Throughout the First Crusade and beyond, men and women alike set course for the holy land to make a new life for themselves and their kinfolk. The siege and subsequent sacking of Jerusalem in 1097 gave the peoples of the middle east a reason to hate the newcomers. The wholesale slaughter of the innocents not only forced the middle easterners within the holy city to flee, it also drove good Catholics and Jews alike out of the city, and into the arms of the Seljuk Turks. This left Jerusalem with a very large population gap, a gap that the peoples of Europe were more than willing to fill.
In 1098, King William Rufus of the Kingdom of England knew that settling the Middle East would be a chore most readily accepted by the peoples of England. So in early February, 1098, William Rufus constructed a fleet of 70 Snekke (snekkja) Long-ships to make the difficult journey to the Middle East. These vessels were to land on the Sinai, and make their way to the holy city. Among them were translators, representatives of Rufus’ Kingdom, Knights and their wives and immediate family, dozens of horses, food stuffs to last four months, extra hay to feed the dozens of breeding pairs (including four mares only months from giving birth) for months on end, wine, beer, and seeds for the planting season.
The exact date of departure has been lost to time, while most believe that the date of departure was between the 7th and 10th of February, 1098. This departure was mostly based from the tides, the prevailing winds, and estimated date of arrival some time in early to mid March. But, what is know, is on February 19th, something went terribly wrong…
February 14th, 1098- As the large fleet of 70 Long-ships made the journey to the Middle East, a violent storm blew in from the Atlantic Ocean. This storm sunk four vessels, bringing the convoy down the 66 vessels, and sent the ships careening into the middle of the North Atlantic, a place that was known for its violence in weather.
February 21st, 1098- The head of the expedition, a Knight’s Templar also a representative of King Rufus, believed that the expedition had been blown back into the English Channel due to their proximity to the channel at the time of the storm, and ordered the vessels to sail due east for three days, then head south until the Straights of Gibraltar.
February 23rd- A second storm blows into the Norman/English fleet, sinking an additional two vessels, including the one carrying many of the maps and diagrams used to bring the vessels to their designated landing points in the Sinai Peninsula. The storm continues to blow the vessels due east, pushing them farther and farther from their destination, and farther into the North Atlantic. Prevailing tides are also pushing the vessels into the North Atlantic.
February 24th-March 21st- The vessels are battered by repeated storms, bad navigation, and poor leadership as the Knight’s Templar declare that it is god’s will that they should sail due east. Many believe that they are going to fall off the end of the earth, and into the plains of Armageddon where the devil awaits their arrival.
March 25th- The leaders of the now 64 vessel convoy agree with the Knight’s Templar, it is god’s will that they should be carried east to the unknown lands to carry out the will of the church, the savior, and god himself. Many of the members of the expedition disagree, stating that they were already on a mission from god to liberate the holy land from the evils of the heathens, why risk themselves traveling towards the ends of the earth, when the heathens are already in the holy lands? Their voices are kept down.
April 15th, 1098- The convoy has again run into storms which have brought the number of vessels down to 54 vessels. Many had to be abandoned after receiving enormous amounts of damage during storms. However, on this day, god is favorable to them. The convoy has sighted land on the horizon, the lands we know OTL as Cape Cod. With the favorable weather conditions to their backs, many agree to bring their vessels into the first acceptable harbor they run across.
April 20, 1098- The Crusaders make land fall at OTL Jamestown settlement. The remaining numbers of the Crusaders along with their compatriots agree, to make the return trip to the Holy Land may mean the end of their lives, and agree to settle in this new found land. With many of the farmers used to the breadless days of the Dark Ages, they know what kind of hardships to expect.
April-August, 1098- The settlers have named their new home "New Normandie" and have begun their farming of the area with the stocks of European Wheat and Barley they brought with them, the cereal crops. Their livestock was limited to Chicken's and Pig's which were in short supply. There were exactly ten cattle, five males, and five females isolated in the communal center of the village. They would only be slaughtered if the food was absolutely needed. The clearing of the surrounding ten miles of forest also began. The crusaders believe they are alone in this new environment...
