Longboats and Norsemen: A Vinland TL

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Emperor-of-New-Zealand

Food-Oh_Koon said:
Nice update. Hope the Norse Pagans remain for longer than OTL
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Indeed, this board is skewed heavily in favour of the idea of Christian Inevitability (or at least Abrahamic Inevitability) so it's difficult to find decent timelines where Paganism of any stripe manages to gold on in some significant capacity. Hopefully this timeline can achieve it!

I can't speak for the plausibility of all the events that have taken place so far, as I know very little about the areas being discussed, but I will say I'm having fun reading about it, so good work @Sarthak Bikram Panta!
 
Sarthak

Sarthak

Emperor-of-New-Zealand said:
Indeed, this board is skewed heavily in favour of the idea of Christian Inevitability (or at least Abrahamic Inevitability) so it's difficult to find decent timelines where Paganism of any stripe manages to gold on in some significant capacity. Hopefully this timeline can achieve it!

I can't speak for the plausibility of all the events that have taken place so far, as I know very little about the areas being discussed, but I will say I'm having fun reading about it, so good work @Sarthak Bikram Panta!
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Thanks
 

Gwyain

An interesting start so far, I like it. If you need a paper equivalent at all, you might think about Paper Birch, its a fast growing tree indigenous to the area and was used OTL for writing on. Should be able to make for a pretty solid paper analog for the Vinlanders.
 
Sarthak

Sarthak

Gwyain said:
An interesting start so far, I like it. If you need a paper equivalent at all, you might think about Paper Birch, its a fast growing tree indigenous to the area and was used OTL for writing on. Should be able to make for a pretty solid paper analog for the Vinlanders.
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thanks for the info!
 

Mikestone8

Sarthak Bikram Panta said:
Chapter 2: 999 AD to 1000 AD or 1 Ar?

***

During the winter of 999 AD, Bjarni had died at the age of 48 due to increased constraints in his lungs and had suffered death due to it. Immediately a leadership crisis erupted in Vinland. For the decade, the colony had been settled, Bjarni had been the undisputed and undeclared leader of the colony and settlement with little to no opposition at all. However with the death of Bjarni no one knew who would lead the settlement into the future.

Magnus, an Icelandic by birth proposed the Allthing System. This was viewed upon favorably by the populace, however the need for a strongman the likes of Bjarni had been was strong in the Vinlandic populace. The situation was escalating. Some Jarls in Vinland started to aggravate the colony. Though in reality the Jarls of Vinland at this time were nothing but glorified land lords, they still held considerable influence in the normal Vinlandic populace. Thus the people were now divided between the Allthing and the Strongman system.

A middle ground was being looked for by the populace, as men like Magnus who were veterans of the first settlement tried to preserve the settlement from erupting into civil war; which it could nary afford.

However as tensions skyrocketed during the winter after the death and funeral of Bjarni, things were almost brought to a head, until Magnus asked for a temporary Allthing from the powerful people of the settlement to settle the question once and for all.

The Allthing of 999 AD was a somber affair as the Jarls of Vinland somberly entered Bjarni’s Hall, which was the settlement’s city hall, dedicated after Bjarni.

View attachment 562446
A sketch of Bjarni's Hall.

The Allthing quickly erupted into fighting and shouts and threats but after some quick paced and slightly frantic negotiating, the world’s first elective monarchy was born.

The Charter of Ylir saw the Jarls and members of Allthing agree on a middle ground.

The charter kept the Allthing as a separate body of the system. The Allthing was to elect a monarch for the new Kingdom, who would become the King of Vinland for life. After his death, the Allthing would select a new King from a group of proper candidates.

The power sharing system in the charter was also very well defined. Around a third of the power was kept with the monarch during the duration of his life. He had absolute power over decisions regarding the fledgling military of Vinland, and any foreign threats. However civilian administration was largely to be kept to the Allthing, who would hold a third of the power. The last third of the power rested among the people of Vinland. Because of Vinland’s low population, it was quite possible to involve the people into the day to day politics of Vinland itself. For example, if the Allthing or the King did something that the people did not like, a Public Voting would be held, where the ‘man’ of the family would put in a vote from part of his family regarding his family’s decision.

