapping. These included the Ijósa River settlements, the largest being Skiptilborg, and Bárðsvik in the southwest corner of the island.

However, by far the most populous and successful goðorð would emerge in the southeast, which proved to have the most mild climate of the whole island, excellent natural harbors, and rich natural resources. At the border of Bárðsland emerged the city state of Járnsaxa (OTL St Albans), which developed around the rocky shores of the neighboring fjord, and was notable for its high assimilation of natives. Further east was Dogajavik (OTL Terrenceville), which became the center of the Langanes region. Perhaps the largest of the three was Nóatúna (OTL Swift Current), which developed into a maritime, mercantile city state. The most contested and soon to be most populous section of the island would be the eastern peninsula, with dominance fluctuating between cities such as Þrymborg and Jǫtared (OTL St. John's).

Tryggviskjól and Sálstað

The state of Tryggviskjól, which rulers claimed descent from the famous hero Býleistr Rauðkrákur, appears to have undergone a refounding during the start of the 13th century. Following the city's collapse to Ishu II the Avenger around 1242, a new line seized control of Tryggviskjól which claimed distant descent from Kaapa Priesthater. Wars during this period between Ishu's descendants in Sálstað and the new rulers of Tryggviskjól seemingly continued all throughout the next century, culminating in the time of Ishu the Bloody, Ishu II's great-grandson. He claimed to have slain one Tryggviskjól goði in combat and captured another, with Jörundr IV the Captive dying sometime around 1375 while imprisoned. However, this near collapse brought about the political climate for the ascension of the Sturlungar Dynasty in the goðorð.

Historically the Sturlungar Dynasty had been one of the most important in Icelandic history, serving as rulers of one of many chiefdoms during Iceland's period of civil war in the mid 13th century, birthing the famous author Snorri Sturluson, and eventually producing the Sturlungar Kings of Iceland after Ólafur I (1295-1333). According to legend, one of Ólafur's kinsmen Þórðr the Lost had been among those who traveled to the Vinlandic colony. Specifically he was the grandson of Þórðr Kakali, Earl of Iceland and nephew of Snorri Sturluson, therefore making Þórðr a third-cousin to the eventual first king had he remained in the country. Although relatively unimportant lords, having settled the small holding of þokueyja, the luck of the Sturlungar transformed during the reign of Jibeaðr the Lucky, who inherited the Jarldom of Grímursvik, which effectively made him the second most powerful noble during the chaos of the Sálstað wars.

Jibeaðr married into the royal house, and upon the collapse of the Kaapa dynasty, his grandson Washjörn Járnviðr (a son-law of Noduera IV and a great-grandson of Noduera III) seized control of the country and stabilized the situation. Washjörn would prove to one of Tryggviskjól's most consequential rulers, reversing its fortunes and defeating Sálstað in battle, conquering Vǫtbýr and the eastern lands, and fathering a new dynasty that lasted into the next century. Washjörn is sometimes regarded as a precursor to the Storgoðar, having been among the first of the goði to establish would be perceived as a major kingdom, although he never claimed the title.

The rulers of Sálstað would ultimately meet their end soon after through their imprudent support of Svansauma and Ásólfsnes and their dynasties, both of which had effectively been conquered. During the reign of Hávarðr the Rectifier, he attempted to reestablish both kingdoms and "right" Vinland back to the old ways that the new resurgent kingdoms were disrupting. However, after enormous cost these ventures failed to produce a lasting impact, allowing Kaapa the Defaint of Tryggviskjól to conquer all of Nýsogland and declare himself the region's first storgoðar.

Northern Goðorð

Non-contemporary picture of Tjordrek the Hangman (c. 1216–1259), the first widely attested Goði of Lágrstrǫnd, who laid the foundation of the state's later rise to power.

By the start of the 13th century a handful of powerful goðorð remained in northern and western Vinland, namely the Farsærk of Lágrstrǫnd, the Rauðr of Leifsland, the Karlsefni of Kjalarnes, the Gissingar of Ísagríma, and the Ásólfings of Ásólfsnes. Although conflict existed between these powers sporadically, a loose balance of power likely existed, and cooperation and intermarriage was also common. Around the turn of the century the ancient Ásólfings were usurped from their goðorð by the adventurer and hero Kessyetr Mattuis, and additionally Ásólfsnes often became embroiled in wars to the east as a check on either Tryggviskjól or Sálstað depending on the ruler. The first widely attested Goði of Lágrstrǫnd, Tjordrek the Hangman (c. 1216–1259), supported close ties with Leifsland and Ísagríma in the service of combating the upstart Mattuis Dynasty. The Farsærk apparently succeeded in capturing Ásólfsnes for a brief period of time during the reign of Tjordrek's son, Thorkell Maudemaza, but this territory was soon lost, and Lágrstrǫnd was put on the defensive against an Ásólfsnes-led alliance. To this end, Lágrstrǫnd appeared to have relied on Ísagríma and Kjalarnes in its defense.

