Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1912-11-14

Eric the Red -
was a Viking; ERIC THE RED
chief of band of sea robbers and all
around ruffians, whom he held in
check by brutality even greater than
thei: own. He was born in Norway
about $50 A. D., and was the son of
Jari, or Earl. In the intervals between
his voyages off piracy he huled
group of barren farms and fed at his
table a throng of hard drinking, loud
voiced Vikings who had sworn al
legiance to him.
Laws were few in that land, and age
of violence. Human life was cheap.
Yet Uric committed a murder so re-
Voting as to shock even the hardened
Norsemen. To save his own life he
was forced to flee from the country.
With his followers he sailed to Ice
land. There he established a new
home. But his stay was brief. His
loodthirsty yearnings would not con-
form to any law, and in 984 he fled
once more for his life, after second
murder.
Homeless, an outlaw, a price on his
head, Eric the Red sought for head
quarters far enough from civilization
to make a safe abiding place for him.
He and his men secured the northern
seas in their serpent-prowed galleys,
until at last, after doubling Cape Fare
well, they catle upon a vast tract Of
ground covered with high green grass,
on which thousands of reindeer were
feeding Here Eric landed and found
ed a city. He named the country
Greenland" Rumors Of its where
abouts had come to him from another
| Viking.
Nor was Greenland the only strange
country of which wandering Vikings
had told Eric. These sea robbers
in their restless journeys in search of
plumber were often swept out Of all
known routes by storms. More than
one survivor Of such voyages had
spoken Of having sighted a great land
far to the westward.
Eric was uncertain how long Green
land might prove a safe asylum for
him, and he was ever eager to find
new haunts for loot and pillage. So
he decided to explore this strange
westward country and establish col
ony there. In the year 1000 A. D., or
thereabouts, he babe his son Lief to
join in the expedition.
Lief was wellnigh as fiery and brutal
as his father, but he had many finer
qualities as well. He was high in the
service Of King Olaf Of Norway and
was known as 1.-THE Kings Guards
man." His constant good fortune had
also won for him the nickname OF
"Lief the Lucky" Like the rest OF
King Olafs court, he had embraced
Christianity, forswearing the heather
Morse gods and forcing his followers
to do the same. Eric was furious al
his sons conversion. A fierce quar-
rel arose between the two, but theil
differences were at last patched III
and they made ready for their join
voyage of discovery.
AS the Vikings fastened down to the
waiting ships Eric rode at their head
His horse, according to the story
stumbled and threw him just as they
reached the waters edge. To Eric'i
superstitious mind this seemed al
omen of disaster. He refused to q
on the expedition and sent Lief as 1T
commander. This filled the Viking
with joy, for they hated Eric and love-
his gallant son.
After a long sail westward Lie
came to a gloomy, cloud-wrapped coun
try (probably Newfeundland) ant
sailed southwark, looking for less fol
bidding shores. He found them. H
is supposed to have landed somewher
: along the southeastern New Englan
coast. The place seemed a paradis
to these mon from the bleak north
The soil was rich and verdant VIII
} grapes grew everywhere. Lief, b.
cause Of the multitude of grapes, cal
ed the country 'Vinland," or "Wint
land"
r Here he is supposed to have fount
ed a colony before carrying back t
n Greenland the news % his wonderfr
o discovery. Other Morse colonies ar
believed to have followed biz 70 Me-
IuTlarI hut IA iii. iarA end T. eir ser