PC/WI: Saint Brendan establishes permanent NA Colony?

It is theorized that Saint Brendan, called "the Navigator" and "the Voyager" is the first European to discover the America's. Going forward on this theory, what if, when he discovered the land, he was (for the sake of the what if) experienced a vision that it was his duty to bring Christianity to this new land, and thus with his fellow adventurers sets up a colony where they land, then goes back to Ireland for more volunteers.

For my own part (due to the times this went on in) I don't think he'd get many, but what effect might there be if a permanent colony was set up by the Irish Missionaries?

Info on Saint Brendan can be found here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan#Possible_link_to_North_America
 
It is theorized that Saint Brendan, called "the Navigator" and "the Voyager" is the first European to discover the America's. Going forward on this theory, what if, when he discovered the land, he was (for the sake of the what if) experienced a vision that it was his duty to bring Christianity to this new land, and thus with his fellow adventurers sets up a colony where they land, then goes back to Ireland for more volunteers.

For my own part (due to the times this went on in) I don't think he'd get many, but what effect might there be if a permanent colony was set up by the Irish Missionaries?

Info on Saint Brendan can be found here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan#Possible_link_to_North_America

In coracles!?!?! Id guess you had far less than a 50% chance of surviving an Atlantic crossing in a coracle - and thats without attempting to carry livestock.

If 100 Irishmen survive the crossing, how many survive the first winter? Probably whoever remains is absorbed into the local tribes, and they vanish from history.
 
Either that or the first English land to discover their worst nightmare - Irish Iroquois! Nery an Englishman would survive his first night in the Americas.
 
Either that or the first English land to discover their worst nightmare - Irish Iroquois! Nery an Englishman would survive his first night in the Americas.

Not just any Irish Iroquois...CATHOLIC IRISH IROQUOIS!!! :p

The trip is doable, though its success greatly relies on good weather no doubt.
 

GdwnsnHo

Banned
I don't think any of the irish lords at this time had even remotely enough money/power, nor any of the locals the ships, to do this.

I'd imagine that if he succeeded, he may go to Saxons/Britons, but I can't see an instant response as no-one really has the resources at this point.

At best I can see it be common knowledge in irish/british churches that there is a new world, just waiting until some King finds out, or the Pope encourages them to crusade in 'Brendans-Land'.

I do love the idea of a crusading order ruling OTL Quebec, but I can only really see those countries around the north sea being able to exploit it, and only after improving their ships.

It really comes down to who has enough power first. I'd put forward Northumbria as they were (supposedly) doing very well economically, but I may be biased being from there. Otherwise, maybe some Britons fleeing the Saxons could listen and try it?

But really, until you get some sort of unity on Ireland, you aren't getting Irish colonies.

As much as it may resemble a Northumbria-Wank, I'd love to see a Timeline of this, as I can only really see them able to exploit it before Lodbrok/Vikings turn up, and whether they'd be interested.
 
The other problem is that this is not anything StBrendan is likely at all to do.

He was an Irish monk, any 'settlement' would be monastic, and die out after the first generation. Even if God appeared to him in avdream and said "populate the New World", he'd HEAR it as 'bring a bunch of monks over'. Unless God really hit him upside the head with a clue-by-four. And even then....
 
Not just any Irish Iroquois...CATHOLIC IRISH IROQUOIS!!! :p

The trip is doable, though its success greatly relies on good weather no doubt.
Imagine the Massachusets settlers setting out from plymouth, with dreams of their new puritan utopia dancing in their head, only to find the place full of Catholics.
It makes me smile.
 
Err just to be pedantic. Not only would the term Catholic not be applicable till after the Reformation, Ireland and Britain at this time had a very peculiar form of Christianity, a sort of Celtic influenced one that barely paid lipservice to Rome. It was even a bone of contention that monks shaving their hair left a little forelock. Irish monks also had an annoying tendency to write in their vernacular Gaeilge as opposed to Latin.

Its part of the legal reasoning for Henry II and the Norman invasion, they had a Papal Bull authorizing them to get the Irish church and princes in line. And led to some serious legal rewriting to form the Kingdom of Ireland after Henry VIII decided he wanted to divorce his wife.

As for unity in Ireland? Brian Boru was probably the closest to get to it, so the fabled Hy-Brasil shall have to wait till then.

P.S. Pretty cool though, Brendan was born on an island near where I'm from and his feastday is the same day as my birthday so took it for my Confirmation name.
 
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