Letter from a king
In 1354, King Magnus Eriksson of Sweden wrote a letter, ordering his officer, Paul Knutsson, to lead an expedition to Greenland. The king wanted Knutsson to look into reports of Greenland’s people (his subjects) turning away from Christianity.
Some think Knutsson may have missed Greenland and landed in North America (or he went after renegade Greenlanders and found himself in North America). Records are scant on this period in Norway’s history because of much turmoil. Because Norway was in upheaval, there are no clear records Knutssson’s ship set sail, but we do have the king’s letter.
Looking at other sources, we have Dutch cartographer Gerardus Mercator’s 1577 letter written to John Dee (scholar and advisor to Queen Elizabeth). Mercator shared that he’d learned of eight men who returned to Norway in 1364. One of them, a priest, handed the Norwegian king extensive geographical information on Arctic Islands.
Could these eight men have been survivors of Knutsson’s voyage? Norwegian men who wandered further south into North America?
Records dating 1364 and onward, corroborate priest Ivar Bardsson in Norway, listing him as living previously in Greenland.
Next week, I’ll share the possible waterway, the Norse Crusader Theory, and the Battle of Visby Theory for Vikings in North America.
Until then, tell me what you think about what was shared today.
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