— Ch. 1 · Etymological Origins And Meanings —
Vinland.
~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
Adam of Bremen wrote Descriptio insularum Aquilonis around 1075. He described an island called Winland where grapevines grew by themselves. The Latin text states that the vines produce the best wine. This account relies on information from King Svend Estridson of Denmark. Scholars have debated whether the Old Norse root vin means wine or pasture for centuries. Most early interpretations favored the wine theory due to Adam's explicit mention of grapes. Some manuscripts even include a gloss defining the term as terra vini, meaning land of wine. However, Sven Söderberg proposed in 1910 that the first syllable might be pronounced with a short vowel. This pronunciation would change the meaning to meadow or pasture. Valter Jansson accepted this pasture interpretation in his 1951 dissertation. Erik Wahlgren later rejected the pasture thesis entirely. He argued that the simple fact is that Soderberg's thesis is quite untenable. Kirsten Seaver also dismissed the notion that the first syllable was vin with a short vowel. She stated that we are left with the incontrovertible long-vowelled vin or wine. A runestone discovered near Norderhov, Norway before 1817 may contain a record of the name slightly predating Adam's writing. Sophus Bugge read part of the inscription as referring to Vinland around 1902. Magnus Olsen offered a different reading of the same sequence in 1951.
Saga Narratives And Voyage Details
The Saga of Erik the Red describes Thorfinn Karlsefni leading a company of 160 men south from Greenland. They passed Helluland and Markland before reaching Hóp. The saga states that no snow fell during winter at this bountiful place. Bjarni Herjólfsson accidentally discovered the new land while traveling from Norway to visit his father in 986 CE. Leif Eriksson organized an expedition retracing Bjarni's route past flat stones and forests. Leif established a base where he found grapes and timber. He returned to Greenland with a shipload of timber and a boatload of grapes. Thorvald Eiriksson led a second expedition with about 30 men. They explored the west coast during one summer and the east coast during another. Thorvald died from an arrow-wound after encountering local inhabitants known as Skrælingjar. Gudrid married Thorfinn Karlsefni for a third major expedition taking livestock. They found a beached whale which sustained them until spring. Gudrid gave birth to a son named Snorri near Vinland. Freydis, daughter of Eric the Red, persuaded two Icelanders to join her expedition. She later ordered the killing of all the Icelanders including five women while they slept. The explorers returned to Greenland with hides and grapes. The Saga of the Greenlanders presents similar events but with different crew numbers. It claims Leif led a company of 35 while Thorvald had 30. Helgi and Finnbogi also commanded groups of 30 members each.