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EA-Greenland-Svalbard, General

(William Thalbtizer)

(Translated from the Danish

by Karin Fennow)

THE VOYAGE OF POWELL KNUTSSON

       

A Lost Expedition to Greenland — and Markland?

        A rarely mentioned Greenland expedition, which had no scientific purpose

but which was undertaken in honor of the Cross, was once launched by Magnus

Eriksson (called "Smok"), the first king of the union of Sweden and Norway

(1319-1355). King Magnus' "Letter of Command" regarding this expedition is

dated in the year 1354. His order is extant in writing, although now only in

a late copy, in which the order has been translated from Old Swedish to older

Danish. The copy of the diploma is in the Royal Danish Library in Copenhagen,

and has been reproduced in Part III of Grønlands historiske Mindesm ae æ rker (pp.

121-122). Following is a somewhat revised version in English translation (with

comments):

        "King Magni Letter of Command [ befalingsbrev ] given Powell Knutsson at

Anarm [i.e., Onarheim ] ordering him to sail to Greenland.

        "Magnus, by the Grace of God King of Norway, Sweden and Skone [Skåne, now

Skåne Province of Sweden] sends to all men who see or hear this letter God's

Health and Spirit.

        "We want you to know that you [Powell Knutsson] are to take with you all

such men as are willing to journey in the knarr [ship] — whether they are called

[ n ae æ vnte ] or not called — from among all my henchmen or other men's retainers,

and other men whom you can persuade to go along; for Powell Knutsson, whi is to

be commander of the knarr , 1 / has full authority to appoint both as officers and 1. O.N. knörr , a kind of ship, the royal trading vessel.

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EA-Greenland-Svalbard, General. Thalbitzer (Fennow): Voyage of Powell Knutsson

subordinates [ mesterm ae æ nd oc sv ae æ nne ] those men he likes best; we request you

to accept this order with right good will for the cause, that we do this in

God's honor and for the sake of our souls and for our forefathers, who brought

Christendom to Greenland and maintained it to this day, and it shall not fall

away in our time . Know that whoever disobeys our order shall feel our true

wrath and shall be held responsible for breach of the letter [fined for trans–

gression].

        "Done in Bergen the Monday after Simoni and Judae day [28 October] in the

36th year of our reign [ [ ?] 1354]. Here örmer östinsson, our Keeper of the Seal

[ drott sa ŝâ ter , drost — Lord Chamberlain] affixed the seal."

        This is a remarkable document. Powell Knutsson was one of the king's high

officials. In 1345 he had been delegate in Bergen for the king's mother, Duchess

Ingeborg, and in 1347-48 he was lovsigemand [law speaker] at Gulathing [parlia–

ment, assizes]. He was one of Norway's leading men — and now in glorious and

inviting terms King Magnus delegates to him the position as commander of a great

missionary expedition to Greenland. It appears that the king desires Powell

Knutsson to select choice men from the retinue ("my henchmen"); he is even to

address himself first and foremost to the specially recommended or "called" men,

who cannot easily ignore the royal wish; but otherwise he is to have free choice

in the selection of his companions.

        The purpose of the expedition is on the highest plane, and can best be

understood against the background of those crusade-like expeditions which King

Magnus had led into Russia in previous years (1347-1348 ) and 1351) in order to

force upon the Russians conversion to the Roman Catholic faith. That was an

enterprise which cost millions, but which unfortunately led only to Sweden's

defeat. At approximately the same time the "black death" plague raged across

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EA-Greenland-Svalbard, General. Thalbitzer (Fennow): Voyage of Powell Knutsson

Norway, and further impoverished the land. In 1350 the king appealed to Pope

Clement VI, who half a year later sent an encouraging reply. The Pope decreed

that a holy crusade was to be sent out from both Germany and Poland and the

Scandinavian countries against Russia, and he offered Magnus a large loan out

of all the tithes forthcoming in the next four years from Sweden-Norway and ad–

jacent dependencies. However, after the revenues poured into the king's treasury

in 1351, the spread of the black death to Russia prevented the last Russian

crusade from being carried through. The king, who had now acquired ample means,

then turns to the west instead of to the east; he decides on the missionary ex–

pedition to Greenland. Presumably, King Magnus had often thought of such an

expedition before.

        "Christendom shall not fall away in Greenland." Up there, Christendom

was also threatened, by the heathen Skraelinger (Eskimos) who in the preceding

years had come down from the north to the Western Colony time and again, perhaps

only for the purpose of re-occupying the hunting grounds in the South Greenland

fjords which they had formerly visited and which were better than those in the

central part of the west coast. But thereby the Eskimos involuntarily came into

conflict with the Icelandic farmer inhabitants of the settlements, and when they

came down from the north the Western Colony was the first to be affected.

        In Historia Norwegiae , which was written in 1250 or thereafter, 2 / we find

early references to skirmishes with Eskimos in the northern settlements on the

west coast. A century later the Eskimos have moved in on the colonists, and

already appear to have displaced the latter in the most northerly regions. We

are told about this by Ivar Bårdsson , the Norwegian priest who was himself born 2. See Gustav Storm: Monumenta historica Norwegicae . Christiania, 1888.