Relations between the historically close Leifsland and Lágrstrǫnd appear to have deteriorated during the reign of Eirík III the Serpent of Leifsland, perhaps nicknamed as such for crossing his neighbors. According to Lágrstrǫnd sources, a conspiracy emerged after the death of Leifr V of Leifsland, in which his son, henceforth known as Eirík the Serpant, sought to turn the northern states against Ásólfsnes and against Lágrstrǫnd. This proved Thorkell Maudemaza's finest hour, as he sided with the Karlsefni and persuaded a western army from Ísagríma to turn back at his border. With Thorkell's aid, Snorri V the Conqueror proved to be an unexpectedly successful warrior and commander, and he defeated the goliath that was Jörundr III at the Battle of Dístrévé. With an alliance of other states, Lágrstrǫnd achieved a monumental victory under the leadership of Ásvaldur the Defender (1241-1302), catalyzing Kjalarnes to break its ties to Leifsland with the ascension of Snorri V, who carried out delivering the final blow to the Rauðr rulers. Snorri would punish the Rauðr severely, going on to unite Leifsland into Kjalarnes. However, according to varying accounts, one of the sons of Leifr VI would be smuggled out of the north, possibly with Thorkell's assistance due to concern that Kjalarnes would threaten to dominate Lágrstrǫnd. However, it is unlikely that was truly Thorkell's plan as he predeceased both Snorri and Jörundr by a number of years. Thorkell died in 1298 and was succeeded by his son Ásvaldur the Defender, who continued the war against Ásólfsnes.

Tjordrek the Swimmer accepting the surrender of the Gissingar at Arboga

A complex realignment in alliances took place, with Ásólfsnes fighting to a stalemate against Kjalarnes. After the death of Snorri V in 1311, the Kjalarnes-Lágrstrǫnd alliance was put into jeopardy by Snorri's successor, Heimdallr the Fat, who the saga's claim was a lazy and uninspiring leader in comparison, but his inactivity also shielded him from subsequent destructive wars. Concurrently, Lágrstrǫnd fell to Tjordrek the Swimmer, who was forced to defend against Bidisoni the Warrior, Jörundr III's son, leading an intense rivalry that carried on until Bidisoni's death. Tjordrek is said to have slain Bidisoni's son during their wars, instead Bidisoni was succeeded by his bookish brother Bárðr II the Writer. Although peace was concluded in Lágrstrǫnd's favor, Tjordrek had been forced to turn to the Gissingar of Ísagríma for support. This would unknowingly lead to a chain of events that would ultimately be Ísagríma's undoing. Ísagríma had emerged as perhaps the strongest and most populous of the northern states, finding itself diplomatically isolated after the fall of the Rauðr. In the fight against Bidisoni, a hard fought battle would be waged at Arboga which nearly cost Tjordrek his life. Njáll IV of Ísagríma had sworn a sacred oath that he would come to Tjordrek's aid, but he was notably absent from the battlefield. Finally, after the day had been won, the Ísagríma forces emerged but did not take part, and from that day forth their ruler became known as Njáll the Late. Whether intentional or not, the delay infuriated Tjordrek, causing relations between the two states to completely break down.

With his southern border having been pacified, Tjordrek turned his attention west and toward punishing Njáll. He quickly assembled a coalition of states, including many of his former enemies, as the rise of Ísagríma as one of the most powerful states in the region alarmed many of its neighbors. The Ísagríma war began soon after, and as described in the Norðstríða it became one of Vinland's most deadly and consequential wars. Despite being old in age, Tjordrek lead his army personally, eventually coming upon Njáll's son Gissur the Knight, so named for his heavy armor and chivalrous behavior that the other Vinlanders found strange. Njáll began assembling his own forces, outnumbering the invaders due to the sheer size and population of the western chiefdom. The forces of Lágrstrǫnd managed to prevail at first, killing Gissur in combat, but Tjordrek died soon after of old age having not seen his revenge to completion. His son and successor, Eirík the Rich, proved an administrative genius that delegated command of the military to more qualified commanders, such as Thorkell the Champion.

