What Were Helluland And Markland From The Sagas?
Helluland and Markland were (alongside Vinland) territories that were described in two Old Norse medieval sources, namely the sagas of Erik the Red and of the Greelanders. Thus, according to the Icelandic sagas, these two remote locations were the first to be spotted by Leif Erikson prior to his arrival in Vinland (situated in present-day Newfoundland, Canada) after leaving the Western Settlement in Greenland at some point during the early 11th century (the precise date of his departure remains disputed between the previously mentioned sagas).
According to the same sagas, these three lands (i.e. Helluland, Markland, and Vinland) were chronologically explored by three Norsemen as follows:
- Bjarni Herjólfsson – a 10th century Icelandic merchant (who only spotted them but never landed);
- Leif Erikson – the first Norseman who is actually credited for spotting and landing on the North American continent, following the stories told by Bjarni Herjólfsson in Greeland (Leif briefly set ashore on Helluland and Markland as well);
- Thorfinn Karlsefni Þórðarson (Thordarson) – an Icelandic explorer who was initially part of Leif Erikson’s crew that settled in Vinland (the Norse navigator who did in fact explore both Helluland and Markland).
Most contemporary historians claim Helluland is actually Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, whereas Markland could be placed somewhere on the coast of Labrador. Etymologically, Helluland literally means ‘land of flat stones’ in Old Norse. This is because of the fact that upon reaching it, Leif and his crew observed an austere landscape that was of no potential interest with respect to colonization, with the island being inhabited solely by polar foxes.
Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada – the very probable location for Helluland from the Norse sagas. Image source: www.unsplash.com
On the other hand, Markland (which literally means ‘land of wood’) was seen as a promising resource for the settlement(s) established by Leif’s Norsemen in Vinland at the round of the 11th century. To date, archaeological research proves the fact that there has been a notable Norse presence in Newfoundland during the end of the Viking Age but there are still many puzzling mysteries to be solved in order to obtain the bigger picture of the North American saga.
Ice-capped landscape from Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. Image source: www.pixabay.com
In this particular respect, clinging only to the Old Norse literature can become uncertain, given the relatively fictional topography involved in the saga of Erik the Red. There for example Markland is placed southward of Vinland and of a certain archipelago called Bjarneyjar (i.e. ‘Bear Islands’) as well as of Hvítramannaland (i.e. ‘White Man’s Land’) or Irland it mikla (a territory known as ‘Great Ireland’ in English-language sources), most likely a fictional country.
Sattelite image of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Quite recently, thanks to satellite imagery and archaeological data, aside from L’Anse aux Meadows in northern Newfoundland, clues regarding another possible Norse settlement that might have been established at Point Rosee headland (also in Newfoundland) were made public in 2015 by Sarah Parcak and her team of archaeologists.
Documentation sources and external links:
- The Saga of Erik the Red on www.sagadb.org (Icelandic Saga Database)
- Greenlanders’ saga on www.notendur.hi.is
- Helluland and Markland on www.viking.no (in English)
- The Last Viking: Helluland, Markland and Vinland on www.spirosolaris.ca
- Helluland/Markland Archaeology on www.naturalhistory.si.edu
- Helluland/Markland Sagas on www.naturalhistory.si.edu
- Helluland/Markland History on www.naturalhistory.si.edu
- Helluland on www.wikipedia.org (in English)
- Markland on www.wikipedia.org (in English)
- Great Ireland on www.wikipedia.org (in English)
Wonderful article. My recent research into the Norse in North America brings them into French Canada, following the same settlement pattern as the first French Canadians, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and up the St. Lawrence River.
‘Helluland” is actually Newfoundland, and “Markland is the Labrador/Quebec mainland. The Point Rosee find supports my research into the location of the Norse settlement of ‘Hop’ inside Newfoundland’s St. George’s Bay, at Barachois Pond.
