, 1925-01-28

history about Iceland and Green
land. They told US that twelve hun
dred years ago-seven centuries be
fore Columbus was born-Irish her
mits founded a colony in Iceland.
After them came the vikings. sons
Of the ford as their name
Invoking the blessing OF Wodan, god
Of tho fos and of tho storms. they
sailed west from Scandinavia until
their dragon proved keels grounded
on the shores OF a new land in the
far north. They had sailed away
from Norway to set away from King
Harold Fairhair. All of them were
picked men. and. together with their
wives ami children, they formed a
colony of more than 10000 hardy
Norsemen, and we're the ancestors or
the modern Icelanders. Their sheep
and cattle nourished. they raised
hay, and their boats carried on a
trade with Norway, Denmark. and
the British Isles.
They even developed a literature
Of singular beauty and richness,
which antedated the literature of
France. Germany and England It
is through this literature. which in
cludss a asst quantity of authentic
history. that we learn how one OF the
Morse settlers in Iceland was driven
across TO Greenland in a storm. He
and his men survived the winter and
got back home the following spring
when the ice broke up. That was
about the year a. D. SIC. But IL
was not until a hundred years later
that Erik. for whom I am named,
spent three years sailing In and out
Of tho fiords along the Greenland
coast, and even decided to establish
a colony at the southern end OF the
island, at the head of a great ford.
where he discovered a fertile plain.
Morse Hardy Explorers.
1t was this Morse explorer who
called the new country Greenland
and he did so merely in order TO lure
other Norsemen into settling there
So Erik the Red was the first man
to introduce modern advertising no
kun into the selling Of real estate
in the western hemisphere a profes
sion that has grown considerably
since his day. But It took nerve to
this island of the arctic Green.
land and If Erik ths Red were liv-
ing today I have no doubt but what
he would be a promoter at Miami or
Los Angeles,
AT any rate, when Erik the Red
returned to Iceland he painted
Greenland in such vivid colors that
two score and five shiploads of set.
tiers set sail with him. Just what
they said to the discoverer of Green.
land when they saw his icy noun
tains the old sagas do not tell. But
eleven of the ships struck icebergs
and went down before reaching the
new land.
For four hundred years the
Norsemen had their colonies on
Greenland, and It is estimated that
more than five thousand Of them
lived there. The remains of their
towns may still be seen. II was
during this time hat q viking named
Bjarni got lost at sea in foggy
weather and Failed for many days
without knowing his bearings. At
last he came TO a land where there
were nc mountains or glaciers. But
1t was not the Greenland he was
looking for. SO he turned north and
at last found the colonies OF his
countrymen.
Tho story OF Bjarni's a~ventures
excited the curiosity OF Left, son of
Erik the Red. Left Erikson was
one Of the most picturesque vikings
Of his day and one of the few whom
Roman missionary priests in Nor
way had converted from the bolster,
GUS wassail Of Valhalla TO Chris
Leifr var mikiIl madhr ok
sterkr. mamma skoruligastr az STA.