The death of Kvasir at the Battle of Ellristad

Eirík inherited the war against Ísagríma begun by his father, and despite attempts by the Gissingar to negotiate peace he refused. Eirík strengthened his army by attracting foreign recruits allured by the promise of riches, and extracted tribute from Gissingar allies and towns to supply this. After the death of Njáll IV in battle, the Gissingar were left internally divided and weak, granting Eirík the upper hand. During this period he also wed Thordis, a daughter of his family's old enemy Jörundr III the Mountain, bringing Ásólfsnes into his sphere during a crucial point in the war. Njáll the Late was succeeded by Kobet III, who is said to have lacked the skill or bravery of his ancestors. Conversely, Eirík's own son Thorkell was a strong warrior, who quickly made a name for himself dueling anyone who challenged him and leading his father's armies. During the Battle of Lágfell the forces of Lágrstrǫnd achieved an overwhelming victory after Kobet fled the battlefield. Thorkell discovered Kobet hiding in some tall grass and executed him. Ísagríma entered into a period of instability and crisis, which Lágrstrǫnd happily exploited. The throne first passed to Kobet's brother Thórir the Joker, a noted trickster who managed to deceive Thorkell's forces on at least one occasion.

Following the death of Thórir the Joker the throne fell to his son Skúli III the Judged, and was tentatively supported by Lágrstrǫnd. However, a rival claimant soon emerged known as Kvasir the Destined. The grandson of Njáll the Late, Kvasir was supposedly born to Gissur the Knight just before Gissur's own death, and Kvasir was smuggled out of the country by his mother. Raised in secret to be a great warrior and the center of prophecy, Kvasir returned to Ísagríma with much fanfare, easily raising a large army to claim the nation for himself. A civil war broke out, before Kvasir was killed at the Battle of Ellristad in 1366. Skúli III returned to power but was unpopular for his complacency with the Farsærk Dynasty, causing war to break out once more in 1373. Before the war against the Gissingar Dynasty could renew in earnest, Thorkell V died while in Lágrstrǫnd. The exact reasons for his death are unknown, although it's claimed he was accidentally killed in a hunting accident. Without Thorkell as leader, many lands in the west flipped to the control of Skúli III, threatening Lágrstrǫnd itself. Command of Lágrstrǫnd fell to Thorkell's son, who became known as Tíseðun the Great.

Rise of the Storgoðar

Tíseðun the Great, first Storgoðar of Ísagríma.

At the onset of the renewed Lágrstrǫnd-Ísagríma War in 1374, Tíseðun of Lágrstrǫnd formed an alliance with an old warlord named Leifr þang, a son of the viking Thorbjörn Langháls and a grandson of Leifr VI, last Goði of Leifsland, which granted much needed ships for an attack against the western cities. The Lágrstrǫnd fleet engaged in a series of raids all along the coast, before engaging against an enemy fleet in a decisive battle at Jónsoda. The Lágrstrǫnd fleet achieved a major victory, aiding a land invasion the following year. Finally in 1376 Skúli III was defeated and killed, allowing the capture of Ísagríma. With the fall of Ísagríma, the powerful Gissingar Dynasty was effectively no more, and Tíseðun was now one of the most powerful chiefs of the north, alarming his neighbors. Over the course of the next few years Tíseðun embarked on a campaign to unite his two distant territories culturally and politically. He traveled across Ísagríma and met with its aristocracy, marrying into an important local dynasty known as the Outhermayouns, and creating several domestic alliances.

The fleet of Leifr þang in the Battle of Jónsoda

However, the disconnected nature of Tíseðun's territories made administration nearly impossible, as he had to pass through the lands of Ásólfsnes to reach Ísagríma. Tíseðun for a time maintained an expensive army in the west and governed from there, eventually cautiously settling on his brother Eirík Gauzewókr as regent of his eastern territories. This arrangement strained relations with Ásólfsnes, who allied with Kjalarnes in their mutual dislike for Tíseðun's growing power and his apparent friendship with Leifr þang, the Leifsland pretender. During the lifetime of Ásólfur V the Unsure, Ásólfsnes tolerated Tíseðun but no longer supplied its armies, drifting away from cooperation. After the death of Ásólfur V in 1378, Tíseðun feared Ásólfsnes would only grow in power and threaten him under their new chief Goðeyetr, and so preemptively attacked later that year. Tíseðun also began to court an alliance with Washjörn Járnviðr of Tryggviskjól, predicting that their enemy Sálstað would ally with Tíseðun's enemy Ásólfsnes. In the coming years both Ásólfsnes and Kjalarnes joined in war against Tíseðun, but Tíseðun first managed to surround Ásólfsnes with his more experienced soldiers and defeated Goðeyetr at a decisive battle near the capital. A siege of Ásólfsnes began which lasted several months; it was the first time the ancient city had ever befallen such a fate. Goðeyetr managed to escape the fall of the city and continued to resist the invasion, but temporarily Tíseðun had united his lands.