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EA-Greenland, Svalbard, General. Thalbitzer (Fennow), Voyage of Powell Knutsson

in Greenland and who for about 27 years, beginning in 1341, functioned as

deputy for the bishop at the Gardar Cathedral during the lengthy episcopal

interregnum there. His words are recorded in translation in a short work, a

14th century description of Greenland, which begins as follows: Så siger vise

m ae æ nd, som fødte ehre udi Grønland [Thus say wise men who were born in Greenland],

etc. This work has frequently been commented upon. 3 / In the present article we

will confine ourselves to citing a passage from the latter part of the work (in

English translation):

        "Furthermore, all this that has been said above was told to us by Iffver

Bardsen [ [ ?] Ivar Bårdeson], Greenlander [Grønlaender — here used more or less

as part of the man's name], who was head of the Bishop's Seat in Gardum on Green–

land for many years. He said that he had witnessed all of it, and he was one

of those appointed by the Law Lord [ Lagmand ] to set forth to the Western Colony

against the Skr ae æ llings [Eskimoe] in order to drive them out of the colony. And

when they came there they found no men, neither Christian nor heathen, but only

some wild cattle and sheep. And they fed on the wild cattle and [ ?] took

with them as many cattle as the ship could hold, and so they sailed back home

to the Eastern Colony. And the above-mentioned Iffver was with them."

        Accordingly, Ivar Bårdsson found the Western Colony deserted; only some

freely roaming cattle were to be seen. That was presumably in the summer of

1342. The fact that Ivar did not meet a single person — not even women or

children — could indicate that the region (as far as he explored it) had been 3. Grønlands historiske Mindesm ae æ rker, III. pp. 886-889. Kiöbenhavn, 1845.

Finnur Jonsson: Det gamle Gronlands Beskrivelse af Ivar Baro t arson (Ivar

Bardsson). Köbenhavn, 1930.

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EA-Greenland-Svalbard, General. Thalbitzer (Fennow), Voyage of Powell Knutsson

voluntarily evacuated by the Icelandic colonial farmers and their families —

without violent pressure on the part of the Eskimos.

        Another Icelandic story, which refers to an occurrence in the Western Colony

the same year, would agree with the above, but the only extant copy is of a much

later date, 1637 (rendered from Latin in English, below):

       

From Grønlands annaler :

        "In 1342 the inhabitants of Greenland abandoned the true faith and the

Christian religion; and after they had discarded all good habits and true virtues

they turned toward America's savage people. There are some who believe that

Greenland lies rather close to the western regions of the world. Thus it followed

that Christians began to keep away from the Greenland waters...." 4 /

        Here it is regretfully stated that the Icelandic members of the Western

Colony had left the Christian community about 200 years earlier, and had emigrated

to the heathen folk, the Skraellings , on the other side of the ocean, in Markland

or Vin o land. [But the copy is so much later than the original that the modern

name of America has been employed instead of Markland and Vinland.] They must

have done this in the hope of encountering fellow-countrymen or their descend–

ants over there in America. Just as the earlier Icelanders had succumbed to the

lure of Greenland in the days of Erik the Red, these men were also tempted by

beautiful names like "Vinland the Good" and "Markland" [the latter means wood–

land]. They counted, perhaps, on meeting traders from the settlements, who

through the years — possibly still — voyaged to those coasts which were memor–

4. Grønlands historiske Mindesm ae æ rker , III. p. 459, etc.

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EA-Greenland-Svalbard, General. Thalbitzer (Fennow), Voyage of Powell Knutsson

able since the says of Lief and Karlsefni. 5 / I have pointed out that rare fur

products reached Europe in the Middle Ages, coming from America over Greenland.

The Norsemen in Greenland had their own vessels in which they were able to

undertake long journeys to remote parts of Greenland and to America. They were

often in America, hunting and trading. 6 /

        Not much news sifted out of Greenland. Perhaps the Greenlanders found it

most prudent not to reveal the source of their valuables. But in 1347 a Green–

landic ship that had been in Markland happened to be driven to Iceland by storms,

with a crew of 17 on board and a missing anchor. It ran into Strømfjord (on

the south side of Snaefellsnaes) — and surely it must have attracted attention!

Never in man's memory had a ship come to Iceland direct from Markland. For what

reason had that ship been in Markland? Was there any connection with uncertain

conditions in Greenland? Were there, perhaps, refugees from the Western Colony

on board? Undoubtedly, the Greenlanders brought sensational news. The leading

Icelandic politician of the time, Jon Guttormsøn, member of a rich and respected

family, got in touch with them [he was in bad grace with the Norwegian king at

the time and needed political support, which might possibly be obtained in this

way]; consewuently, in the following year 1348 he journeyed to Norway along with

these Greenlandic traders, and visited the king's court. King Magnus had just

recently donated a large sum of money to the cathedral in Greenland, and had in 5. The Norwegian historian, P. A. Munch, supposed that these people from Green–

land could have been in personal contact with their emigrant fellow-country–

men in Markland. Det norske Folks Historie. Unionsperioden , I. p. 314. 6. W. Thalbitzer, Nordboerne ved Upernavik. Det Gro n landske Selskabs årsskrift ,

1945. pp. 37-38. of. Meddelelser om Grønland , Vol. 39. 1914. p. 693.

