Entry 20 -- Kristland

Excerpt of the Rev. H. Nigel Fox Jr. Travel Journal




Entry 20 -- Kristland





It was late Spring when I decided to ask for Norah's hand in marriage. We had been growing ever closer as we worked together on her 'quest'. Passing so much time in each other's company, it had been amazing to me that neither of us seemed to tire of the other.

Sipho had spent most his time with the crew, so for the most part we had been alone. At first I had been the perfect gentleman, indulging only in hand holding. Our passion for each other grew in leaps and bounds.

I began to feel like a schoolboy again: unable to wait until I caught sight of her each morning, delighting in each change of clothing, each subtle glance, each boisterous laugh, each sweet moment we could be together, alone. Norah seemed to be mirroring my feelings. She often caught me off-guard by kissing me on the lips. These stolen kisses were extraordinary!

Our voyage to Greenland took very little time (we were both surprised and realised we had a very distorted view of the North Atlantic). Norah loved Greenland. The local people were a great source of information about Leif the Lucky and the Dane-Saxon monk. Our problem was that the Vinland Sagas were so numerous it became quite impossible to separate fact from fiction. There were, however, common threads.

The Common Threads

A powerful Nordic king had commissioned Leif the Lucky to evangelise a new world. This Greenlander had a magic touch, for everything he came in contact with blossomed and bore much fruit. He established a kingdom on the edge of the world, naming it Vinland the Good (in some sagas, Kristland).

According to the sagas, this was the greatest kingdom the world had ever known. Day and night were more equal in length than in Greenland. Golden cluster-grapes made a wine so sweet the bees would mistake it for honey. The land was rich in game for meat and clothing. Seas overflowed with cod, salmon, lobster, sea eggs, etc. The local folk, the Skraelings, warmly embraced the Krist. Trade with them enabled the small kingdom to flourish. They named the capital Leifsbudir.

Leif the Lucky convinced Skraeling missionaries to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. Whether it was due to King Leif's great love of God or the mystical power of his Bishop (the Dane-Saxon), the new kingdom became the light of the world. The people had great material wealth, but only used what they needed. They began to fashion their dwellings after those of the Skraelings and not plunder the earth. All lived simple, spiritual lives.

The sagas also tell of the tragic ruin of Vinland. It would appear that the arch-villain in the story was Leif's wicked sister Freydis. She jealously battled the him in many ways over the years. Very unlike her brother, Freydis was the epitome of evil, cunning, treachery and destruction. She hated the Kristgod with a passion and worshiped only the Dark Gods of the Hammer.

Many of the sagas involve her weak husband. This second, lesser villain of the Vinland Sagas was Thorhall. He hated the Kristgod and the Skraelings. There were many great stories of daring-do between the 'Kristmen of the Hearth' and the 'Kinder of the Hammer'. The Kristmen had absolutely no fear and could not be bribed: they were men of total honour and loyalty to the Kristgod. All people looked to them for protection.

Freydis and her followers claimed the throne of Vinland. Although there are several contradicting sagas of how Vinland came to an end, it seems that the wicked Freydis and her husband, in his treachery, had turned the Skraelings against the settlement. The Dane-Saxon Bishop managed to save the Kingdom several times with his 'magical abilities' to bring peace to any conflict.

However, after his death, peace never returned to Vinland. (Some sagas have Leif dying, others have him returning home.) Freydis, who had become Queen, eventually was driven from the land by the Skraelings.

After collating all the sagas, Norah noted that the 'talisman' is never mentioned after the death of the Dane-Saxon monk and Freydis' return home. Norah's conclusion: the talisman, if it ever existed, was left in the legendary Kingdom of Vinland!

Links:

Vinland

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