Of course, this system came to be known by the English as ‘Referendum’. However the Vinlandic people simply called it ‘Public Voting’. There were of course limitations to this. No slaves were allowed to vote, and no women were either. In fact even men weren’t usually allowed to vote. It was the head of each family, obviously a male, who would be allowed to vote, on behalf of his family.

This Charter was particularly a success from the populace of Norway, who made up the only people group who fled to Vinland from Mainland Europe. From the ~3600 people in Vinland, around ~300 were from Norway whilst the others were from Iceland and Greenland with a few families from the Kingdom of Soreyar, which the English folk called the Kingdom of the Isles.

As the year of 1000 AD came forward, the final immigration to Vinland ended. The peak had been in 996 AD when around 900 immigrants had immigrated to Vinland, however now the immigration had come down to a small trickle, especially after King Olaf of Norway died.

Meanwhile there were other problems plaguing Vinland. After the Charter of Ylis had been signed by the Allthing, the first ‘Public Vote’ was held to see the candidates among the Jarls whom the populace wanted to become the King. The three candidates brought forward was Magnus, the 34 year old friend of Bjarni, Thorfinn Askellson, a popular Jarl from Soreyar, and finally one famed merchant among the local populace of Iceland and Greenland who had immigrated to Vinland, named Eric Askelson.

These three names were brought forward to the Allthing which had 15 members total. And the votes came of the Allthing came in on the dusking days of the month of Thorri.

6 votes – Magnus Grimmson

5 Votes – Thorfinn Askellson

4 Votes – Erik Askelson.

On the last day of the month of Thorri, Magnus Grimmson became King Magnus Grimmson of Vinland. Jarl Thorfinn Askellson became the Head of the Allthing and Erik Askelson was made Head Treasurer.

View attachment 562445
King Magnus Grimmson of Vinland.

The (somewhat) peaceful transition of power set the precedent for the future of Vinland, thus successfully becoming one of the first elective monarchy in the world.

Magnus was a good friend of Bjarni and had been the one to persuade Bjarni to land in Vinland in the first place. He had been a page to many of the Jarls in Iceland and Norway, and knew some of the business pretty well.

He had much work to do. He advocated for reforming the Norse Religion. The religion was simply not evangelical as the Christians, who had a figurehead to look up to and had written texts to describe their religion, whilst the Norse simply relied on generationally handed down information from their ancestors. Magnus advocated that committing to reforming the religion could make the religion stronger, and a basis for the new settler colony.

Some Norsemen in the past had been willing to do this, however had been alone in their efforts and largely ignored by the mass majority. However this was not to be the case here in Vinland. The best of the best of the religious class in Vinland convened in the Allthing in the Month of Eimanudur to reform the Norse religion, at least in Vinland.

The Meeting of Eimanudur laid out the new foundation of the Norse religion. All the legends of the religion were compiled into one single text called the Reginkunnr Saga or the Story of Divinity in English. Everything that was known to the Norse Religion was written down in the Reginkunnr Saga and was slated to be duplicated and each family to have them and read them out in holy and auspicious days. The King of Vinland was also made the Hofuo of the religion, becoming the spiritual heir of the religion in Vinland.

View attachment 562447
a page from the Reginkunnr Saga.

In celebration of this legendary meeting in 1000 AD, the Lunar Calendar of the Vinlandic people was updated to become 1 Ar; becoming the first year in the Vinlandic Calendar. (Ar meaning year).

During that year, the first symptoms of something different came forward. The Norsemen weren’t prone to having diseases as the mainland Europeans held, however they still held substantial amount of diseases within them. One prominent Beothuk tribal man, named Keathut who was a frequent trader in Bjarnithorp came back to the settlement in panic one day showing the symptoms of mumps and was facing severe fever.

