Vinland - Land of Dreams and Salvation

[Sarthak]

History of Vinland Volume 1 (Original Edition) circa 1824
Sir David Johnson.


1004 AD
The Nordic countries are separated into two factions. The Christians and Norse. Once, the bastion of Germanic Paganism, Scandinavian ruling dynasties had converted to Christianity and adopted them as state religion. Pagans were being baptized day by day and night by night. Pagans were being beaten in the streets, mocked for their religion by the new zealous Christians. Catholic priests did nothing to uplift the wounding pagan population despite their claims of being all-forgiving and peace loving. The irony was not lost on the pagans. However, it was becoming increasingly evident, that paganism in Scandinavia was dying, and fast.

Pagan men and women realized that their future in Scandinavia looked bleaker and bleaker everyday. So when news filtered into Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland that a man named Leif Erikkson wanted families to settle into a far flung land devoid of any European presence, hundreds and thousands of pagans flocked to him. By 1005 AD, almost all of these families had reached Iceland to meet with Leif Erikson and pledge their support to his expedition. Leif was astounded by the amount of people he had received to settle the place he called Vinland. He was a pagan himself, but did not mind Christians as long as they did not question his faith, so Leif could understand the plight of many of the people seeking to settle Vinland.

The Pope in Rome laughed at these people. A grand exodus of about 80,000 men from all across Scandinavia and the few pockets of land in Germany where Norse paganism still lived were about to leave for Vinland in 1006 AD. The pope called them heretics and called out saying "Beyond the Great Ocean, is nothing but the edge of the world. You fall to your deaths, heretics, because that is what you deserve!"

Pope John XVIII's words would prove to be wrong. On May 18th, 1006 AD, 78,561 pagan believers left from Iceland, The Faroe islands and the Hebrides. This event was called the 'Mass Exodus' in Europe.

By 1008 AD, almost all of the people had arrived in modern day Newfoundland. They set up a town named Leifthorp (Leif's Town) in what is modern day St. Johns. They settled down there, renounced all ties to Europe and called themselves Vinlandians or Vinlanders. The people and families of the new settlement pestered Leif to become King of Vinland but he was reluctant, not wishing to be a monarch. He was an explorer at heart, and administrative duties were not a good quality of his. However, the people were insistent, so he cut a compromise. His son, Thorgils, had come with him to Vinland, and he would become king of Vinland. The people also pushed for the formal founding of House Erikson. Under the pressure of the people, Leif agreed. On April 9th, 1008 AD, the Kingdom of Vinland was proclaimed to all the new citizens of the kingdom with Thorgil becoming king and the establishment of House Erikson as the ruling family of Vinland. 20 of the richest Pagan families were elevated to nobility status as Jarls.

Of course, Vinland right now was a single sprawling city and the need to expand grew. With a small army raised the Vinlanders started to clash with the native Beothuk population. By 1019, the entire island of modern day Newfoundland had been settled with Leifthorp remaining the capital and other two prominent settlements, Vinfjord (Modern day Corner Brook) and Olaffjord (modern day Stoneville). The local Beothuk population was allowed to remain if they accepted to be citizens of Vinland and learn Norse language as a second language. The Norse were sympathetic to the Beothuk knowing that their native homes were being seized by them. Remembering how their religion was seized from them, they could relate, so Beothuk tribesmen and women became integral parts of Vinlandian society with tribe leaders and their families being elevated to Jarls.

By 1020, a problem arose. Among the many middle class settlers in Vinland, most were former slaves and few slaves existed. The older richer families who had come with them wanted slavery as a material economic belief to provide for the people. But the population could not sustain slavery as a whole. In 1020, Thorgil abolished slavery as a practice but allowed paid laborers to be hired for household work. This was believed to be a suitable middle ground and indeed it was. Society thrived in the fledgling country and in 1022, Leif Erikson died. He was mourned throughout Vinland as the father of the nation. A crypt was constructed in Leifthorp called the 'Vinland Royal Crypts' where his body was buried.

After 1022 AD, Vinland mostly went through an era of peace and prosperity. The terrain was rough and mountainous but, towards the beaches and meadows, the men were able to cultivate farms. Slowly the population grew. Beothuk people were fascinated by the amount of knowledge the former Europeans had brought with them. Even medieval Europe was still more advanced than medieval Native America. In 1034, King Thorgil died of stroke and was succeeded by his grandson, King Thorgil II of House Erikson. Thorgil I's body was buried in the Royal Crypt alongside his father's.