For more from this new perspective, please take a look at my blog: https://lavalhallalujah.wordpress.com
Donald Wiedman! It seems to me that you have not read the sagas at all. What you write is pure fiction!
Whatever you say Magnus… re: Flat stones aka Slabland… see Newfoundland’s west coast (where slabs of the earth’s crust goes vertical), and please show some class and stop ‘trolling’ and insulting people of things that you know nothing about (east coast Canada, and the St. Lawrence valley).
You will find the information on the FB page Beothuck Nation of particular interest, especially in the Files section, And what we have found in some of our dna test results.
“In this particular respect, clinging only to the Old Norse literature can become uncertain, given the relatively fictional topography involved in the saga of Erik the Red. There for example Markland is placed southward of Vinland and of a certain archipelago called Bjarneyjar (i.e. ‘Bear Islands’) as well as of Hvítramannaland (i.e. ‘White Man’s Land’) or Irland it mikla (a territory known as ‘Great Ireland’ in English-language sources), most likely a fictional country.”
Where is this passage to be found in “the saga of Erik the Red”? —— Fictional — well this passage is surely fictional, because it is not to be found in either “the saga of Erik the Red” nor in Grænlendingasaga.
The saga states (this is not a translation, but the order in which the Lands they found and mentioned them) that they first sailed from Brattahlið to Vestribygð which wad to the north of Brattahlið from there they sailed to Bear island ) perhaps sailing west along the 63 parallel coming to a peninsula of Baffin land which appears as an island coming from the east. From Bjarney they sailed south two days and came to Helluland (next peninsula of Baffin land to the south, where large flat slabs of stone are indeed numerous). From there they sailed further two days south (they are now sailing with the northern current which would add 10 to 13 knots to their speed going south) where they found a well forested land well endowed with game. This land they called Markland. Further south along this land there was an island where they found and killed a bear. The island they gave the name Bear island like the first land they saw west of Greenland. They then sailed south for a long time and arrived at a ness with the mainland on starboard. There were long sandy beaches in this area. They took land and found a ship’s-keel and named the ness Kjalarnes (Keel-ness). The beaches they called Furðustrandir (Wonder-strand / beach). Further south they found Vinland. There is no “Hvítramannaland (i.e. ‘White Man’s Land’) or Irland it mikla” anywhere, nor is there “for example Markland is placed southward of Vinland” nor “of a certain archipelago called Bjarneyjar (i.e. ‘Bear Islands’)” but one island only).
We think they were around here quite a while.
Cc
You will find the information on the FB page Beothuck Nation of particular interest, especially in the Files section, And what we have found in some of our dna test results
Magnus: Search for photos of the uniquely shaped tip of the Gaspe peninsula (Cap Forillon)… there you will see Thorvald’s keel laid out for all to see. Then head ‘south’ up the St. Lawrence River, follow the ‘wonder beaches’ for 600 kms, the length of the peninsula all the way to Rimouski… Once you pass Markland (the forested Labrador/Quebec mainland), you will arrive in Vinland (the fertile St. Lawrence valley)(Straum Island = Ile d’Orleans, which is ‘surrounded’ by the river current half the day, and the incoming tide the other half of the day). As Bjarni says: “This (the St. Lawrence Valley) matches most with what I ‘have been told’ about Greenland” (Eric the Red lied, and that’s a historical fact, when he described, marketed Greenland to colonists as… green).
Thank you for correcting. You wrote everything I wanted to say.
It bothers me a little that you refer to Leif Erikson as a Norseman. He was an Icelander. His father, Eric the Red was born in Norway but settled in Iceland early on. Leif was born in Iceland and was therefore an Icelander. Please keep this in mind.
