Eiríks saga rauða

1. Eiríks saga rauða SS 476 Discussion 8 February 2005

2. Agenda • Background • The texts • The places • The people • Things to look for • Recap of the saga • Questions for group discussion

3. Background: The texts • Two Vinland Sagas • Eiríks saga rauða • Grœnlendiga Saga • Timeframe • Action: c. 970 – 1030 • Writing: c. 1220 – 1280 • Some overlap, some divergence between the two texts • Historical roots are quite noticeable in these two sagas • We will focus only on The Saga of Eirik the Red

4. Background: The places • Iceland • Greenland • Eastern Settlement, Eiriksfjord • Western Settlement • Helluland • Markland • Vinland

5. Background: Regional map

6. Background: Places in Greenland Present-day Eiriksfjord (Eastern Settlement)

7. Background: Getting from place to place • “From Stad in Norway it is 7 doegr sailing to Horn, on Iceland’s east coast; but from Snaefelsnes, in Iceland, it takes 4 doegr to sail to Kvarv in Greenland. From Herdla [nr. Bergen] in Norway one is to sail directly westward to reach Kvarv in Greenland…[sail] south of Iceland, but only so far away that one can see the birds and whales common in Icelandic waters…” -Hauksbok c. 1334

8. Background: The people • Note: The Viking era robe and axe at right were found in Greenland • Eirik and his sons: Leif, Thorstein, Thorvald • Thorfinn Karlsefni and Gudrid Thorbjornardottir and their son Snorri • Others to watch for: Aud, Freydis, Thorhall the Huntsman, Bjarni Grimolfsson

9. Things to look for • Six sections of a typical saga • Introduction, Conflict, Climax, Revenge, Reconciliation, Aftermath • Honor • Role and portrayal of women • Conflict between old, new religions

10. Recap of the saga (1 of 14) • Section 1 • Gudrid’s ancestry traced back to Vifil, a slave of Aud the Deep-minded and King Olaf the White of Dublin • Olaf dies, Aud takes charge, moves self and son, Thorstein, to Hebrides • Thorstein dies, Aud takes charge again, moves to Iceland, claims land, builds a church • Aud sets Vifil free

11. Recap of the saga (2 of 14) • Section 2 • Eirik the Red and father flee from Norway to Iceland because of “some killings.” • Eirik gets involved in more killings and is outlawed • Full outlawry: Banished for life, property forfeit, can be killed without redress, etc… • Lesser outlawry: Banished for three years, property not forfeit, “enclosure”, can return later and continue a normal life

12. Recap of the saga (3 of 14) • Section 2 ctd… • Eirik explores Greenland, claims land and settles there • Eirik returns after sentence is up and recruits people to move to Greenland • Section 3 • Thorbjorn moves to Greenland – daughter Gudrid comes along

13. Recap of the saga (4 of 14) • Section 3 ctd… • Great famine in Greenland • Gudrid compelled to help seeress Thorbjorg in pagan rite against her will • Thorbjorg prophesies end of famine, Gudrid’s marriage to Thorstein, Gudrid’s future in Iceland, success of Gudrid’s offspring

14. Recap of the saga (5 of 14) • Section 4 • Leif sails to Norway to stay with King Olaf • Blown off course to Hebrides • Father’s child with Thorgunna • King Olaf charges Leif with Christianization of Greenland • Leif sails back to Greenland • Blown off course to unknown lands, brings back samples of wild rice, grapes, timber, maple, etc… • Rescues shipwrecked men, earns moniker “The Lucky”

15. Recap of the saga (6 of 14) • Section 4 ctd… • Leif preaches Christianity in Greenland • Eirik does not accept Christianity • Eirik’s wife, Thjodhild, converts, builds church (ruins discovered in 1960’s), moves out • Greenlanders decide to find lands Leif described • Eirik to come along, hides chest of gold, silver • Eirik falls off horse, tells wife where chest is