August 2/3, 1098- A lone scout on horseback was making his wasy to a nearby creek to parch his thirst, when on the other side of the small creek, he saw a man, a native of the local tribal settlement nearby. Both men run away quickly, believing the other to be a god (the native), or a muslim heathen (the crusader). The crusader knew this would be bad...
In 1098, King William Rufus of the Kingdom of England knew that settling the Middle East would be a chore most readily accepted by the peoples of England. So in early February, 1098, William Rufus constructed a fleet of 70 Snekke (snekkja) Long-ships to make the difficult journey to the Middle East. These vessels were to land on the Sinai, and make their way to the holy city. Among them were translators, representatives of Rufus’ Kingdom, Knights and their wives and immediate family, dozens of horses, food stuffs to last four months, extra hay to feed the dozens of breeding pairs (including four mares only months from giving birth) for months on end, wine, beer, and seeds for the planting season.
The exact date of departure has been lost to time, while most believe that the date of departure was between the 7th and 10th of February, 1098. This departure was mostly based from the tides, the prevailing winds, and estimated date of arrival some time in early to mid March. But, what is know, is on February 19th, something went terribly wrong…
February 14th, 1098- As the large fleet of 70 Long-ships made the journey to the Middle East, a violent storm blew in from the Atlantic Ocean. This storm sunk four vessels, bringing the convoy down the 66 vessels, and sent the ships careening into the middle of the North Atlantic, a place that was known for its violence in weather.
February 21st, 1098- The head of the expedition, a Knight’s Templar also a representative of King Rufus, believed that the expedition had been blown back into the English Channel due to their proximity to the channel at the time of the storm, and ordered the vessels to sail due east for three days, then head south until the Straights of Gibraltar.
February 23rd- A second storm blows into the Norman/English fleet, sinking an additional two vessels, including the one carrying many of the maps and diagrams used to bring the vessels to their designated landing points in the Sinai Peninsula. The storm continues to blow the vessels due east, pushing them farther and farther from their destination, and farther into the North Atlantic. Prevailing tides are also pushing the vessels into the North Atlantic.
February 24th-March 21st- The vessels are battered by repeated storms, bad navigation, and poor leadership as the Knight’s Templar declare that it is god’s will that they should sail due east. Many believe that they are going to fall off the end of the earth, and into the plains of Armageddon where the devil awaits their arrival.
March 25th- The leaders of the now 64 vessel convoy agree with the Knight’s Templar, it is god’s will that they should be carried east to the unknown lands to carry out the will of the church, the savior, and god himself. Many of the members of the expedition disagree, stating that they were already on a mission from god to liberate the holy land from the evils of the heathens, why risk themselves traveling towards the ends of the earth, when the heathens are already in the holy lands? Their voices are kept down.
April 15th, 1098- The convoy has again run into storms which have brought the number of vessels down to 54 vessels. Many had to be abandoned after receiving enormous amounts of damage during storms. However, on this day, god is favorable to them. The convoy has sighted land on the horizon, the lands we know OTL as Cape Cod. With the favorable weather conditions to their backs, many agree to bring their vessels into the first acceptable harbor they run across.
April 20, 1098- The Crusaders make land fall at OTL Jamestown settlement. The remaining numbers of the Crusaders along with their compatriots agree, to make the return trip to the Holy Land may mean the end of their lives, and agree to settle in this new found land. With many of the farmers used to the breadless days of the Dark Ages, they know what kind of hardships to expect.
April-August, 1098- The settlers have named their new home "New Normandie" and have begun their farming of the area with the stocks of European Wheat and Barley they brought with them, the cereal crops. Their livestock was limited to Chicken's and Pig's which were in short supply. There were exactly ten cattle, five males, and five females isolated in the communal center of the village. They would only be slaughtered if the food was absolutely needed. The clearing of the surrounding ten miles of forest also began. The crusaders believe they are alone in this new environment...
August 2/3, 1098- A lone scout on horseback was making his wasy to a nearby creek to parch his thirst, when on the other side of the small creek, he saw a man, a native of the local tribal settlement nearby. Both men run away quickly, believing the other to be a god (the native), or a muslim heathen (the crusader). The crusader knew this would be bad...
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