Happy Leif Erikson Day!

[Uruk-Hai]

Funny indeed, inspired by the Happy Columbos Day thread I wondered whether there is a Leif Erikson Day or not. And it turns out it is today?

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021008-9.html

http://archaeology.about.com/cs/explorers/a/anseauxmeadows.htm

Cheers and happy Leif Erikson Day to all of you.

 

[bonehead]

Janne,

Ah yes, leave it to a Swede! I do share your contempt for Columbus day. It stems from an ego invested, Euro-centric view of history. Columbus did not discover anything. He just stumbled onto something a lot of people, including Leif Ericson, already knew.

But Leif Ericson is a poser too! Sorry, the Indians (Native Americans) discovered it first. All they had to do was look around, and there it was! Wow, things look so different once you get past that Euro-centric viewpoint!

Cheers!!

Mike

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Well it is now established, beyond any doubt, that vikings where in North America. But that was not the common view about 60years ago, although it was a certain fact in the Scandinavian countries.

The Kensington Stone however is in my opinion a falsefication. Probably by Öberg himself or with some partner.

Worth also is that there are some very strong evidence for visitors before the vikings such as Chinese, Polynesian and Japanese. See the Kennewick Man for example.

But also important as you mention, the native americans were already there.

It was however Columbus who by rediscovering it made the settling in a new country possible. On the other hand the Spanish had more influence in the South America and the south of North America hence it was the English and French who formed the society that would become USA.

Cheers

 

[flart1943]

Hi All
I think chickenpox my have had more to do with the resettlement of America then Columbus.
Pete

 

[bonehead]

Hi All
I think chickenpox my have had more to do with the resettlement of America then Columbus.
Pete

Either way, it was a disaster for the natives whose only crime was being there first.