Vikings returned

Norse explorers may have ventured further inland than once thought

Along time ago, in a land far, far away, a man named Leif Erikson set sail for a voyage that would be talked about for a millennium.

The ancient Scandinavians were the firstknown Europeans to make the long, icy voyage across the North Atlantic, discovering the North American continent centuries before Christopher Columbus and John Cabot took the westward journey.

The records of Erikson’s journey are slim, but the story has sparked the imagination of writers and historians. Generations of archaeologists continue to seek evidence of the crossing.

In 2010, Norwegian shipbuilders and archaeologists constructed a Viking ship based on those from ancient Viking lore, dubbed the Draken Harald Hårfagre after the Norwegian king ‘dragon’ Harald Fairhair, built to look and sail like the ship Erikson’s crew sailed more than 1,000 years ago.

On April 26 of this year, after several test runs, an international crew captained by Norwegian Björn Ahlander set sail, crossing the icy North Atlantic from Norway to Greenland, passing by icebergs and whales and eventually dropping anchor in L’Anse-aux-Meadows, Newfoundland, where evidence remains of a Viking settlement.

The Draken is not the first Viking ship to follow the ancient route across the Atlantic but her crew did something other replica ships haven’t done before. They sailed inland, through the St. Lawrence river and onto the Great Lakes.

Despite some stories and artefacts of dubious origin, there is little proof the Vikings ever explored further west than the shores of Newfoundland. Still, what little evidence there is has sparked the imaginations of marine historians.

Local lore includes reports of Viking burial mounds and a story of a Viking boy named Ronwayana who lived for a time with the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte.

The Draken Harald Hårfagre leaving Greenland. PHOTO: PEDER JACOBSSON

Writer and artist Andrew King—who has explored local history, from Miss Supertest to the area’s potential Viking connection—has been following the Draken’s journey.

“As far as I know, I think this is the first time an actual replica Viking vessel has come through the St. Lawrence into the Great Lakes,” says King.

King even contacted the expedition’s communication officer to attempt to convince them to stop in the Bay of Quinte.

They didn’t answer, and King understands— the trip is a busy time, and changing the route for such a voyage can be difficult.

Unless they have no choice.

The ship has been stalled in Lake Erie after a misunderstanding with the U.S. Coast Guard left the crew facing a $400,000 pilotage fee to enter U.S. waters.

The ship is considered a commercial vessel, since they have been charging people admission at stops along the way—including Brockville and Toronto—to see the travelling museum of Viking naval culture.

King says his fascination with the ship and with the potential tie between the Vikings and the County stem partially from a desire to pass on the stories of our past to the next generation.

“I think our generation—kids—we don’t have this kind of folklore to grow up with,” says King. “So I’m just looking for little tidbits like that that kids can tell around the campfire. These are stories that have been around, they’ve just been under a blanket of dust.”

With the red tape the Draken is encountering, King doesn’t think it’s likely the ship will pass this way again and will instead seek another route to the Atlantic. A disappointment, but King can continue to follow the ship and its story.

It’s certainly one that can be told around a campfire.