Through independent traders and merchants, Vinland kept in contact with Europe creating a trade route from Vinland to Greenland to Iceland and to mainland Europe. Of course by the time, news from Europe filtered into Vinland, they would be outdated, but at least they got the information and day to day knowings of Europe and the old world. By 1050, the population was prospering and many Beothuk and Norse had intermarried as well creating a whole new race which future historians would un-creatively named "Vinland Race."

In 1053, after almost half a century of peace and prosperity and the population having reached well over 100,000, the Jarls and advisers of Thorgil II were looking forward to exploring new lands in the new continent that their founding father had found years ago. From the upper most tip of the island they could see the continent and were willing to try and settle it like they had done to Vinland. However Thorgil II rejected this idea rebuffing them and stating that they needed to have a more stable society and prolonged prosperity to try and settle outside lands. His Beothuk subjects agreed with him. However Thorgil II allowed exploration expeditions to happen within 200 miles of Vinland to map out the area.

In 1060, Thorgil II abdicated the throne to his son Thorkell and retired into a small hut outside of LeifThorp stating that he wished to lived the remainder of his life in quiet and solitude. Thorkell was an ambitious man and he knew that in order for Vinland to survive he needed unity among the people, with most still stuck in many aspects in their Icelandic, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish , Finnish and Germanic roots. So he began pouring gold into creating a massive monument designed to unite his people under the fervor of nationalism. HE began the construction of The Vinland Monument in LeifThorp. A giant wall of stone with carvings showing the prosecution of pagans in Europe, then coming to Leif answering his call for settlers. It then depicted the harsh journey across the ocean. The founding of LeifThorp. The crowning of Thorgil. The expansion into the island and the agreement between the Beothuk leader and Thorgil ending the Vinland-Beothuk Wars. The giant monument was completed in 1062 on the northern side of the city overlooking the sea indicating the original roots of Vinland. Thorkell's idea worked. The monument inspired nationalism into his subjects, particularly into the second generation and third general subjects of his kingdom who had only heard stories of their old Germanic roots and had not actually felt and experienced it.

In 1069, Thorkell ran aground into a problem. Most of the population was illiterate. The higher class of Jarls and the nobility were literate but the majority of the population was not. In a society made to assimilate the vast amount of cultures, this could not stand, as linguistic accents and differences could tear them apart in the future. So Thorkell started baby steps ahead to make his populace more literate. He introduced the Learning Centers in LeifThorp for the common people in the city. Slowly these Learning Centers expanded into the other cities and towns of the country. By the time of his death in 1081, most of the new generations of his kingdom were literate. Upon his death, he gained the moniker Thorkell I the Reformer.

He was succeeded by his grandson, Leif II (Leif Erikson was considered Leif I by the populace). Leif in 1097 rescinded his predecessorsplan on colonizing the main continent. Much of the coastlines had been mapped in exploration expeditions and he gave the g ahead green signal for the newly founded Vinland Exploration Committee to start plans on colonizing the northern coast just on the upper side of the island which the native Vinlanders called Noror Vinland (North Vinland).

By 1100 small settlements had been made in the coast.

And thus ends the first chapter of Vinland history. A tale about a whole new society fleeing a continent to avoid persecution of their faith. A society that was evolving and creating an imprint of it's own in society.

 

[RedBeret]

Oooh, this definitely looks interesting! Watched, I'm excited to see where this goes in the future.

 

[Some Bloke]

There is some limited trading, so it's only a matter of time before European monarchs start showing an interest.

