Vinland threads are a dime a dozen, so the subject of this thread isn't to do with Vinland itself, but rather the impact of Vinland.
If we assume that the Norse are able to establish a permanent settlement in Newfoundland, and everything goes swimmingly for Vinland from there onwards, what would be the reaction of the Old World to these developments?
Would we see an earlier start to the Age of Exploration, now that Europe is aware of the existence of the New World centuries before Columbus? Would European countries establish colonies in the Americas, or would the incentive to do so not exist in the Medieval era? Or would Vinland's existence only be known to Norse traders in Iceland and Greenland, resulting in the Old World being oblivious to the New World until 1492, when Columbus sails the ocean blue?
If we assume that the Norse are able to establish a permanent settlement in Newfoundland, and everything goes swimmingly for Vinland from there onwards, what would be the reaction of the Old World to these developments?
Would we see an earlier start to the Age of Exploration, now that Europe is aware of the existence of the New World centuries before Columbus? Would European countries establish colonies in the Americas, or would the incentive to do so not exist in the Medieval era? Or would Vinland's existence only be known to Norse traders in Iceland and Greenland, resulting in the Old World being oblivious to the New World until 1492, when Columbus sails the ocean blue?