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Why Did Greenland’s Vikings Vanish? (2017)

smithsonianmag.com

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Re: Why Did Greenland’s Vikings Vanish? (2017)

#11

Post by mc32 »

sambroner wrote: post #10
red-indian wrote: post #3

I've always found it interesting that there was mail service between Greenland and Iceland at least up until 1424. Not too long after that, in 1477, Columbus went to Galway Ireland to ask fishermen about routes across the northern sea. These fishermen routinely visited Iceland, and knew about Greenland. Columbus also inspected a boat on which a couple had arrived in Galway from beyond Iceland, likely Greenland, and e…

It's amazing that people in Iceland knew people in Greenland and people in Greenland almost definitely knew about North America, but somehow most people in Europe had no idea that North America existed. People must have been so much more comfortable feeling vaguely curious, but not ever satisfying that curiousity.

Even if they were curious his would that be realized?

You couldn’t just book a ticket and hotel room.

It cost a lot of money so the only way to do it was via setting up a company to try and make profit on the endeavor. Only few people could manage that.

It’d be like asking years hence, the Americans had been to the moon, why wasn’t anyone else curious about the moon, why hadn’t others put people on the moon?

Re: Why Did Greenland’s Vikings Vanish? (2017)

#12

Post by dantillberg »

sambroner wrote: post #10
red-indian wrote: post #3

I've always found it interesting that there was mail service between Greenland and Iceland at least up until 1424. Not too long after that, in 1477, Columbus went to Galway Ireland to ask fishermen about routes across the northern sea. These fishermen routinely visited Iceland, and knew about Greenland. Columbus also inspected a boat on which a couple had arrived in Galway from beyond Iceland, likely Greenland, and e…

It's amazing that people in Iceland knew people in Greenland and people in Greenland almost definitely knew about North America, but somehow most people in Europe had no idea that North America existed. People must have been so much more comfortable feeling vaguely curious, but not ever satisfying that curiousity.

You can imagine that there were likely many curious people that died pursuing their curiosity.

Re: Why Did Greenland’s Vikings Vanish? (2017)

#13

Post by InterestBazinga »

50ckpuppet wrote: post #5
tga wrote: post #2

If you’re into this kind of thing, check out The Fall Of Civilizations podcast — it’s great and also has an episode on this topic. https://fallofcivilizationspodcast.com/2019/03/26/episode-4-...

or just turn on the TV ;)

That is such a narrow reply. What channel? Is that channel being shown in my current TV cable package? What country? How accurate is the show?

Re: Why Did Greenland’s Vikings Vanish? (2017)

#14

Post by usepgp »

InterestBazinga wrote: post #13
50ckpuppet wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

or just turn on the TV ;)

That is such a narrow reply. What channel? Is that channel being shown in my current TV cable package? What country? How accurate is the show?

I think it was a joke about the name of the podcast

Re: Why Did Greenland’s Vikings Vanish? (2017)

#16

Post by hinkley »

ahi wrote: post #9
hinkley wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I recall from 1491, the fisherman had enough trade as far as New England (by the 1600's) that the Pilgrims found a translator who already spoke English. They didn't dwell on that in American History class.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Banks_of_Newfoundland I am imagining all these old salts in the pub rolling their eyes at the aristocratic "explorers"

Is the bit about Cabot saying that French and Portuguese fisherman started fishing there in earnest by 1502?

Re: Why Did Greenland’s Vikings Vanish? (2017)

#17

Post by hinkley »

detritus wrote: post #8
hinkley wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I recall from 1491, the fisherman had enough trade as far as New England (by the 1600's) that the Pilgrims found a translator who already spoke English. They didn't dwell on that in American History class.

How old ARE you?

I would love to have you come visit my castle in beautiful Eastern Europe. The vistas are wonderful, as are the tapestries.

We're having a bit of a wolf problem but as long as you travel during the day you should be fine.

Seriously though, it's a book.

Re: Why Did Greenland’s Vikings Vanish? (2017)

#18

Post by labster »

mc32 wrote: post #11
sambroner wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's amazing that people in Iceland knew people in Greenland and people in Greenland almost definitely knew about North America, but somehow most people in Europe had no idea that North America existed. People must have been so much more comfortable feeling vaguely curious, but not ever satisfying that curiousity.

Even if they were curious his would that be realized? You couldn’t just book a ticket and hotel room. It cost a lot of money so the only way to do it was via setting up a company to try and make profit on the endeavor. Only few people could manage that. It’d be like asking years hence, the Americans had been to the moon, why wasn’t anyone else curious about the moon, why hadn’t others put people on the moon?

> It’d be like asking years hence, the Americans had been to the moon, why wasn’t anyone else curious about the moon, why hadn’t others put people on the moon?

I'm asking that question now. Even for Americans, the majority never had a moon landing in their lifetime. And with each passing day, it gets a little bit easier to believe the whole thing was a hoax. Hollywood can deepfake better moon footage than the historical record these days.

Re: Why Did Greenland’s Vikings Vanish? (2017)

#19

Post by runarberg »

sambroner wrote: post #10
red-indian wrote: post #3

I've always found it interesting that there was mail service between Greenland and Iceland at least up until 1424. Not too long after that, in 1477, Columbus went to Galway Ireland to ask fishermen about routes across the northern sea. These fishermen routinely visited Iceland, and knew about Greenland. Columbus also inspected a boat on which a couple had arrived in Galway from beyond Iceland, likely Greenland, and e…

It's amazing that people in Iceland knew people in Greenland and people in Greenland almost definitely knew about North America, but somehow most people in Europe had no idea that North America existed. People must have been so much more comfortable feeling vaguely curious, but not ever satisfying that curiousity.

I suspect the knowledge was restricted to the working classes. I suspect that the noble classes didn’t really care about how Norese Greenlanders got their lumber, or how North Europeans got the fish they traded with. They’d much rather know where the Chinese get their silk, where the South Asians get their spices, or where the West Africans get their gold from.

Since the resources coming from the North Atlantic were not that valuable, the knowledge of the lands and culture there stayed with the people who worked it.

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