 

[altwere]

This looks interesting

 

[Sarthak]

Chapter 2 - The 12th Century The Era of Settlement

The 12th Century in Vinland is known to be The Era of Settlement. Throughout the century they would settle all across north America. In 1105, for the first time in Vinland history, a Vinlandian Monarch was killed. In Noror Vinland Vinlandians who had by now started to adopt the term Vinnish to called themselves, encountered natives that were not as friendly as the Beothuk. These natives plundered their settlements. Raided them, killed them, raped the women and stole the children. Leif II was furious. He led an army of 1500 across the straits to Noror Vinland and hit the natives in a battle. The resulting Battle of Norfjord (modern day Mary's Harbor) was seen as a crucial victory as the natives were pushed inland. However Leif had been struck by an arrow right into his chest that had punctured his lungs. He only had a daughter named Eerika, and feared that the more power hungry Jarls would try to seize the throne and make the country erupt into civil war. As a last wish, he ordered the male succession dead and announced that the eldest child of the reigning monarch, irrespective of gender, would be the heir to the kingdom. His most trusted friend, General Dustin affirmed his wishes and Leif died on the fields of Norfjord surrounded by his army. His body was lead in a procession back to Leifthorp and buried. As per his wishes, his daughter Eerika became Queen Eerika I of Vinland. A scribe who went by the name of Egil had written the last testimony and will of Leif and had presented it to Eerika.

"I am King Leif the Second of The Kingdom of Vinland. Patron of the Aesir and Vanir on Midgard. Friend of Beothuk and Ruler of Vinland and its subjects. I lay here dying from my wounds. I ask this from you as my last wish, my men. We Norse practiced a tradition of male succession on the throne regardless of age of other children in the monarch's family. But no more. As my last wish, I denounce the male succession and announce, that the eldest child of the monarch, from here henceforth in the House of Erikson, and any other House that may come to rule Vinland, regardless of Gender shall become the heir of the Kingdom of Vinland. May Forseti, the god of truth, honor and justice hear my plea and lord Odin seal my declaration. This is the last wish of your monarch!"

Eerika had been so touched by it that she elevated Egil to become Jarl of Norfjord. As a female, she knew that women were inherently looked down upon in society, though the discrimination was slightly less than how the Christians treated their women. She wanted women to have the same privileges that men had in society. However the more conservative nobles, which was basically most of them, opposed her, already embittered that a female had usurped the throne. So Eerika made baby steps. She allowed women to join the exploration expeditions. In 1114, she allowed women who were willing to become members of the Vinnish Royal Army. However, even these baby steps made her an adversity to her nobles who already disliked her. Her King-consort, the Jarl of Haakonthorp wanted to be King and conspired with the nobles to kill his wife, the Queen of Vinland.

Eerika had been an avid hunter and spent much of her free time hunting in the Royal preserves. One fateful day in 1117, whilst she was hunting a deer, assassins crept up behind her and stabbed her in the head, killing her instantly. However Eerika was a clever woman. She knew that the nobles were conspiring against her and that her estranged husband was likely a collaborator. She had left a specific code of instructions to her 15 year old son, Eirik on what to do if she was assassinated. When news came to him that his mother had been assassinated, he immediately began a massive investigation program with the aid of Eerika's now close friend, Egil, the Jarl of Norfjord. The within a month found proof that his father and 4 other Jarl's were the ones to have sent the assassins after them. Eirik killed all of the Jarls and replaced them with their children and imprisoned his father in the Tower of Hel. The Tower of Hel had been made in 1063, as a massive tower jail to house all of Vinland's criminals in the last century. At night, the aurora and dark night gave the tower an ominous feeling and thus the locals gave it the name, the Tower of the Queen of the Dead, or as we know it The Tower of Hel. For his acts Eirik became christened Eirik the Avenger and Eerika was christened Eerika the Killed.

King Eirik immediately set out to limit the nobility's power to their own realm and created a fiefdom and loyalty system much like feudalism. This would be called Vinnish Feudalism. This was awfully reminiscent of the feudal system in Europe. Many of the nobles blanched at this but Eirik's youthful fiery spirit made them back down. He had already proved himself when he avenged his mother. The Assassination of Eerika would become the first political intrigue of the Kingdom of Vinland.

After the brief instability brought on by the assassination, Eirik turned his eye north. In Noror Vinland, the Vinnish explorers were moving slowly inland having met stiffing resistance by the natives. He ordered inland expeditions to stop and ordered his explorers to fully colonize the coasts of Noror Vinland first. He was the first proto-European monarch to create an official standing centralized army. The Vinnish Royal Army was more of a levied system before where the men gave their allegiance to the Jarl, not the King, but Eirik saw this as a threat and removed the levy system in 1126 and the Vinnish Royal Army was centralized, made an active army that owed their allegiance to only the King of Vinland. He created the Chamber of Generals which would coordinate the army and its various divisions. The Chamber would consist of the Grand General, General, Vice-General, Grand Admiral, Admiral, Vice-Admiral, and the King himself. By the end of 1130, two standing armies were fully functional and ready to fight known as the Home Army with 5000 men in Vinland and 3000 men in Noror Vinland.