Magnus, who did not wish for the natives or the Gamali people to have a legitimate excuse to wage war on them, decided to take Keathut in to the settlement and started the process of healing the native man who was becoming better and better, with the relatively better medicines that the Norsemen had with them and their physicians. After a few weeks of hurried rest and recovery, Keathut became better and was able to become upright and conscious as the rest of his body healed from the disease. He still showed telltale signs of the disease, however, he was much better than before, and the physicians had high hopes of him surviving. Later a small band of Gamali folk managed to reach the settlement and stated that their tribe was worried about the situation with Keathut. They were escorted to the small room given to Keathut where he was resting. Satisfied that Keathut was healing, the small band left the settlement, presumably to their own.

Meanwhile in resting, Keathut, who already knew how to speak tidbits of Norse, managed to become fully capable of speaking in Norse as copying the manner in which his physicians spoke was his past time in resting. He was also taught about the Norse gods, and became the first Gamali to read the Reginkunnr Saga with the aid of some of his physicians. He was astounded by the similarities in their beliefs.

He laughingly called Sol, the Norse god of the sun to be their own god of the sun, Kuis and the Norse god of the moon Mani to be their god of the moon, Kewis. He called Loki to be ‘Trickster’ of the Beothuk people who tricked the people into falling into its traps.

View attachment 562448View attachment 562449
The Trickster and Loki.

They laughed, both the Norsemen and Keathut, back then about this comparison, but soon, some generations down the line, it would be very important.

***

After a few weeks, Keathut was released after having recovered after his bout with disease. He returned to his tribe and later came back to Vinland and Bjarnithorp with his family of one wife and two children and asked permission to settle down in Vinland. This was an unprecedented move, and Keathut and his family became the first Gamali people of the Kingdom of Vinland. Magnus welcomed this as a recognition of the mutual assistance between the Norsemen and the Gamali people.

However despite this, one tribe of Beothuk people in the north of the peninsula had very different ideas. They were very wary of the Vinlandic settlement and the people in Vinland and considered Keathut to be a traitor to the Beothuk Tribes. They sent out a call of aid to go to war against the Vinlanders. None of the other Beothuk tribes on the island were willing to do so. The ones living next to the Vinlandic settlement, even less so. They had seen the technology and martial prowess of the Norsemen and seriously doubted that such a move was good and in the interests of the Beothuk people. Though they did state, they would not impede the travel of the northern Beothuk tribemen’s forces if they crossed over to attack. The north Beothuk accepted this compromise and 40 warriors of one of the northern Beothuk clans attacked the outskirts of Bjarnithorp.

A contingent of around 30 men had been on lookout on the outskirts of the settlement, largely looking out for Coyotes and Wolves saw the attacking 40 warriors. They immediately called upon the militia of Vinland and Magnus led his troops into battle riding a small cavalry force against the 40 warriors. Combined with the armored and steel technology of the Norsemen and the horses of the Norsemen, the warriors were routed by the Vinlandic militia. The leader of the Northern Beothuk Tribe was fell in this battle.

View attachment 562450
The fight between the Gamali and Vinlandic People.
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Small point. How forested was Newfoundland at this time?

I recall a flight to the US where we stopped off at Gander. From my vantage point at least, the country looked as flat as a pancake.
 
Sarthak

Sarthak

Mikestone8 said:
Small point. How forested was Newfoundland at this time?

I recall a flight to the US where we stopped off at Gander. From my vantage point at least, the country looked as flat as a pancake.
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Pretty damn forested except in the beaches. It wasn't until the advent of mainstream timber industry that the forests started to go
 
2 Ar to 10 Ar or is it 1000 AD to 1010 AD?
  • Index
    • Sarthak

    Sarthak

    Chapter 3: 2 Ar to 10 Ar or is it 1000 AD to 1010 AD?