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EA-Greenland-Svalbard, General. Thalbitzer (Fennow), Voyage of Powell Knutsson

various ways evidenced his interest in Greenland. The knörr had returned

from the Greenland expedition the previous year with an exceptionally valuable

cargo in her hold. 7 / The reports of these travelers from Markland on conditions

in the Western Colony surely gave the king food for thought, worried as he was

about the fate of the Christian church in the east and west.

        But now a catastrophe struck — the black death broke out all over the

northern countries. In those years it spread out from Asia across Europe, and

threatened to wipe out entire nations. Even in sparsely settled Norway and

Sweden it wrested away nearly a third of the population. Iceland and Greenland (?)

alone seem to have escaped. 8 /

        The arrival of the Markland ship in Norway in 1348, prior to the outbreak

of the plague, undoubtedly had certain results. The old traditions regarding

Greenland and Vinland had always been kept up both in Iceland and in Norway.

Now the relationship with America at once became very much alive again.

        Unfortunately, our sources from the years immediately preceding and immed–

iately following 1347 are very scanty. Neither annals nor other documents state

what kind of goods or new information the crew of the Markland ship brought in.

It is probable that Greenland, the Eskimos' attacks, etc., must have made a deep

impression.

        The years passed. In the period following 1350 the King of Norway and

Sweden was so hard pressed by his obligations to the Pope (among other things

the mortgage on Skåne) that it was logical — after the unsuccessful and costly 7. Knörr (plural knerrir ), in Dan. knarr , was the Old Icelandic name for a

type of large ship, different from and smaller than the langskip (long ship,

used in warfare) or skeid. According to the old Icelandic annals the knörr

had returned with "exceedingly much goods." 8. See report in the Icelandic Annals (year 1349), Grønlands historiske Mindes–

m ae æ rker , III. 1845. pp. 15-19.

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Russian crusades — for him to turn westward with an expedition to "the rich

Greenland." His knörr usually returned home with valuable cargoes, and tithes

came in from the colonies there in the form of costly furs and ivory (walrus

teeth). To be sure, Christendom was not to "fall away" in Greenland — there

riches, power and honor were to be acquired! King Magnus had arrived at the

great crisis of his life. In 1350 (the annals relate) King Magnus and Queen

Blanche came to Bergen, and the king then gave Sweden to his son Erik, and Nor–

way to Haakon, and with high ceremony placed them on the throne, and decreed

that they should have a retinue; but for himself he retained Haalogoland, Ice–

land, the Faroe Islands and Hjaltland [for his own disposal]. There is no men–

tion of Greenland, but it was usually combined with Iceland. A great decision

had been made, and the plan was to be put into practice within five years. It

meant the dissolution of the union.

        But a plan for a crusade to Greenland provided a solution, a remedy. Out

there lay a road to salvation! Inside of five months the plan matured — and,

as we have seen, the orders were issued.

        This expedition to Greenland was of course carried out in accordance with

the royal orders; there are no grounds for doubting that. It is impossible to

determine how many men, "called or not called," responded to Powell Knutsson's

appeal for support; but, considering the times, it is probable that a consider–

able group of young men in the king's service — both from Norway and from Sweden —

were willing to set forth on the adventure. The upplandske m ae æ nd [men from Upp–

land, Sweden] were responsbble for placing Magnus on the throne of Norway [see

Erikskrøniken], and the king was on the best of terms with the Göter 9 / [Gothlanders,

of East and West Götaland, Sweden]. But the Norwegians had the best understanding 9. A. Tavanger. Norges Historie (1319-1442), III. Oslo, 1915. p. 10.

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of Greenland as the gateway to a greater world; consequently, major support

would come from Norway. The knörr was too small a vessel to accommodate all

the members of the expedition; presumably one or more ships were made available.

        The outcome of the expedition is a matter of conjecture. In the Greenland

settlements the men of the Powell Knutsson expedition must have obtained veri–

fication of the reports received in Norway from the Markland ship of 1347, and

they must also have acquired new information. There is nothing that can lead

us to believe that those men settled down in the Greenland colonies. They

learned what had happened to the families that had left the Western Colony, and

Powell Knutsson adhered to the spirit of the king's letter of Command and with

the help of his followers set out in search of the emigrants along the old south–

western route. Guided, perhaps, by a man who knew the way, they may first have

visited Markland and Vinland. From there they may have gone forth to meet their

fate in the great unknown land in the west, never to return.

       

William Thalbitzer

       

[Translated from the Danish

by Karin Fennow]