Eirik had been tutored by economists, traders, and merchants in his youth. So, Eirik saw the need for his country to have an economic base. He created the proto-bank called the National Economic and Financial Barter Treasury of Vinland (NEFBT). He also created the currency of Vinland which was called Hodd.

1 Hodd coin with the carving of Eirik on one side and the House of Erikson's cross on the other side.

He created the first merchant guilds in Vinland and created fixed rates with adherence to inflation for all good stuffs in markets with only a normal amount of profit allowed. Staffs of the NEFBT would supervise the markets and the prices to keep the new currency afloat and stable.


Flag of Vinland (Sorry for the blurry image)

In 1135, he died of pneumonia leaving behind a country that was becoming economically very prosperous. He did not have a child so the line of succession fell to his nephew, Thorkell who was named Thorkell II.

In 1143, King Thorkell II inaugurated the new settlement of Eirikthorp (North West River) on the banks of Laguz Aegir (modern day Lake Melville). Eirikthorp would be the most inland settlement of Vinland till date in Noror Vinland. Because of former king Eirik's many economical and financial decisions, the Vinnish economy boomed as economic prosperity in the country grew and continued to grow. King Thorkell II was a common un-noteworthy king who did little of importance giving more preference to sit in the Royal Erikson Castle in Leifthorp and continued to eat in his lavish parties that he threw for the nobles. He was an extremely gluttonous man and most of the administration of Kingdom was done by the Chamber and his court.

He died in 1149 having done nothing of import and was thus christened 'Thorkell II the Fat." He was succeeded by his eldest child, Princess Kari, now Queen Kari of Vinland. She was a ferocious fighter with the bow and arrow and hunting knife and personally led many expeditions inland to fight against the natives. When natives harassed the settlers of Snio Habno (Cold Harbor in English; Modern day Chevery) she personally led her 1000 strong army against twice or so that number of natives and in the Battle of Snio Habno decisively defeated the natives so badly that their threat would wane for the next couple of years. Queen Kari also instituted a policy called the 5000 policy. Before, the country would continue to send settlers to a certain new settlement until a random number was achieved and deemed sufficient to support the new settlement. However the 5000 policy demanded at least 5000 people in a major settlement to complete colonization and at least 2000 people in a minor settlement thus making the distribution of population in the new settled lands more even and balanced.

In 1156, Queen Kari authorized an expedition into the Northern Seas west of Greenland and North of Vinland to see what was out there. However due to cold torrential rain, blizzards and storms, the expedition was unsuccessful. However after a long land expedition was held, the expedition came into contact with the Inuit people. The explorers managed to stay there for 5 years among the Inuit people and returned in 1163 with 100 Inuit families trailing behind them eager to join the Norse Kingdom. Queen Kari was surprised at the turn of events but agreed and made the Inuit's citizens of the Kingdom of Vinland and established trade links with the remaining indigenous Inuit tribes to the north in fur trade. The Inuits brought with them several techniques of survival in the snow, and hunting techniques and transportation techniques like sledding etc as well. Queen Kari saw the benefits in their practices and immediately set out to adopt many of those advantageous techniques into the Kingdom.

In 1171 news came from Greenland that a sizable amount of Irish people had fled Ireland in the wake of the Norman Invasion of Ireland was looking to start a new life. Queen Kari sent 100 ships to Nuuk in Greenland and personally asked that all Irish who had fled their homes to come to Vinland and settle there. The Irish hesitantly agreed and arrived in Vinland. Thus, 7500 Irish found new homes in Vinland and that is also why, a sizable amount of Irish minority can be found in Vinland. Especially in Eirikthorp.

In 1178, Queen Kari died while fighting a native raid at Snio Habno again. The natives were repelled but she was killed in combat.

A portrait of Queen Kari. She was known to be a very ferocious fighter and a beautiful maiden. She was nicknamed 'Kari the irresistible' by her suitors.

