Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-08-26
NUMBER 80.
DISCOVERY OF ICELAND.


and ninth centuries after the birth of Our
Lord, inhabited the great peninsula OF
/ Norway and Sweden, with branches es-
tablshed in Denmark, Finland, the Fla
roe Islands, and all about the coasts OF
Northern Europe. They were wild.
rough and tumultuous race, SO given to
rowing and adventure that they made
their appearance, at one time or another
in their history, in every part OF Europe
which could be reached by sea. They
certainly visited tho shores of the Med-
terranean, and they once held such com
pleto possession of n part Of France that
their namo is still preserved in the title of
She province of Normandy. Before the
time of King Alfred, they ravaged Eng
land continually.
These people, who left their names all
over Europe, were never WELCOME any
where. Even at homo, they quarreled
among themselves. Aud it would seem
| that when things grew uncomfortable for
them in their own country, they tool, ship
and soilod the son, carrying destruction
and terror wherever they went. The
chiefs wore called Jarls, or Earls, and
tho sons OF chiefs to whom were given
maritime command wero called Vikings.
These were usually tho younger sons.
who were driven out by contentious ut
home, as we'll as by their own fierce de-
sires, to find plunder and occupation it
ravaging the coasts of the rich Southland.
In course Of time, these wild sea rovTs
wore masters Of tho seas OF Europe
Their Captains came to be known geer-
ally as Vikings. In those days we slould
call them pirates. Such u man wasFlot-
ko, who, in The ninth century, discovered
Iceland. Pirate ho may have lsen, but
he took with him families, cttle and
tools, as if intending to 1.-Two lik an hon
est man.
Warned by tho trials whcl other vow
ayers had when trying to fin new lands,
FloklSo carried in his Ship .hroe ravens
which had previousli bea consecrated
by tho pagan priets Of Norway. Two
ravens were supposed t. bring to Odin.
or Wooden the ciiof dity of the North.
men, wsJofall that happens in tho
world. md Flokko relied on the ravens
to tell Hfn Shon lard was in sight. The
first vScr, whom set free, returned to tho
lanJ&honce tho ship had sailod thore-
foFhs was yet the nearest shore. Tho
sbnd was lot loose some days after
Ard, and, after wandering in the mir,
Bme back to the ship, showing thereby
fthat there wns no land in sight But
this and tho third, when set Mt liberty
after two days, mounted up into the sky,
circled about as if to take n view Of the
horizon and then took straight flight
into tho West Flokko followed in that
direction, and so reached the island for
which he searched.
The colony did not thrive. II was brok
en- up, and tho colonists returned TO Nor
way, bringing nm evil report Of the land,
which they called Iceland. But in SO,
ton years after Flokko's failure, one Earl
lngolf, who had quarrcled with one OF
his noighbors and had killed some Of his
thralls, or bondmen, found it nece, snry
for him TO flee from the wrath Of tho
King, Harold llaarfager (IIorold the
Fair-haircdD, and he accordingly took
his ships and went to Iceland. Here he
found colony which has lasted
through all tho centurios---a remarkable
Though Iceland was thus settled by
tho Vikings, and although these scarov-
Drs still followed their wandering
life, We must believe that they were no
longer like "piratos OF the mainland. r.
0ne Of these sailors was Gunnbiorn, who,
lriven westward by n storm, soon after
ho settlement OF Iceland, fell upon the
hores of Greenland, to which region he
,ave tho namo Of Gunnborns Rocks. He
made his way homo again, for the strait
,etween Greenland and Iceland is not 50
vide but one may SEQ the shores OF each,
when midway between them, Of II clear
ay. He gave, like all discoverers We
y glowing account Of his new land, but
one went thithor until the next century.
In 0S5, Eric the Red, who, like Ingolf,
nd been obliged to quit his own country,
n account OF his violence and crimes
en: to tho new land in tho West. lie
established home for himself, and threa
ears later. no was bacll in Iceland with
wonderful tale. In the quaint language
the chronicle:
" In order to entice people to go TO his
ew country, he called it Greenland, and
ainted it out as such nm excellent place
n pasture, wood and fish, that the next
ear ho was followed thithor by twenty
We ships full Of eoIonsts, who had fur
ished themselves richly with household
oods and cattIe ofall sorts but only
'urteen Of these ships arrived" The
her eleven, we are left to surmise, were
rocked on tho way.-N Ntch0taS.
- -
THERE was no preaching in Kansas
ity last Sunday, and all in consequence
a practical joke played by lively
1ung girl. The young girl-inspirel
2 the world, the flesh and u little devil,
ixed-sat down late on Saturday eve
ng and sent note to each Of the pms
RS. The missives were on tinted paper,
ID written nicely. They each contained
ESQ words-'All is discovered fly r.
we of the preachers fed to 81. Louis. ,
d three went on West. There is sen
lion Ia that town larger than mah's
nd.