Straumfjörð

Straumsfjordr is, according to the Erik Saga a bay or fjord or fjord on the north east coast of North America, which was entered in the year 1000 by a Greenlandic - Icelandic expedition in search of Vinland. According to the saga the Norsemen first came after Straumsfjordr after they had left the Furdustrände behind; the expedition wintered at least twice in this place. The actual location of the place is uncertain.

Description of place

According to Eirik's saga RAUDA this place was originally discovered by Thorfinn Karlsefni not from where sea but overland through two runners from the group; it says that in the 5th paragraph of chapter 8:

" Previously, [ that is, before this trip ], as Leif was with King Olaf Tryggvason, and the king then asked him to spread Christianity in Greenland, he gave him two Scottish people; the man named Haki, and the woman called Haekja. The king advised Leif to these people fall back if ever he needed the agility, because these people were faster than wild animals. Erik and Leif had abandoned these people to travel with Karlsefni. Well, after they had sailed to the Furdustränden past, they put the Scots on land, and gave them up to run in the southern regions to look for choice land, and to come back when three half- days had elapsed. They were dressed in such a way that they each wore a garment which they called Biafal. It had a hood above, the sides were open - no sleeves and was fastened between the legs. A button and a loop held it together there; and otherwise they were without clothes. Then they threw the anchor of the ship and were there to wait for them. And after three days had passed, the Scots came jumped out of the country, and one of them had in his hand a grapevine and the other an ear of wild wheat "

From the sea from the place in the 6th paragraph of chapter 8 is described as follows:

" They said to Karlsefni that they have agreed that they have good land for settlement have been found. Then they brought it to their ship and continued their journey to a place where the beach was cut by a conveyor. They controlled the ships in the fjord. It was there also an island that was outside towards the fjord. And there were strong currents around this island around, this is why they Straums -ey [ ie Current or flow island ] called. There were so many birds on her that it was hardly possible to put a foot on it to get to the eggs. They set their promotion up the fort, which they called Straumsfjordr, and brought their cargo to the beach, and taught there for a stay. , They had the animals of all kinds, and for themselves, they looked for fruit in the vicinity. There were mountains and the place was beautiful to look at. "

Inland, there was apparently enough pasture for the cattle carried:

" They paid attention to anything else, except the exploration of the country, and they found large pastures. They stayed there through the winter, which was a hard, with no work that could be done. "

Assumed position of the location

It is not excluded that this place is identical to L' Anse aux Meadows. But talks that during the excavation of this settlement no findings to the presence of other peoples in the same period in the year 1000 indicate. This is consistent with the representation in Erik saga. On the other hand, said to have been found by the runners vines and ears of wild wheat; even the cattle should have found enough food even in winter. This suggests that this place must have further south. As a northern boundary for the growth of wine or similar plants, the area is considered to New Brunswick.

For a more northern localization, however, is the fact that the winter is said to be very hard. Where it is not impossible that this was inserted in order to make the sequence of events on Straums -ey plausible. This would also appear to be in contradiction to the supply situation in terms of cattle.

It is unclear whether it was after the presentation of the Northmen to a part Markland or Vinland. Although Straumsfjordr is referred to elsewhere as part of Vinland, but then the question arises why the settlement project is then not implemented at this point. For an assignment Straumsfjordrs to Vinland speak the specified travel times to Hóp, with the return trip must be have been even longer.