    ***

    As the year 1001 AD, or known to the Vinlandic People as the year of 2 Ar, the people’s hopes were high for a better future, as the agriculture of the area flourished. However Magnus, was quickly becoming afoot with a problem. Good paper in the region was low in numbers, and Magnus was in need of them. Thus he started to create small scale cottage sized paper manufactories which could be used to make linens and rags to make combined as paper; not exactly the best, but capable of being used properly in the kingdom and country.

    Meanwhile, Magnus also sought to expand the size of Vinland. After they had landed, the Beothuk tribes had migrated and settled down on the southern coasts of the Nerthus Peninsula making the northern portion of the Nerthus Peninsula free to take, and Magnus ordered a settlement of the northern portion of the Nerthus Peninsula and to incorporate it into the Kingdom of Vinland.

    The first settlement of exactly 100 people were transferred to the tip of the northern portion of the Nerthus Peninsula and the settlement was duly named Valhalla (OTL St. Johns) by the religiously zealous Magnus.

    Valhalla would eventually go on to become the capital of the Kingdom of Vinland, however for the moment, Valhalla was a small village and the second settlement in Vinland outside of Bjarnithorp.

    Meanwhile in Vinland, Keathut became the de-facto ambassador of the Vinlandic Kingdom to the Beothuk Tribes, and since many of the tribesmen knew Keathut as he was a trader by profession, the man was pretty capable of being very diplomatic and was Vinland’s very first ambassador to the Gamali people.

    The people of Vinland at this time, were also starting to use the forest of Vinland, rich in timber to sell them to Greenland and Iceland. Though it wasn’t in any significant amount to Iceland, still because of the fact that the Norwegians held a pretty large monopoly over the Icelandic economy, however the Timber trade with Greenland became a very lucrative trading item between the two states.

    Meanwhile, a Greenlander, the son of Erik the Red, Leif Erikson under the guidance of former King of Norway, Olaf, was sent to Greenland to spread Christianity. However because of the fact that the Timber trade with Vinland made Greenland no more under the thumb of the Norwegian trading network, because Vinland was much more closer, and much more better in its quality, the Greenlanders scorned Leif Erikson stating that they would stay true to their traditions unlike Leif who gave up his traditions and heritage. Leif was not disheartened however. He sailed with his crew towards Vinland. In Bjarnithorp he was astounded to see a flourishing kingdom of trade, agriculture and most of all, paganism. He also was very intrigued by the reformed Norse Paganism created by Magnus to make Norse more firm on the ground level.

    In Vinland, Leif Erikson converted back to Norse Paganism under the Seior, the shamans of the Norse, and he reverted back to Norse Paganism and under the orders of the Hofuo, Magnus himself, the bible that Leif Erikson had brought with him was thrown into the sea.

    There was many reasons why Leif went back to Norse religion. First and foremost was that King Olaf of Norway was dead, and Leif didn’t feel beholden to the King any longer. Second was that he didn’t see any practicality of being Christian in a distant place where Christianity meant nothing to populace. Third and last was that he was very much taken and very interested by the reformed Norse Paganism that was gaining ground in Vinland.

    1593774728653.png

    A Statue of Leif Erikson.

    As an explorer and merchant as well, Leif proposed an expedition to circumnavigate the entire island in which they were settled. Magnus not having the authority to accept this, proposed it to the Allthing. The Allthing voted 9 to 6 in favor of the expedition to circumnavigate the island to draw a tentative map of the island.

    Leif and a small crew of Vinlanders slowly circumnavigated the island itself in the beginning months of the summer season in 1002 AD or 3 Ar.

    1593774693319.png

    A Painting of Leif Erikson circumnavigating the island.

    After the tentative map was made by Leif it was presented before the Allthing, and the Allthing made it the official map of Vinland, indirectly claiming the entire island to be a part of Vinland.

    Meanwhile, the nearby tribes living in the Nerthus Peninsula were becoming more and more influenced by Vinland. Two small tribes each comprising of around 40 to 60 people each asked for permission to settle down in the new Kingdom.