An illustration of the alliance of Goðeyetr and Snorri VI's demise

In 1386 Tíseðun invaded Kjalarnes, beginning a fierce campaign both on land and sea. Seeking to avoid a similar fate to the fall of Ásólfsnes, the defenders of Kjalarnes met Tíseðun and Leifr þang in the field but were decisively defeated at Gersemvik. Unlike Goðeyetr who continued fighting, Snorri VI of Kjalarnes chose to swear fealty instead, becoming a vassal of Tíseðun. For this Snorri was allowed to keep his nation as an autonomous part of Tíseðun's realm, but had to supply an army to Tíseðun's cause, and had to give up both his son and his daughter to Tíseðun's possession. Snorri's daughter Hildr would later be married to Tíseðun's son Algautr. For his loyalty and assistance Leifr þang was offered Leifsland, but he refused any titles of his own. The war would sporadically continue against Goðeyetr until his death against 1395, although his descendants would continue to be headache to Tíseðun for years to come.

As these developments were occurring in the north, in central and southern Vinland a Beothuk leader had emerged named Nonosbawsut, he claimed descent from the ancient sorcerer Izzobath, who had united the island against the Vinlanders during the legendary Boghmoot, and was a distant relative of Ðinyun Sheboðr, the founder of Kaasomoot in northern Barðsland. Through these claims Nonosbawsut made his intentions clear of unifying the island against the emerging powerful kingdoms concentrated on the coasts, and so he claimed the title of "King Beyond the Walls" to differentiate himself from the non-tribal inhabitants of the island. Through diplomacy and war Nonosbawsut managed to unite all the various tribes of the region, creating a considerable host that threatened the entire island.

Tíseðun seemed to be aware of these fears, but became distracted by the constant wars against Ásólfsnes. The matter became a crisis when in 1412 the Nýsog was thoroughly raided by the forces of Nonosbawsut. A meeting of the Nýtinget was called near Ásólfsnes, involving all the major leaders of Vinland. Parallels were immediate between the current events and the ancient tale of Boghmoot, where all of Vinland was united in a common cause. After delicate persuasion, Tíseðun persuaded the various chiefs of the significance of the threat by reconciling with Ásólfur the Returned, pretender to Ásólfsnes. Ásólfur was pardoned and allowed back into his homeland, told that upon the repelling of Nonosbawsut he would have lands returned to him. Tíseðun was joined by Washjörn Járnviðr and Hávarðr II the Rectifier of Sálstað, two rivals who made a temporary peace in the name of a common goal.

Non-contemporary depiction of Nonosbawsut

Tíseðun made the first move, invading northern Barðsland himself. The other belligerents soon joined him, but cooperation between the armies of Tryggviskjól and Sálstað was largely nonexistent. The latter marched up the Nýsog and managed to retake the Rauðkrávatn that autumn. However, confusion among the ranks would lead to the disastrous Battle of Almanyees months weeks later. That winter the army of Nonosbawsut launched a daring attack against the city of Góðfjörð, leading to a desperate siege against the outnumbered defenders. After much damage to the city, in February 1413 Tíseðun arrived in the city and repulsed the invasion, earning him much respect among the region's locals. Sending word to his allies to meet him that spring in Barðsland, Tíseðun marched on Kaasomoot. Nonosbawsut would ultimately not be defeated until 1415, when the Norðstríða recalls that Kaasomoot was captured by Tíseðun's forces. After the death of Nonosbawsut the remnants of his army were partially united under legendary hero Ólaver Sunkasook, who led a migration from Vinland to the mainland sometime in the early 1400s, while one of Nonosbawsut's distant descendants later married into the Farsærk Dynasty.

For his leadership in repulsing the invasion of Nonosbawsut, the Nýtinget of 1414 would declare Tíseðun a storgoðar, or "high chief", in a similar honor to that of King of Vinland. At that moment he was the uncontested most powerful leader in Vinland and was effectively its ruler, although this sense of unity quickly broke down. Tíseðun was directly ruled over all of west and northwest Vinland, while to his east the two nations of Tryggviskjól and Sálstað almost immediately returned to fighting over the northeast. With Ásólfur having died in the war, his son Kessyetr the Bold usurped control over Ásólfsnes with assistance from Sálstað, as Hávarðr the Rectifier of that state believed strongly in returning Vinland to its historic status quo, and thus personally supported numerous pretenders in his court, including Kessyetr and claimants to the throne of Svansauma.