She was succeeded by her grandson, Leif III. Leif was a more isolationist monarch. He feared that dabbling too much in Greenland would make the pope aware of his kingdom across the ocean and prompt him to invade the islands in order to convert his population to Christianity. In his paranoia he had all of the Irish refugee's agree to never convert any other Vinnish citizen to Catholicism, whether they wanted to or not. Converting anyone would be punishable by death. He famously said "the only faith you are allowed to practice is the faith in which you were born to. For foreigners seeking refuge in my kingdom, your faith is tolerated by us as long as you do not try to convert our people. Should you do so, then foreign heads will begin to roll downwards."

Leif III thus began a very isolationist stance regarding Greenland and Europe as a whole. He devoted more time into developing Noror Vinland up to the level of Vinland Island (The main Vinnish island). By the end of his reign in 1202, all of modern day Labrador had been been colonized and settled with the biggest settlement being Karifjord (Modern day Labrador City).

Thus came the end of another century as the Vinnish lands began to expand. The Era of settlement came to a close.

 

[StevenIronside]

This is awesome I've always been interested in making a timeline but never have. This very good. My only question. Will the Vinnish colonize/Conqour the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Basically Novascotia New Brunswick PEI and the coast of Quebec. Would bring them into contact with many more native tribes.

 

[Sarthak]

Chapter 3 - The Dark Years

In 1202, King Leif III died at the age of 71. He was succeeded by his granddaughter, Queen Eerika II. Queen Eerika II followed the policy of isolation in regards to Europe that was put in place by her grandfather. She was also particularly paranoid about a Christian Invasion, more so when she heard that a crusade was being conducted in the Baltic regions of Europe to convert the Baltic tribes who practiced the Romuva faith. She needed a population great enough to fight off invaders, whether they be European or Native Amerindian invaders. She passed the Law of Reproduction in 1206 which demanded that families have at least three children within ten years of marriage. Eerika, despite her paranoia, was an avid economist. She frowned at the ongoing costs of colonizing Noror Vinland a lot and decided that instead of the rapid colonization that had been going on in the past century, she directed colonization efforts to more passive colonization in order to keep more funds. By 1214, she started the Population Numbering Program which started the bi-yearly consensus programs in Vinland to tabulate and record the population of Vinland. She was very pleased when she learned that from 1202 to 1216, the population had risen from 278,000 to 372,000. Of course, most of the new population was dependent population and she also introduced proto-welfare systems which were designed to take care of children and old people.

Of course Queen Eerika wasn't a perfect monarch either. She was known to be very promiscuous and had a lot of lovers, both male and female. Perhaps the first Royal Scandal of Vinland took place when she had incestuous sex with her 14 year old son Magnus in 1218. Magnus who had been indoctrinated from childhood by his mother, was also very promiscuous, and many a nobles detested the heir for being as promiscuous as his mother. By 1221, Magnus had 3 Half-brothers and 2 half-sisters all of whom were fathered by different men. Queen Eerika II wasn't known to be picky either with her youngest daughter Runa being fathered by a local forger who had caught the queen's eye. All of these made her very unpopular in the public. The continuing incestuous relationship between Magnus and Eerika finally imploded into crisis when in 1223, Eerika gave birth to her grandson/son, who was named Vidar. Finally, in 1224, the Chamber with help of Prince Thorkell, Magnus's second half-brother led a coup against Eerika and Magnus who were caught having sexual intercourse in their cabins. They were stripped of their royal titles and exiled into the wilderness of Noror Vinland forbidden from returning. Thorkell ascended the throne as King Thorkell III and he outlawed incest throughout Vinland and enforced it with an iron fist.

Then began the 'Pretender War'. Magnus and Eerika had traveled into the wilderness and had bargained with the local native tribes to assist her to take back the throne. With around 5000 to 10,000 natives backing them, Magnus and Eerika came back with a vengeance. The natives wished to install a friendly monarch on the Vinnish throne who could give the natives the Vinnish shipbuilding and iron forging techniques and technology to strengthen themselves. Noror Vinland which had about 4000 of the Royal Vinnish Army was overrun within days. Almost the entire Vinnish 2nd Army in Noror Vinland was forced to surrender. Thorkell was not pleased.