16. Recap of the saga (7 of 14) • Section 4 ctd… • Voyage is storm-tossed all summer, they see Iceland, birds from Ireland, return to Greenland • Thorstein marries Gudrid • Thorstein dies, comes back from dead, tells Gudrid to be a good Christian, change burial practices, give money to poor, not marry a Greenlander, dies again

17. Recap of the saga (8 of 14) • Section 4 ctd… • Thorbjorn (Gudrid’s father) dies, Gudrid inherits his property • Gudrid taken in, protected by Eirik • Section 5 • Thorfinn comes to Greenland, stays with Eirik • Thorfinn finances Eirik’s Christmas festivities • Throfinn marries Gudrid, they winter with Eirik

18. Recap of the saga (9 of 14) • Section 5 ctd… • Large voyage, led by Throfinn, to seek out Vinland - 160 people, including: • Thorhall – described as a “bad Christian” • Eirik the Red’s (illegitimate?) daughter Freydis • Sail to Western Settlement, then to Bear Isles, then two days to Helluland • Sail two days to heavily forested Markland and Bjarney

19. Recap of the saga (10 of 14) • Section 5 ctd… • Sail south along land to Kjalarnes, Furdustrands • Send two (possibly fictional) Scots on 3 day running trek – they return with wild grain and grapes • Unload at Straumsfjord to make winter camp • Bad food situation, pray, but no answer, Thorhall disappears

20. Recap of the saga (11 of 14) • Section 5 ctd… • Thorhall found chanting mysteriously • Beached whale turns up, Thorhall credits Thor, disparages Christ • Crew disposes of whale and weather improves • Thorhall and nine others decide to “search for Vinland” on own, blown off course to Ireland, where they die as slaves

21. Recap of the saga (12 of 14) • Section 6 • Thorfinn and crew sail to Hop • Skrælings come for the first time • Thorfinn and crew winter in Hop • Skrælings return in spring to trade furs for cloth – Thorfinn forbids trading weapons • Thorfinn’s bull gets loose, Skrælings frightened, flee, disappear for three weeks

22. Recap of the saga (13 of 14) • Section 6 ctd… • Skrælings return for vengeance, Vikings flee • Pregnant Freydis picks up sword and slaps it to breast, Skrælings flee • Throfinn and company decide to go back to Straumsfjord • On quest to find Thorhall, Uniped kills Thorvald, who, while dying, makes a joke about the size of his belly

23. Recap of the saga (14 of 14) • Section 6 ctd… • They decide to sail back to Greenland – first mention of 3 year old Snorri • One ship, captained by Bjarni Grimolfsson, goes off course, starts sinking • Draw lots for the lifeboat • Bjarni honorably trades places with crewman, mocks his desire to live • Lifeboat washes up in Dublin, rest drown • Thorfinn and Gudrid settle in Iceland, three bishops among descendants, prophecy fulfilled

24. Questions for group discussion • Why do we still find this story interesting?

25. Questions for group discussion • Who is the hero of this saga? • Eirik? • Leif? • Thorfinn? • Gudrid?

26. Questions for group discussion • Does this saga fit the structure described in lecture? • Introduction • Conflict • Climax • Revenge • Reconciliation • Aftermath

27. Questions for group discussion • What can we say about the role that women play in this saga? • Aud • Freydis • Compare to Greenlanders saga • Gudrid

28. Questions for group discussion • How is religion treated in this saga? • Does our answer about the structure of the text change if we consider the two combatants are Christianity and Paganism? • Gudrid’s lineage followed by Eirik’s lineage • Thorbjorg’s prophecy • Thorstein’s prophecy • Thorhall and the whale • Gudrid’s progeny – pagan prophecy fulfilled with three bishops!

29. Bibliography • Images from the web: • Eiriksfjord, map of Greenland: http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/greenland/ • Regional map: http://www.mnh.si.edu/vikings/voyage/subset/markland/environment.html • Garments from Greenland: http://www.heritage.nf.ca/exploration/norse.html • Texts: • Thorsson, Örnólfur. 2000. Sagas of Icelanders. London: Penguin. • Tornöe, J. Kr. 1965. Norsemen Before Columbus. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.