Tíseðun would launch an invasion once more into Ásólfsnes when it became clear that Kessyetr the Bold would not be a puppet but rather was a threat to Lágrstrǫnd proper. After repelling Kessyetr from the kingdom, Tíseðun made inroads into fully integrating it into his realm, crushing the local aristocracy, and creating a new one from loyal nobles from his lands. The Jarles of Kjalarnes under Snorri VI and then Thorfinn IV the Loyal remained dedicated to this mission, and were subsequently granted lands in the south during an exchanging of territories to further integrate the lands. Kessyetr would be repulsed, but he outlived Tíseðun and twice attempted to reclaim his throne after Tíseðun's death, to no avail. Toward the end of Tíseðun's life and after his death, a trend had been established that the ancient chiefdoms of Vinland were consolidating, and numerous rulers would follow in his footsteps to establish themselves as storgoðar. Decades after the death of Tíseðun, a great-grandson of Washjörn Járnviðr would become Kaapa II, Storgoðar of Nýsogland, having defeated the clan of Hávarðr II the Rectifier, while in the east Nóatúna and Austskag both eventually claimed the title of king.

European Contact

Widespread European knowledge of Vinland did not begin until about 1490, although there is evidence of more regional and small-scale discoveries of Vinland prior to this. After approximately the mid 14th century it is believed that contact between Vinland and Greenland broke down, although prior to this regular contact likely existed between the two colonies. As early as the late 14th century until the voyages of Kolumbus in 1491 – a period of up to a little more than a century – possible re-contact may have taken place. Around the year 1398 the Scottish noble Henry I Sinclair, Earl of Orkney is said to have explored the north Atlantic, reaching as far as Greenland definitively. Sinclair later was shpromised funding from the Scottish government, but this support became delayed by an outbreak of warfare in the British Isles. In 1411 he is said to have reached the land known as Helluland to the Vinlanders, and Sinclair’s final voyage, dated to about 1412, allegedly reached Vinland, although this latter detail is only speculative. Nevertheless, Sinclair’s voyage inspired later Scottish expeditions and tales of strange western lands in the popular imagination, as well as a tentative but unsupported claim to the lands of Helluland.

Sinclair’s grandson, William Sinclair, sponsored his own voyage in 1480, which recorded a meeting with native peoples off the coast of Markland. Scottish merchants may have begun regularly fishing and logging off the coast of Markland during this time, although knowledge of this discovery scarcely left Northern Europe. Sinclair’s expedition is often equated to the mysterious visitors in the beginning of the Miklaflotisaga. According to this source, a fleet of large ships greater than any known in the land appeared off the coast of Markland, leading word to spread that a great king had arrived. However, it has also been suggested that the saga’s first chapter describes a purely mythological event. Later expeditions to Vinland being met with less shock by the local population has been presented as evidence that the gap between Vinland and Europe was gradually bridged by these smaller voyages.

Kolumbus may have known about these discoveries as he was active in the North Sea trade in the 1470s and 1480s, and according to legend may have sailed on an expedition to Greenland and beyond. According to Hanseatic records in the early 16th century, Kolumbus visited the island of “Thule” near Greenland in 1477, and used his knowledge of this land to persuade European powers of the existence of land to the west. He is also believed to have visited the city of Bristol around this time, the potential site of another pre-Kolumbian expedition to Vinland. According to Bristol records, in the early 1480s local explorers had reached the land of Vinland, and had begun regularly trading between Vinland and Iceland soon after. Icelander records imply that knowledge of Vinland had existed potentially for decades, although it is hard to separate where legend differed from tangible contact. A definitive Icelander expedition was launched in 1484, which initiated formal contact with several Vinlander chieftains and reached as far south as the lands of the Mi’kmaq (OTL Nova Scotia). However, Iceland during the period lacked the necessary funds or infrastructure to take advantage of the discovery in earnest.

According to legend, a Portuguese caravel had been blown off course while trading in the North Atlantic around 1490, and after several months they returned to England. Later post-Kolumbian Portuguese sources would claim that this caravel had indeed landed in Vinland. Portuguese historians in the 16th century identified a noble house in Vinland, who according to local legend was descended from a famous foreigner, as being the descendants of Portuguese shipwrecks in Vinland. There is also evidence that fishermen from the Kingdom of Navarre became knowledgeable of Vinland as early as the 1490s, as the coast of Vinland quickly became a popular site for Basque fishermen toward the end of the century. Local Basque legend holds that fishermen discovered Vinland as early as the 1300s, but kept the destination a secret in order to avoid competition over the fishing resources of the region.

