As ancient civilizations began to explore the uncharted lands of the world, the Vikings were pioneers in uncovering the secrets of the unknown. While the Vikings are popularly known for their voyages to North America, many are unaware of their exploration of the Mississippi River. Did the Vikings step foot on the shorelines of the world’s fourth largest river by discharge?
The Mississippi River encompasses much of the center of the United States, stretching from the Great Lakes in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. This river is a major tributary for North America, with its emergence from Lake Itasca, the furthest north river in the US, to the Delta region of Louisiana. With this information, one can easily see why it is so difficult to answer the age old question; did the Vikings navigate the Mississippi River?
There is evidence that the Vikings were indeed in the Mississippi River in the 9th century. In 1960, a stone slab bearing an Scandinavian-style rune inscription was discovered by University of Iowa professor James A. Brown in a deep ravine in the state of Wisconsin, which borders the river. The inscription, which has been carbon-dated to the year 800, reads: “Ninth century Vikings lived and died at this site.” While this evidence is far from conclusive, it does demonstrate that the Vikings were active close to the Mississippi River at the time.
So ultimately, the answer to the question remains unclear. Historians and other experts have different opinions on the matter. Some argue that the mechanics of the Viking boats of that period make it unlikely that the sailors were able to navigate the river. On the other hand, some experts suggest that the Vikings may actually have been familiar with the Mississippi River basin, as archaeologists have unearthed various artifacts in the region believed to have belonged to the Scandinavians.
Regardless of the answer, it is clear that the Vikings were a society of intrepid explorers. They used a combination of early navigation technology, sheer will power and navigational intuition to penetrate far into the unexplored landscapes of the world. Vikings sailed to places no man had sailed before and inspired the later exploration of the world.
Viking Explorers and Colonization Attempts in North America
The Vikings are one of the most persistent, remarkable and daring adventurer-explorers of all time. With no maps and very little navigational knowledge, these brave sailors set out to explore North America more than 1,000 years ago. The estimated two to four thousand Vikings that traveled west of Greenland and reached the Newfoundlands around the year 1000, were enthused by the prospect of discovering a new land filled with wealth and riches.
The Viking explorer, Leif Eriksson is believed to be the first person, who made a journey to North America in 1000. His voyage started off in Greenland and continued to what is now Canada. The Vikings were astounded by the vast populations of walruses, polar bears, and seabirds. Their settlement in Vinland was unsuccessful and was soon abandoned, but the knowledge of their colonization attempt made the Vikings the first short-term inhabitants of North America.
These historic explorations have been reflected in Nordic mythology and literature. In fact, the Icelandic author Snorri Sturluson documented the Vikings’ discoveries of North America, in the poetic sagas of the 13th century. Nowadays, his best-known works, Heimskringla and Prose Edda provide essential foundation to the Viking culture we know today.
That said, we can now come to a conclusion that this epoch-making expedition into the North American continent impacted the Viking culture even more than theRiver’s unexplored secrets.
The hallmark of Viking shipbuilding was its perfection in form, function and detail. The shapes of these ships enabled them to travel long distances in open seas, even under unfavorable weather conditions. The Viking ships were much more advanced than the ships of other civilizations from the same era, because of their great speed, durability, maneuverability and sturdiness. In short, these vessels allowed the Vikings to discover far away places.
The ships were made of either wood or rope and were furnished with long yardarms, either square or triangular sails and oars. Thanks to the shape of the bows and sterns, they were able to penetrate the rivers and fjords. This helped the Vikings to easily navigate the rivers, reach islands and finally land on distant shores. By using these ships, Vikings were also able to avoid rough and hazardous coastline waters, using the rivers as shortcuts to avoid them and arrive to their destinations safe and sound.
The Viking ships were not however able to navigate the deepest parts of large rivers, like the Mississippi. The reason for this is the fact that these ships relied heavily on rowing, which was the chief mode of propulsion. Another issue would be that in some instances, the river was more turbulent than the sea, making it more difficult for them to sail. Thus, the Viking ships of the time, despite their great engineering and capability may have not been suited for navigation of the Mississippi.
Analysis and Insights
The answer to the question at hand, ‘did the Vikings navigate the Mississippi River?’ is still undetermined. The evidence is inconclusive and with the passage of 1,000 years, much of it has not been preserved. However, by looking at the Viking explorations and their building of ships, one can gain a greater understanding of the capabilities of the Vikings during their time.
It is evident that, Vikings were incredible in maneuvering the sea and taking on any river, even though the Mississippi may have been too much for those boats. Their ships enabled them to traverse the rivers and fjords, as well as the open sea which allowed them to thrive in the harsh and unknown territory of North America.
The Vikings also greatly advanced navigation. They had mastered the art of knot making and rope endings, essential knowledge for conquerors of the open water. The exploration of the Vikings is an inspiring story of ambition and courage, showing that anything can be accomplished with will power.
Discussion: Expansion and Exploration by the Viking
The influence the Viking had in colonization and exploration was immense. Through their discoveries, they established communication and trading routes between their home world and new shores. Christianity was also spread throughout their journeys, as many Christian religions were present in the regions where the Vikings arrived.
Additionally, their explorations aided archaeologists uncover new and exciting evidence that was previously unknown, like the discovery of the runic inscription in Wisconsin. As a result, historians have been able to better understand the activity and lifestyle of the Vikings.
The high level of organization of their voyages attributable to the Viking explorations demonstrates their knowledge of navigation and navigation tools. Through their exploration, the Viking have made many remarkable advancements to the field of navigation, allowing for easier methods for steering, rowing speed and handling of both the waves and the strong currents of the streams.
In addition, the Viking explorations helped broaden the trading network of this period and aided in the naming of new places, like Greenland, as they continued to sail farther and farther. Finally, their fearless spirit towards undertaking exploration of unknown lands will forever be a legacy of the Viking culture.
The Viking navigational techniques and the advanced ships they created has heavily influenced the seafaring technology of the modern world. It has been said that the Vikings logs were more accurate than the other navigational techniques available at the time. At the time, the compass and astrolabe were not commonplace and was not in need of sophisticated technology that would later be invented. Instead, the Viking relied heavily on the sun, stars and wind as their guiding tools.
More interestingly, the Vikings had a great understanding of their environment. They knew that birds fly a certain way in certain weather, and the colors of the sky at night can tell the sailors a lot about the conditions of the sea. These observations of nature have helped add to the knowledge of modern day sailors.
The Viking wayfinding technique of utilizing landmarks can be seen today in modern day sailors. This technique has been used to warn sailors of dangerous waters, direct ships in the direction they want them to go as well as pass on new knowledge of areas they are exploring.
It’s evident that the advanced navigation technology used by the Vikings in their explorations has helped inspire modern navigation and communication technology of today. This has allowed us to discover parts of the world that the Vikings perhaps never could have dreamed of, and to keep in contact with family and friends on the other side of the globe.
Conclusion:
Vikings had an immense impact in colonization and exploration, paving the way for a new era of discovery and conquest. While we may never know whether or not the Vikings navigated Mississippi River, their ambiance spirit in exploration has been intertwined with the navigation techniques used by civilizations today. The Viking navigational techniques have heavily influenced the seafaring technology of the modern world, making them one of the most remarkable and daring explorers of all time.
