Greenlandic/Icelandic history of 1100’s.
© Johansson Inger E, Gothenburg november 2014 excepts from manuscript Greenland and Greenlanders, the Forgotten people, Johansson Inger E Gothenburg 2000
Nicholas Bergthorsson, Sea between Markland and Vinland mentioned by in Leidarvisir och borgaskipan written in first half 1100′s. One copy was given to the Pope 1134)
Leidarvisir and borgaskipan:
”North of Germany is Denmark. Ocean extending into the Baltic Sea, near Denmark. Sweden is east of Denmark and Norway in the north. North of Norway’s Finnmark.
….
Beyond Greenland, southward, there Helluland and beyond it Markland, from there it is not far to Vinland. which some people think stretching all the way to Africa. England and Scotland is an island but is separate kingdoms. Iceland is a large island to the north of Ireland
and
From Biarmaland northward all the way until you reach Greenland. South of Greenland lies Helluland, then Markland , then it is not far to Vinland the Good. Which some believe extends to Africa. and if that’s true, the sea must extend between Vinland and Markland..…
The Pothurst-Pinning voyage
The last time we hear from the Greenlanders is within the last twenty years before Columbus set sail westward, was the 1477 sailing by Puthurst and Pinning. By that time the Western Settlement had been abounded for over 150 years. The Middle Settlements farms had been abondoned before the monastery’s Annal was taken away in 1477. On a few maps there seems to be a harbor on a small island south of Eastern Settlement.
It might interst more than a few to know more about the Puthurst-Pinning´s sailing. Their ships set sail in 1477. They sailed on behalf of the Danish King (at that time also King in Norway as well as on paper in Sweden). Documents show that at least two persons close to Columbus participated in the voyage over the Atlantic after the ships reached Iceland:
Columbus brother as well as Cortez-Real. It’s been discussed by scholars if Columbus himself was on board on one of the ships. There is a certain Joan Colom/ Johan Scholvus mentioned in contempary sources. Same person is in one handwritten source called Johan Bonde. He has never been identified.
Winddriven to mainland winter 1477/78
When Pothurst and Pinnings sailed to Greenland 1477 their voyage in Greenlandic water ended on their way to the Western Settlement. They were winddriven to mainland (!) south Greenland and had to stay the winter 1477/78. According to documentation some notes and a handwritten view of the place where they had to stay building a house and a windmill(!) it’s highly likely that the winter was spent in Labrador. There also exist indirect information in sources for a contact in 1490′s as well as one in 1510′s and the last document dealing with sailing to dioceses in NA under Gardar See (Greenland) talks about a ship sailing in 1522 among the cargo was Holy Items sent by the Pope, But in that case we only have indirect information from Papal documents. Not remaining source from sailings after passing an Atlantic Iceland.
For more information please read a short article of mine: Greenland history from Leif Eriksson to Ivar Bardson where you also may find more Prime sources mentioned.