In 1488 a documented voyage by the Icelandic explorer Garðar Hámundarson occurred which reached the island of Vinland. Garðar is mentioned as having attended that year’s Nýtinget, where he was presented to Storgoðar Tjordrek III. The Icelanders documented their journey, reporting amazement at the site of foreign looking men who spoke a language not completely unlike their own. The Vinlander chieftain was said to be highly impressed by the foreigners and their goods brought for trade, although the meeting was soured by the implication that Iceland possessed a claim to the land or the islands around Vinland. The reports of Garðar Hámundarson, which contained many exaggerated passages of great cities in the west, may have influenced Kolumbus in his reports to the Hanseatic League. Locally it also inspired the Icelanders and the Scottish to consider regular trade with Vinland and further exploration.

In the early 1490s a brief attempt was made by Iceland to establish an outpost in Helluland, settling a fort near Nanook. At its peak approximately 160 people inhabited this fort, although the extreme conditions, disease, and the lack of funds after 1494 due to an outbreak of war in Europe, caused the colony to collapse after only a few years. Icelandic traders and fishermen also began to frequent the coast of Markland, often trading weapons and manufactured goods for furs and supplies. A subsequent voyage to Vinland in 1499 reported that Tjordrek III, henceforth known as Tjordrek the Enchanted, was “easily deceived by the prospect of magic and spells”, seemingly revering goods from Europe for their alchemical or supernatural properties. In 1501 one of the first outsider perspectives on Vinlandic Mythology was published in Iceland, which documented a native belief that the Icelander voyages were the fulfillment of ancient prophecy. Explorers in the name of Iceland reportedly purchased the rights to Vinlander land from the superstitious ruler.

Tjordrek’s death in 1502 and the ascension of Madukr Shansenǫr reversed course, with the chieftain renouncing any land grants and demanding proper compensation. In eastern Vinland, Hákon II of Ímaheim attracted European trade through his more amicable approach. At his direction, Ímaheim negotiated with Scottish and Portuguese merchants to acquire guns and military expertise. In 1504, Hákon II ordered a raid on a Scottish fur trading vessel, the Eleanora, which was harbored outside the city, capturing several Scottish prisoners, goods, and the ship itself. One of these captives, Thomas Frobisher, would become a trusted advisor to the goði, who aided in Hákon’s military campaigns. With this technological advantage, Ímaheim led a fierce campaign against its neighbors, uniting the eastern peninsula under one ruler by 1519. That year, Hákon was crowned the first King of Austskag, and he claimed his place as the third paramount ruler of Vinland alongside Ímgerad Giantslayer of Nóatúna and Madukr Shansenǫr of Ísagríma. The divided political situation on Vinland was exploited by early European explorers, but to the most ambitious Vinlander chieftains was turned around to their advantage.

Hytholoday Expedition

In 1519 Kórikuus ascended to the throne of Ísagríma, and unlike his predecessor, he welcomed European aid to the island to strengthen his position against his rivals. Conversely, to the east the nation of Nýsogland entered into a period of decline after the death of Washjörn II. This was brought on by the emergence of several rival branches of the royal family, who each jockeyed for control of the nation, such as with the rise of Byggvir IV, known as “The Usurper” who replaced the rule of his second cousin. The disintegration of Nýsogland would be a decades-long process, which quickly became a proxy war between Ísagríma and Nóatúna. It was in this chaos that the expedition of Raphael Hytholoday first arrived off the coast of Vinland. Already a famed French privateer and commander, Hytholoday would be dispatched to the New World in 1527, as part of France’s first direct expedition to the region.

Transatlantic Fur Trade

One of the elements of European contact that would gradually transform Vinlander society was the Transatlantic or Kolumbian fur trade, or the commercial trade of furs across the eastern seaboard spurred on by European contact. Prior to the rediscovery of Vinland by Europeans, furs and pelts were often traded by the Vinlanders as an important commodity and luxury good. The earliest European traders to Vinland, especially the Basque fishermen of the early 16th century, began to covet these furs both for their utilitarian purpose of keeping crewmen warm during the fishing season, but also for their rising value in European markets. With the rise of fur's popularity in Europe and the declining population of the continent's own sources of fur, Kolumbian furs became extremely valuable and sought after.

