Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1886-09-17
STATUE OF ERikSON.
Monument to the Discover of Labrador
and Vinland.

and vinland.
The conception of the sculptor pre-
sents to us full-grown giant, with a
strong but intellectual and beardless
face, rather Roman than Greek, and
distinctly not of recognized barbaric
type. He has just set foot. in advance
of his companions, upon an unknown
shore, where he stands, sailor-fashion,
with his legs somewhat apart, but
firmly poised upon his left, in the atti-
tude of one eagerly scanning the dis
lance. The left hand shades the eyes;
the right, resting upon his hip, holds
signal horn, bravely bedecked with
Runie .device, like a drinking-cup of
the Skalds. He is clad in short,
sleeveless jerkin, or coat of scale
armor, closely fitting around the hips,
and adorned with two round bossed
plates upon the breasts. Beneath it
linen tunic descends halfway down
the thighs. He wears a decorated belt
and sheathed dagger at his waist.
Upon his long, shaggy locks is set
small, round cap of steel. The power
full arms are bare, and skin-tight
leggings reveal the strong anat-
omy of the lower limbs. Upon
the feet are shoes. apparently of
slashed leather, and the legs are not
cross-gartered. The general expression
of the figure is one of alert and vigor-
Gus manhood; it is modelled on heroic
scale, and posed like one who pauses
for moment and for definite purpose
in the midst of an active career. Left,
however, is portrayed as a man of
thought as well as of action; in the
whole conception of him there is not
only more of civilization than barbar-
ism, but more of classic than romantic
sentiment.
1t is evident that upon this funda-
mental point the sculptor is ready to
take issue with those who conceive that
out of Scandinavia, in the tenth century,
nothing better could issue than manly
virtue of brutal sort, and very saw
age and coarse-fbred energy.
According to the Sagas, Left Erikson
was Prince, son of Erik the Red, Jarl
of Norway. 1t may fairly be assumed
that this rude court had received some
reflection, however faint, from the civ
centuries before the era of Left when
the hordes from this northern hive"
overran the Roman empire, and his
own ancestors may have occupied the
Palatine among the conquerors. Fired
by the narrative of Bjarne, who in $50
first visited the coast of North America,
he set out with thirly-fve men in the
year 1000, and discovered Labrador
and Vinland. A few years later he
was sent to Greenland to spread Chris
tianity among the Morse settlements.
He is described by the Sagas as "a
great and strong man, grave and well
favored, Herewith sensible and moder-
ate in all things" No act of piracy or
rapine is recorded of him.
Upon the basis of these records, ii
would seem that the artist is historically
justified in associating a certain degree
of Intellectual and moral force, if not
of actual refinement, with the proper
physical characteristics of her semi
barbaric hero. The burden of proof
lies with those who are disposed to
typify the reputed discoverer of Massa-
chusetts Bay and the islands of Nan.
tucket and Marthas Vineyard as a
Hun or Goth of the third century,
Henry Van Brunt, IN atlantic.