I've got some very rough ideas for a TL that will involve the Norse & Viking peoples and their relations with Northern Europe. Basically the idea I have is this:
Several extended families are outcast from Norse society for some misdemeaneur. They flee west in an attempt to find a new society to live in. They come to Greenland and settle there, but they swiftly move for one reason or another. They eventually decide to settle further west, in the lands discovered by Lief Ericsson. They settle there and gradually develope a society based around them being the chosen people, that they were sent by God or Gods to colonise these new lands and to escape the depravity and harshness of Norse society to build something better.
Basically I don't want this to be another 'What if Vinland is colonised' things- the idea if somewhat hackneyed now. I want to basically take this fundamentally interesting idea and make it original and interesting again.
However, to do this there need to be massive changes to Viking society. For one: more colonisation of Greenland. I reckon that if Iceland is, by the period in question, well intergrated into the Norse homeland (i.e. no longer frontier) then colonising Vinland wouldn't be too outrageous, especially for a group of outcasts.
Furthermore, I'd be interested in having a second narrative- that of the Norse in Russia. The Kievan Rus' is obvious, and I'm not too sure of this, but I think is fairly untrodden ground here (I'm probably mistaken- all apologies to anyone who's written a TL on the Rus- send me a link and help correct my ignorance).
Another question: In the timeframe in mind (8-11th centuries) what is Sweden like? Is it just as wild as Norway etc. or is it more agricultural? Basically, I'm thinking of having a polis- style civilisation grow up around the Baltic and the Northern coasts of Europe that eventually penetrate it ohte river systems of Eastern Europe e.g. the Niesse and the Oder thereby extending the civilisation into central Europe.
So those are my main ideas; please do help on this because I do so love the Norse and their unique culture, and I don't want any of my attempts to be cliche and hackneyed.
Your Fairly Faithful Friend.