This desire for furs intensified trade between Vinland and Europe, and fueled the consolidation of the Vinlandic kingdom. Furs were often traded for steel weapons and tools, firearms, and other rare, manufactured goods to the Vinlanders, allowing a handful of powerful chieftains to quickly gain a high degree of wealth and power on the island. The ability of Kórikuus of Ísagríma to procure and sell a high number of furs directly aided him in the creation of a modernized army and the conquest of the rest of the island, giving rise to the first real "Kingdom of Vinland". After sources of furs on Vinland itself began to be depleted, the Vinlanders became the terminus point for the fur trade to Europe and developed a network of intermediaries and producers of furs. Most notably the Wabanaki Confederacy and the Iroquois dominated the eastern continental fur trade, becoming increasingly rich and powerful themselves.

Religion

Christianity

The most common religion in Vinland was Christianity, first introduced to the island with its first settlement by the Norse, as Leif Eriksson had served as a Christian missionary previously. Subsequent followers of Leif Eriksson and the settlers of what would become Leifsland were also noted Christians. According to one account, an attempt was made to mandate Christianity in Leifsbuðir, although within a generation such a law was abandoned. The first church on the island was built sometime in the 1020s in Leifsbuðir, although the original building has since been lost. Subsequent missionary expeditions were launched throughout Vinland's early history, all with varying degrees of success. Thorgeir Tryggvason would successfully converted the inhabitants of Ásólfsnes in 1037, while Snorri Hallsson established a prosperous church in Blárnes in 1043.

The most famous missionary would be Styrkár Einarsson, who traveled all along the coast of Vinland for the better part of a decade, performing masses, baptizing settlers, and building Christian outposts, the most famous of which becoming the fortified mission of Styrkirk in 1060. Others were less successful, such as the missionary Ketill Sturluson, who was supposedly tortured and killed on the Hillingar Islands for his destructive and pestering antics. It is estimated that the majority of settlements during the first century of Vinland's history allowed both religions to coexist, and even in Christian settlements most allowed private pagan worship and other older customs to persist, similar to the laws of Iceland. In the latter half of the eleventh century the missionary St. Naðún lived and proselytized to the southern half of the island of Vinland.

As the churches of Vinland became severed from the rest of Scandinavia and the Christian world, they underwent a number of changes that differentiate them from the rest of Christianity, although it is not clear how many of these changes came about. The monastery at Styrkirk appears to have served as the unofficial head of the Christian faith for much of the island's early history, although this is also represented by the fact that the majority of surviving early Vinlander documents were created there. There was apparently no universally recognized bishops of Vinland prior to widespread European contact, as early in Vinland's history it was administered by the Bishop of Gardar in Greenland, who was in turn a part of the ecclesiastical province of Nidaros in Norway. At some point in the 14th century it is believed the last message from the Bishop of Gardar reached Vinland, after which point they were without a bishop.

It is theorized that Vinland operated under a highly decentralized structure, with several autonomous dioceses being informally created and headed by various priests. For this reason the cities of Vinland often fielded different, sometimes uncooperative churches from their neighbors, and outside the major cities churches were further independent. This ultimately led to the development of various church organizations, which would become a major part of the Protestant Reformation in Europe, unbeknownst to the Vinlanders. In Leifsland and select parts of northern Vinland the churches of the region appear to have been united into a connectional polity, in which churches were loosely organized and oversaw by each other. The rest of Vinland appears to have been split between fully independent churches that elected their own leaders, both clergy and laity, and ordained their own clergy, and proto-presbyterian style churches in which regions were oversaw by a council of elders. Several leaders during Vinland's history were apparently declared bishops of their respective cities, although this was an unpopular practice.

Upon rediscovery, European Christians often took offense at numerous observed differences between mainstream Catholicism and the Vinlander churches. Due in part to the region's lack of bishops, the Vinlanders believed that true ecclesiastical power lay in the hands of abbots of monasteries, leading to a unique focus on monasticist life. Priests and unordained ministers often preached in sacred groves scattered around Vinland, and traveled from city to city. Vinland's calendar appeared to calculate Easter to fall on a different date, and also observed numerous different holidays and feast days. Different forms of penance were often used that took influence from Old Norse law, including going into "exile for Christ". Numerous pagan practices or customs associated with paganism in Europe, such as consuming horse meat for example, were also ubiquitous in Vinlander Christianity.

Vinlandic Mythology

Kluscap, one of the unique central figures of the Vinlandic pantheon.

