The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-17
THE EARLY VIKINGS.
Claim that They Founded the Civil
iznfi0n I'm EurODe.


Claim that They Founded the Civil
izntion I'm Europe.
Paul du Chaillu, in Boston Transcript.
All ancient history to prove valuable, has
to be tested by the monuments. Otherwise
legends and myths take the place OF his
tory.
We know where the Romans have been
from the monuments they have left behind
we know that they settled in Gaul, Brit
ain, Germania, Belgae, Freisland and other
countries. The same rule applies to other
ancient empires. So the so-called earlier
history of Great Britain has to be tested
by archaeology to see if it is correct. The
Sagas and the description they gave OF
weapons, funerals, ships, ETC., of the Morse
men have to be tested in the same manner
The same test applies to the seafaring
tribes known to the Roman as Sueones.
Saxones and Franci. We will test the &C
curacy of their account Of these tribes and
of their home by the monuments they have
left behind them. Let us proclaim that the
seafaring tribes mentioned by the Romans
were Norsemen and that Britain was set
tied and conquered by Norsemen. Let our
challenge go far and wide, even across the
Atlantic, and reach every institution OF
learning every university and every his
tor1an and Archaeological. Let us say TO
them all
We maintain that the Roman records de-
faring tribes they dreaded so much as civ
ing in the ocean itself on the farthest shores
of the sea- that they did not mean the
for both were under their sway. Neither
did they mean the mouth of the Elbe, but
meant simply what they said. We assert
that no country corresponds to their de-
Scr1pt1on except the present Scandinavia
and the islands of the Baltic; but let us
also say that our assertion would be of no
value unless corroborated by the evidence
OF the monument these seafaring tribes
have left behind them That it is from these
Greek and Roman nations were flourish
ing. the Norsemen had also a civilization Of
their own. That it is only in Denmark
NORWAY Sweden
Baltic, or the ancient Morse lands, that
We find monuments in the shape of graves
and antiquities, showing that there existed
during the Roman period dense, warlike,
seafaring, rich population. That in these
graves and other places is found large
number of beautiful Roman and Greek OBJ
Jects of bronze and exquisite glass beauti-
full objects of gold and silver dana IS
coins of gold and silver. which represent
every Roman Emperor from the time of
Augustus. 20 B. c. to a A. D. We defy
such a number of graves belonging to the
land by archaeoiogists or historians Angle.
Anglo-Ronan and Anglo-SaXon, and In
France Frankish, are nothing else. but
Morse antiquities. found in Morse lands in
far greater number. Also, that the graves
called by them by the same names are ex-
and contain the same objects or those of
the same type, and we challenge them to
show us the land of the Saxons and of the
ANGLES.
We proclaim that there are graves in
England with these antiquities which tel
that the Norsemen had settled in Britain
almost three hundred years before the
mythical landing of Hengist and Horsa, and
thus showing this landing to be myth:
The names of Hengist and Horsa should
themselves show the mythical character of
We assert that the antiquities found in
a cemetery by the shores of River Cam.
in England, with Roman coins of Trajanus,
Hadrianus, Faustina, Marcus Auralius are
soAxv fv,
there, and belonging to that period called
the middle iron age by scandinavian archae-
ologists.
We maintain that there are no proofs
whatever that there seafaring tribes called
by the later Romans Saxons called them
selves by that name, and assert that the
Saxons were not a seafaring people dur
ing Charlemagne times though three hun
dred years had hardly elapsed since the fall
history of any nation looking entirely the
hereditary character of the race in such a
short space of time. Consequently that the
Saxons had never been a seafaring peo-
pie. We go further and declare that there
is nothing at the mouth of the EIbe to show
that the country had been settled by dense
population during any period of the Roman
empire.
it does to-day in the Scandinavian lands,
fat, grassy lands, and that there are many
places called to-day in Scandinavia, En-
gland.
The ground we take and the assertions
we make might easily fall to pieces by
proofs. and we will bow before them when
they are shown to us. / have not been able
to find these proofs though have explored
the country supposed to have been the home
of the so-called Saxon by English his
torians.
But before concluding let me say that it
would be contrary to all facts and prece-
dents of history if few of early Morse
graves were not found on the shores of the
North sea. and in the present France and
other countries, for Norsemen. like the peo-
pie of to-day, died during their expeditions
or early settlements and were buried &C
cording to the customs OF their country.
In regard to language let US have some
thing definite, but say beforehand that the
retaining or dropping of the definite article
Is no proof whatever that. on that account
the languages are not derived from the
same source. The French have a definite
article. and that is no reason why most of
their words are not derived from the Latin.
We assert that the so-called common law
had its birth in the Jurisprudence of the
Norsemen and antedateS any historical rec
ord of England Ex-Chief Justice Charles p
great erudition, in discourse, last year on
this common law before the law students oil
the University of the City of New York,
takes also that view. When come to the
graves the similarity is undeniable, the Gus
tom of the Norsemen or Vikings to bury
their dead, either cremated or unburn ed
with mounds and deposits of jewels, weap-
ons. coins and other objects, is marshaIed
wherever the Viking ships touched. These
graves are strewn by. tens OF thousands in
Scandinavia. they dot every island in the
Baltic and are found with all their char
acteriSticS on the southern shores of the
Baltic on the North sea. as We'll as In
Rrita Gaul, Italy, etc These clearly prove
thar they are Morse Viking graves in
which were deposited the bodies of Morse
or Viking invaders or settlers. Such graves
have been opened in England which are un-
mistakenly those of Norsemen, though given
under the name of Anglo-Saxon by the cur
rent archaeology