Madeiran Natives

[Jan Olbracht]

It is estimated, that circa 80k people participated in Vandal migration from Spain to North Africa. It was small drop compared to population of Roman Africa, although big enough to install Vandal rulling clas on top of locals, but no enough for lasting impact. But if one small fraction of these migrants missed their destination?

For uninhabited place like Madeira few dozens would be enough for starting population-could it happen, that Vandal ship lost at sea accidentaly reaches shores of Madeira? And if so, what would be result?

I can imagine Germanic Guanches: isolated people, whose tech is reduced to neolithic level. Until they're rediscovered.

Mouse bone found on Madeira suggests, that Vikings visited it at least 4 centuries before start of Portuguese colonization, what if they found island populated? Language of Madeirans may be even intelligible with Norse to some degree, their religion may be mixture of Christianity and old Germanic religion (while officially Vandals were Arians, I doubt their pre-Christian beliefs were completly forgotten not that long after conversion, and once isolated in the middle of nowhere they'd not preserve much from Christian theology, likely just add Jesus and Mary to their pantheon). Would Norse conquer and assimilate their distant kin? And could that trigger Norse colonization of Macaronesia?

 

[Arkenfolm]

It is estimated, that circa 80k people participated in Vandal migration from Spain to North Africa. It was small drop compared to population of Roman Africa, although big enough to install Vandal rulling clas on top of locals, but no enough for lasting impact. But if one small fraction of these migrants missed their destination?

For uninhabited place like Madeira few dozens would be enough for starting population-could it happen, that Vandal ship lost at sea accidentaly reaches shores of Madeira? And if so, what would be result?

I can imagine Germanic Guanches: isolated people, whose tech is reduced to neolithic level. Until they're rediscovered.

Why? The name "Madeira" means "wood" and the island was formerly covered in dense forest. I think it's very unlikely the islanders don't end up carrying out semi-regular trade between Europe/North Africa. They'd pretty much have to too given that fish would become a regular part of their diet. Probably eventually they'd start raising sheep and become like a southern version of the Faroes.

It seems like from the number of legends about the island and some evidence, visits every few decades perhaps, so they wouldn't remain isolated for long.

 

[Simreeve]

Presumably, as the fleet carrying the Vandals from Spain to Africa wasn't intended for colonizing new lands, it wouldn't have been carrying much in the way of seed-corn or other agricultural supplies, or farm livestock [as distinct from warhorses]: Once that shipload of Vandals who reached Madeira had used up whatever provisions were aboard their ship they'd basically have been limited to seafood and whatever plant-based foods were naturally available there, plus maybe some small game (birds, yes,, but was there anything else in the vertebrate line ashore? Certainly no large or even medium-sized mammals... )

 

[Jan Olbracht]

Presumably, as the fleet carrying the Vandals from Spain to Africa wasn't intended for colonizing new lands, it wouldn't have been carrying much in the way of seed-corn or other agricultural supplies, or farm livestock [as distinct from warhorses]: Once that shipload of Vandals who reached Madeira had used up whatever provisions were aboard their ship they'd basically have been limited to seafood and whatever plant-based foods were naturally available there, plus maybe some small game (birds, yes,, but was there anything else in the vertebrate line ashore? Certainly no large or even medium-sized mammals... )

Starting population of 2-4 dozens should be enough judging by example of some Polynesian islands. No horses, cattle etc. dogs perhaps. Grain... Most would be eaten, but if few grains fell out of sack on fertile ground accidentaly then it may grow back and may allow restart of agriculture. If not then instead of Germanic Guanche people of Madeira would be Germanic Moriori.

 

[Jan Olbracht]

There were monk seals seals present on Madeira shores. Besides seals other food sources would be fish, shellfish, birds, berries and perhaps tree bark, acorns, ferns and other 'famine food'. If agriculture is forgotten then I think inhabitants of Madeira would resemble Moriori.

 

[Jürgen]

Best case the Vandal accidental find it, they decides to exile some prince who have lost a power struggle, but they want to keep around. Him and his household is exiled to Madeira and while the Vandal kingdom survives other exiles are sent to the island. Then the kingdom falls the island survive as a Vandal remnant with sporadic trade with the mainland.

 

[Jan Olbracht]

I've changed title and concept as I came to conclusion, that it would not make that much difference if first inhabitants would be of Vandal, Berber or Iberian ancestry. So lets just assume, that Madeira is populated since antiquity by people, whose material culture resembles that of Guanche, with little to no contact with outside world.

Now lets assume, that such native population is encountered by Norse. How would it impact history of Macaronesia? Would Norsemen conquer them or just raid them for slaves perhaps? And would populated Madeira trigger earlier colonization of Azores perhaps (which may be settled by Norse-Madeiran mixed population, the way Iceland was settled by descendants of Norsemen and Celtic women)?