A common religion in the early history of Vinland was the Old Norse Religion, also known as Norse Paganism, which was a polytheistic religion that diverged during the Proto-Norse period. In Scandinavia the Old Norse Religion was gradually replaced by Christianity and forgotten, and has subsequently been reconstructed by historians and scholars based on historical linguistics, archaeology, toponymy, and records left by North Germanic peoples, such as runic inscriptions in the Younger Futhark, a distinctly North Germanic extension of the runic alphabet. Knowledge of Old Norse mythology comes almost exclusively through 13th century records in Iceland written by Christian scholars, leading to an incomplete picture of the religion's beliefs. Similarly, in Vinland many early settlers were practitioners, although they left little record of their religious customs and beliefs. From what has been observed, the Vinlandic form of the religion appears to have been distinct from what was practiced in Scandinavia, reflecting years of absorption from Greenlander and Native American culture and separation from Scandinavian populations.

It is theorized that many of the early settlers of Vinland viewed it as a safe haven for the practice of the Old Norse Religion, as Scandinavia was becoming increasingly Christianized. The discovery of Vinland occurred around the same time as the conversion of Iceland, leading many practitioners to flee to Greenland and eventually Vinland. This would lead to tension with the Christian population; Vinland had been discovered by Leif Eriksson, a Christian missionary, and many of the first settlements in Vinland were strictly Christian. Followers of the Old Norse faith were subsequently on the forefront of pushing the Vinlander frontier, settling new communities outside the purview of the powerful Christian cities. Numerous early Vinlander heroes appear to have been followers, including veterans of the Battle of Boghmoot such as Býleistr Rauðkrákur and his sons. By the time of widespread European contact, the religion appears to have become unpopular, although those that still cited adherence to it appeared to practice a heavily evolved version of the religion.

The Old Norse tradition gradually evolved into a distinct religious tradition, often called Vinlandic Mythology. Although heavily inspired by Norse Paganism, the Vinlandic tradition incorporated numerous elements of Greenlandic, and native Kolumbian religious practice into the faith. Notably the Vinlanders revered the figure of Kluscap as a hero or god, a figure taken directly from the Beothuk mythos. The Vinlanders are believed to have developed four distinct classes of deities, which incorporated native gods into the pantheon, and numerous Scandinavian deities would be combined, replaced, or further elaborated on by Vinlandic folklore. Texts such as the Naðúnsaga, although explicitly a story of a Christian priest and saint, would exemplify many of the cornerstones of the Vinlandic tradition, including a host of mythological creatures, local legends, and allusions to famous heroes.

Geography

Main Article: Geography of Vinland

A fjord in western Vinland, resulted from glacial erosion.

The island of Vinland is roughly triangle shaped, with each of its sides being approximately 500 kilometers (310 mi), reaching a total area of 108,860 square kilometers (42,030 sq mi). On the periphery of the main island is dozens of smaller islands, and Vinland and its associated small islands have a total area of 111,390 square kilometres (43,010 sq mi). The island of Vinland is separated from Markland by the Kjalsund, which is 125 kilometres (78 mi) long and from 60 to 15 kilometres (37.3 to 9.3 mi) wide.

A large part of Vinland is considered an extension of the eastern continental mountain range, and so major bays, peninsulas, river systems, and mountain ranges are typically oriented southwest to northeast, parallel to this larger mountain system. The eastern half of the island, including the Austskag peninsula, contains folded sedimentary rocks with some intrusions of igneous rocks, owing to its connection to Europe or North Africa some 250 million years ago. Small remnants of Cambrian and Ordovician era rocks occur along the coast, while the oldest rocks are Precambrian. The remainder of the island is composed of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rock from the Paleozoic era. Along the western coast of the island lies the Long Range Mountains, formed from an elongated block of the Earth's crust which rises to about 600 meters (2,000 ft) above sea level. The highest peak on the island, Kolkista, is located within this mountain range. Located to the east are the Jórvatn and Reinvatn lakes, which lie within a depression about 30 kilometres (19 mi) wide.

The central part of the island contains a large plateau, which was once the sea bottom of the ancient Iapetus Ocean. This region has been heavily eroded by water and ice. Steep, solitary rock knobs, called "Eyfells" in Vinlandic, which jut 100 meters (330 ft) or more above the generally flat terrain are the remnants of a former higher landscape level, and were then shaped by the presence of glaciers. Large blocks of stone called glacial erratics have been left scattered across much of the landscape, while the long narrow lakes of the west coast resulted from glacial erosion. The lack of good soil on most parts of the island is a result of the scouring effect of glaciers during the most recent ice age, leading to the island's nickname as "The Rock" by later settlers.

Footnotes