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The St. Lawrence was known to many people long before it was said to have been
"discovered" by French explorer Jacques Cartier. Canada's Aboriginal
peoples were the first humans to travel its waters, but other
peoples had visited the North American continent before French explorer Jacques
Cartier sailed along the banks of the St. Lawrence
River and Gulf. Many immigrants settled near the St. Lawrence, earning their
livelihood by working on or near the river. The St. Lawrence River is a storybook
of human history and treasure trove of fun
facts.
Canada's Aboriginal peoples, originally from Asia, witnessed the creation of
the St. Lawrence River about 15 000 years ago. The Vikings were the first Europeans
to set foot in North America, having landed on the coast of Labrador around 1000
A.D. Five centuries later, Basque whalers hunted their prey in the St. Lawrence
before the arrival of French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1534!
The Vikings
A Viking colony on the bank of the St. Lawrence
River
A few families of Vikings founded a colony in Labrador 1000 years
ago and may have even explored the banks of the St. Lawrence River!
They grew fields of cereal crops and went hunting and fishing during
their stay. They left following clashes with the Aboriginal groups
living in Newfoundland. The Vikings did not remain in North America
for a long time, but traces of their passage are still visible at
Anse-aux-Meadows, which has become a national park.
The exile of Eric the Red, the first step
towards the Vikings coming to North America
About 1000 years ago, Eric the Red was found guilty of murder and
exiled from Norway. He landed in Greenland, then unknown territory,
and founded a small village. One of his brothers, Bjarni, went to
join him, but got lost and landed in Newfoundland. He soon realized
his mistake and travelled to Greenland.
New departure for Newfoundland
Drawn by adventure and the opportunity to explore the unknown, Eric's
son Leif Ericsson set sail for the land discovered by his uncle Bjarni
15 years earlier. It is certain he followed the coast of Baffin Island
to Labrador, which he named Markland (meaning Woodland), then an area
he called Vinland (land of the grapes). He would eventually settle
in Vinland, as the area had many grapes growing in the wild, large
fields and vast woodlands, all resources that did not exist in Greenland!
The story of his discovery spread like wildfire after he returned
home. A few years later, over 150 Greenlanders, including women and
children, moved to Vinland, bringing with them seeds, livestock and
domestic tools.
They were later joined by several Icelandic families. Unfortunately,
quarrels and conflicts between the two groups threatened the peace
of the colony. Despite these disagreements, hostile Aboriginal groups
living in Newfoundland ultimately led the Vikings to abandon their
village and return to their homeland.
Viking artefacts about 1000 years old have been unearthed by archeologists
at Aboriginal and Inuit settlements. Many years after arriving in
Labrador, these objects were traded by the Vikings for goods created
by Aboriginal peoples. The discovery of these artefacts proves that
Vikings visited North America and traded with the native residents
long before the arrival of Jacques Cartier.
Vikings were fearless sailors, true "sea wolves" at heart.
They probably came to Labrador and Newfoundland to cut down trees
to build their famous longships, the drakkar. Did you know that when
a Viking chief died, his drakkar became his coffin? He was laid to
rest in his ship, which was scuttled at sea.
A saga passed from generation to generation
For centuries, the saga of the voyage to Vinland (modern-day Labrador)
was part of the Greenland Vikings' oral tradition. About 300 years
later, this tale was written down. A saga is a long story combining
historical and mythological elements about the lives of the Vikings.
By studying this saga, which included many descriptions of geographical
features of Vinland, archeologists were able to find the site of the
first European colony in North America in 1960. |
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