However, I did once happen to argue with a Norwegian about this. He claimed Leif had been Norwegian, and I claimed he had been Icelandic. ( Note that this happened before I actually knew Leif had been born in Iceland) We argued back and forth like two kids in a sandbox, until I had an idea that would shut him up. I said: “Wait, you may be right, come to think of it. Leif Erikson was the only man in the whole history of mankind to ever lose a whole fu***ng continent. He MUST have been a Norwegian” Instant end of argument 😀
By Norseman it means Icelander as well, but it can mean Norwegian too. The terms Norwegian and Icelander do not contradict each other here but can rather complement each other. Icelanders are Norwegian too, by descent, partly, of course, because there is a lot of strong Gaelic/Celtic cultural and genetic heritage in Iceland too (primarily stemming from Ireland and Scotland but also from the Isle of Man if I’m not mistaken and other smaller islands of the British archipelago around Scotland such as the Hebrides, Orkneys, and Shetlands). All the best and thank you very much for your time and readership on The Dockyards! I apologise for the long delay in replying.
This is all a joke.
Leif and all other people living on Iceland was as Norwegian as all other people living in Norway and all Norwegians was as Icelandic ans all people living in Iceland. This was not two different countries, it was one people living in two different places with the same background and language. But Leif was born on Iceland.
The Icelanders are not only Norwegian, they are also of Gaelic/Celtic heritage, more specifically partly Scottish and Irish by descent. It is also possible that a small amount of Icelanders also have some Inuit/Greelandic genes. But, yes, they can as well be perceived very Norwegian, as Norwegian as their forefathers from south-western Norway. Best regards and thank you very much for your time and readership on The Dockyards. I apologise for the long delay in replying.
Dear Victor Rouă,
One can prove that Markland must be either the east coast of Labrador from Torngat Park down to Henley Harbor, or else the Labrador Peninsula more broadly. This is because the two Sagas that especially focus on Vinland give sailing directions both to and from Markland. One can use these directions to establish both the southernmost range for Markland and the northernmost range for Markland. Within these two ranges, the eastern Labrador coast is the only real world land region that fits both ranges.
In the Greenlanders’ Saga, Bjarni sailed west and then far south from Iceland, and came to a landmass (likely Newfoundland), then sailed 2 days west to a second forested landmass separated by water, Markland (Forest Land), then sailed 3 days northeast to Helluland (Flat Stone Land), which was barren with glaciers, and another 4 days to Greenland.
Consider that even in the Vikings’ day, the farthest spot south with glaciers would have been the Baffin Island – Resolution Island – Torngat Park region. This fixes the location of Helluland as north of Labrador for a couple reasons, like how the Vikings see glaciers when approaching Helluland from the south, but one would not see glaciers on Labrador if approaching Labrador from the south. Consider that the top Viking speed was 11-13 miles, so that the top distance possible in 2 days would have been 264-300 miles, whereas the distance from Torngat Park to Newfoundland is 565 miles, well beyond what the Vikings would have covered in the two day journey to Markland. This fixes the lower limit of Markland at Labrador’s Peninsula.
In Eric the Red’s Saga, the Vikings sail 2 days south across the sea from Helluland to Markland, and then 2 days south from Markland across the sea to Kjalarnes. Then they sail along the same landmass that Kjalarnes is on and find grapes on the land’s “Wonder Shores.” Newfoundland is the farhtest north that they would have had grapes in the Vikings’ time, as there are no grapes even as far north as Newfoundland today, and we just have 16th-17th century European records of grapes in Newfoundland. This fixes Kjalarnes’ northenmost possible range as on Newfoundland, and thus this fixes the northernmost limit of Markland as also being Labrador.
Then in a 14th century European writing, there is a mention of a ship from Greenland going on a voyage to Markland to gather lumber and getting blown by a wind over to Iceland in the 14th century, so we can tell that Markland was logistically a decently reachable place to gather lumber, since lumber is deficient in Greenland. Out of areas west of Greenland, Labrador would be the best place.
Thank you very much for your very interesting and informative comment! This is a very good and accurate possibility indeed! Thank you very much for your time and readership on The Dockyards! Much respect for your knowledge!