    They were enraptured by the amount of productivity that the Vinlandic population had made in just around one and a half decade on the peninsula, and added on to the fact that religion wasn’t a problem either, as the Norse and the Beothuk found their religions to be increasingly alike.

    There was also the earthworks and the iron wielding techniques of the Vinlanders that caught the attention of these two tribes. Whilst Magnus and Bjarni had both been proponents of friendship with the Gamali people, and they did trade freely with them, they didn’t allow the trading of ironworks and other old world secrets they had brought with them.

    When the news of this came towards the VInlandic upper echelons, the upper echelons were very undecided whether or not to accept these two tribes to settle down in Vinland.

    The Allthing had the power decide whether or not, these two tribes would settle down in the settlement, and the vote was close. However, the government and the Allthing of Vinland voted 8-7 in favor of allowing the two tribes to settle down in Vinland.

    This totally changed some of the smaller geopolitics of the area. With these two tribes settling down in Vinland, the fact was that only one another tribe was left in the Nerthus Peninsula which was not affiliated with Vinland, and they were in the western portion of the Peninsula. With this freedom, Magnus funded a settlement movement down south and by the end of the year 4 Ar, (1003 AD), the eastern portion of the Peninsula under Vinlandic rule.

    The previously slightly overcrowded Bjarnithorp experienced a sigh of relief as the people settled all over the eastern portion of the Peninsula much to the relief of the central Allthing as well.

    Magnus, now named as Magnus ‘the Religious’ I of Vinland, started to fund the creation of a grand temple in Valhalla followed by smaller temples around the Kingdom.

    In Valhalla, the Temple of Valhalla began construction in honor of both of the Aesir and the Vanir Gods. In the Temple of Valhalla, the Seior were particularly happy with the direct influence the new temple took from the Temple of Uppsala which had by this point largely lost its splendor due to Christian handling and had fallen into disrepair.

    1593773905902.png

    Construction of the Temple of Valhalla.

    However much to incredulity of many people, Magnus also constructed the temples outside of Valhalla alongside small temples of the deities of the Beothuk people; he built them most particularly near settlements where their Beothuk citizens had settled down. This was slightly well, foreign to the people of Vinland, however no one really challenged Magnus on this, as the Beothuk people of Vinland were largely happy with this course of action, and swore fealty to the Allthing and the King of Vinland.

    Untitled.png

    Old Beothuk totems were also built by Magnus, much to many conspiracies in Vinland.

    Meanwhile, after the eastern portion of the Nerthus Peninsula was completed by 6 Ar or 1006 AD, the expansion and settlement process of Vinland was halted by the Allthing to make the cultivation of these areas much more suitable, and much more developed for herding as well. Vinland by this point had small scale herding and poultry farms brought over from Iceland and some from Norway.

    However in 1006 AD, or 6 Ar, Magnus I died. He was an avid swimmer and avid fan of water in general, and was generally a good swimmer. He had been swimming in the coasts of Vinland when a particularly nasty wave swept him away and he drowned into the depths of the ocean. His crown which was in the beach was kept as a memoir of him, and a new crown was made for the next king.

    However, the question arose, who would now be the next monarch of Vinland?

    There were really only two candidates. Thorfinn Askellson, the popular Jarl from Soreyar and the current Head of the Allthing and the Erik Askelson, a merchant by trade and mildly popular among the echelons of the Vinlandic society.

    The votes of the Allthing came in later:-

    Thorfinn – 6 votes.

    Erik – 4 Votes

    Abstain – 5 votes

    Thus, Thorfinn Askellson was crowned King Thorfinn I of Vinland in the year of 1007 AD, the next year in 7 Ar with the votes of the Allthing swinging in his favor. The administrator that Thorfinn was, he was not really interesting in expanding Vinland for the time being either, stating the need for Vinland’s administrative process to be better and more cohesive as well.

