The Norse Atlantic Saga: Being the Norse Voyages of Discovery and Settlement to Iceland, Greenland, and North America

Description

A new and enlarged edition, with contributions by Robert McGhee, Thomas H. McGovern and colleagues, and Birgitta Linderoth Wallace. "The Norse Atlantic Saga" tells the story of the Norse Viking voyages across the North Atlantic Ocean which led to the discovery and colonisation of Iceland and Greenland, and to an acquaintance with the eastern seaboard of the North American continent almost 500 years before the voyages of Columbus. It was hailed on its first appearance in 1964 as a work which "combined the virtues of a first-rate story with those of a mature and accurate scholarship" (Times Literary Supplement). This edition has been considerably enlarged to take account of advances in knowledge and interpretation. Like the author's "A History of the Vikings", it is an accepted classic on a fascinating subject. The book is illustrated with a wealth of plates, line drawings and maps, and the essential (and exciting) narrative sources appear in Gwyn Jones' highly-praised translations. Introduction HOME TRUTHS AND FAR HORIZONS I. Causes and Effects 1 II. Ships and Seafaring 5 III. History and Historiography 14 IV. The Northern World-Picture 16 Part One THE STORY 1. Iceland 29 I. Before the Norsemen 29 II. The Norse Discovery and First Settlement 37 III. The Stripling Republic 43 IV. Life and Literature 57 V. The Republic Ends 66 2. Greenland 73 I. Discovery and Settlement 73 II. Decline and Fall 87 3. Vinland the Good 115 Venture and Withdrawal 115 Part Two THE SOURCES 4. The Book of the Icelanders 143 5. The Book of the Settlements 156 6. The Greenlanders'Saga 186 7. Eirik the Red's Saga 207 8. Karlsefni's Voyage to Vinland (Part of the Hauksbók version) 233 9. The Story of Einar Sokkason 236 APPENDIXES I. (a) Ohthere's Northern Voyage 251 (b) Saxo Grammaticus's Description of Iceland and Norway 254 II. The Only King who Rests in Iceland 258 III. Ungortok the Chief of Kakortok 262 IV. A Winter Too Many: Nipaitsoq V54 (by Thomas H. McGovern and colleagues) 268 V. The Norse Greenlanders and Arctic Canada (with Remarks by Robert McGhee) 276 VI. Of Spies and Unipeds 283 VII. The L’Anse aux Meadows Site (by Birgitta Linderoth Wallace) 285 VIII. Texts and Editions 304 Index 321