    As the man was from Soreyar, where the economy ran on ship building and to many accounts, trade, Thorfinn I was also very invested into making a strong naval power in the form of Vinland in the New World or as the Vinlanders called it – Nyrjoro

    Under Thorfinn I, the administrative structure of the Vinlandic Kingdom was expanded to become much more mixed, making it a mix of Centralization and Decentralization. It proved to be a good model to follow, and the Allthing supported this wholeheartedly. He was however to leave a very mixed opinion and legacy behind him.

    He favored his family a lot, and in 1008 AD or in 8 Ar, he named himself to be the Jarl of Valhalla, in a hereditary position in Vinland. Till now, Jarls were like stated before, largely just glorified landowners in Vinland, however this made a hereditary Jarldom in Vinland to actually spring up, and many do not know how Thorfinn I actually managed to convince the Allthing to accept this course of action.

    Many suspected foul play as a few members of the Allthing were mysteriously removed from power and then replaced with pro-Thorfinn I Allthing members. The people were also quickly becoming mixed about their opinion of the monarch of Vinland.

    Thus winds of treason brewed in Vinland. Erik Askelson, the next candidate who fought against both Magnus and Thorfinn for the position of King in the Allthing led a conspiracy to kill the King of Vinland, Thorfinn I.

    In the beginning months of the year of 10 Ar, whilst Thorfinn was conducting a small prayer to the Vanir gods in the woods, a fire broke out in the small shrine, set alight by one of Erik’s men. In the end, Thorfinn managed to survive however and he managed to catch the perpetrator. Not only was the assassin convicted before the Allthing for attempted assassination, he was also convicted of destroying a holy shrine. Erik Askelson was convicted of the same charges, and both were executed in private, with Erik’s family sold into slavery. This would be the beginning of political intrigue in Vinland….unfortunately.

    ***
    vinland.png

    Purple - Kingdom of Vinland
    Red - Major Beothuk Settlements.
     
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  • Index

    • Tairo

    Greenland reverting to paganism should have knock-on effects in Iceland rather soon IMO, however the prohibition against horse consumption might remain in place amongst Vinland pagans due to simple practicality. Execution/Death Penalty wasn't really used by the Norse, Outlawry was the punishment instead even if it essentially meant the same result. The Gulf of St.Lawrence is easy sailing for the Norse, so they can easily become the pre-eminent Naval Power in the region.

    Also: how do you write this fast?
     
    Sarthak

    Sarthak

    Tairo said:
    Greenland reverting to paganism should have knock-on effects in Iceland rather soon IMO, however the prohibition against horse consumption might remain in place amongst Vinland pagans due to simple practicality. Execution/Death Penalty wasn't really used by the Norse, Outlawry was the punishment instead even if it essentially meant the same result. The Gulf of St.Lawrence is easy sailing for the Norse, so they can easily become the pre-eminent Naval Power in the region.

    Also: how do you write this fast?
    Click to expand...
    Been writing this since like 2 months ago. The chapters are there in my word, simply edit them slightly when I post them.
     

    SwampTiger

    Banned
    19th century mines at Tilt's Cove. Bett's Cove, Little Bay and Pilley's island produced copper, gold and pyrite. Bell Island, which you show is Norse occupied has huge iron ore deposits. Zinc is found near Daniel's Harbor.

    The rise of Harald Hardrada could spark another wave of immigrants.

    Caribou and wolf existed in this period. Coyote are a recent arrival. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mammals_of_Newfoundland
     
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    Sarthak

    Sarthak

    SwampTiger said:
    19th century mines at Tilt's Cove. Bett's Cove, Little Bay and Pilley's island produced copper, gold and pyrite. Bell Island, which you show is Norse occupied has huge iron ore deposits. Zinc is found near Daniel's Harbor.

    The rise of Harald Hardrada could spark another wave of immigrants.
    Click to expand...
    thanks for the info! And yes, Hadrada is going to be a pretty major character later on.
     
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