The Pretender War lasted 9 years from 1225 to 1234. By 1227, Noror Vinland was under the command of Eerika. Thorkell mustered up a huge army and fleet and set sail for Eerika's new proclaimed capital, Norfjord where her engineers had constructed a grand fortress. The Noror Fortress, or in English, the Northern Fortress. Thorkell landed in the shores of Norjord on July 23rd, 1229 and besieged the fortress. The siege would last 4 years until Thorkell managed to finally capture the fortress along with his mother and half-brother. The fortress had been made in medieval European style with heavy rocks and stone slabs making Thorkell's archers useless against it. Throughout the five years of the siege, Thorkell invented many siege weapons.

With his mother and half-brother in captivity, Thorkell decisively defeated the natives in the Battle For Noror Vinland and drove them out by 1234. He executed his half-brother and made a creative punishment for his mother. He tied her to the mast of a ship and set it to sail into the uncharted southern seas. Her shipwrecked boat and dead body would be found in the 15th century by English colonizers in Bermuda, identified by the worn out but still identifiable Coat of Arms of Vinland on her clothes

Thus Magnus became known as 'Magnus the Usurper' and Eerika II was known as "Eerika the Promiscuous'. After the Pretender War, Thorkell settled down to regain stability in his kingdom. Many people had died in the war and he followed his mother's policy of reproduction. He wished for Vinland to reach a population of 1 million by the turn of the century. He also constructed fortresses in the boundaries of his kingdom with the new stone slabs and with the new european methods. The destroyed Noror Fortress was kept preserved as a historical monument by Thorkell as a testament of his power and might. From 1202 to 1234, the 32 year old period in Vinnish history became known as 'The Dark Era.' Many Vinnish and Native people would die in this horrendous era of overarching political intrigue, sexual debauchery etc. The era from 1235 to 1268 would be known as the Era of Reform. Thorkell III sought to make his Kingdom stronger again. The Kingdom had been on the verge of disintegration in the Pretender War and the other natives like the Abenaki's and Mikmaq's were trying to take advantage of the fact. Thorkell knew that in order to prevent such loathsome monarch from nearly destroying his kingdom anytime in the future he formed the High Council in 1239. The High Council consisted of the Nobles, Elite, minorities (Irish, Germans) and friendly native americans who had assimilated with them (Beothuk). He made power distribution possible and gave 40% of the executive power to the High Council and 20% of the executive power to the Chamber. The monarch would retain 40% of the executive power. The High Council would come to act like Vinland's parliament.

Thorkell III was worried about the massive amount of native american soldiers that had invaded Noror Vinland and the inability of VInland proper to respond in time. So he began a massive bridge construction project from 1239 from the northern most tip of Vinland, from Blomthorp (modern day Flower's Cove) to Skaoifjord (modern day Blanc Sablon). The bridge would be finished by 1242 linking Vinland Island to the mainland. He also increased the amount of garrisons in Noror Vinland and since the Erikson Bridge as it was come to be known was made entirely of stone, destroying it would be a monumental task for anyone in the late medieval era. Erikson bridge is considered to be the cornerstone of Vinnish engineering with the bridge being 4 lanes wide in modern terms allowing traffic to be less messy and the bridge was supported by powerful pillars that had the statues of the previous powerful monarchs of Vinland. On Vinland proper were the statues of Queen Kari and Thorkell I. On the other were the statues of Thorgil I and Eirik I. The bridge is still there today, with modern adjustments put in place of course.

Thorkell III would also go on to colonize modern day Anticosti island which was given the name Island of Vanir in regards to its beautiful natural sites and with the Vanir being gods of nature. The island was made into an Island fortress as a coastal fort to dissuade any native thoughts about invading Vinland by sea.

Now comes the story of a young English scholar who went by the name of Alfred Hampton. The scholar was one of the first well-known scholars of Oxford in England. There had been rumors throughout Europe for the last two centuries regarding the Mass Exodus that the pagans had survived and settled into a new Kingdom in a land west of Greenland. Almost all of the European elite thought that these rumors were simply rumors and nothing else. The pope had said that all of the heretics had died from falling from the edge of the world. But Alfred was curious. Taking the Second Baron's War as an excuse to leave England, he went to Iceland. There he started conversing and interrogating people. The Icelandic people were very reluctant to talk about Vinland considering it to be a taboo topic. Disappointed he sailed to Greenland. The people there were also very tight lipped regarding Vinland but by a stroke of luck, Thorkell's closest adviser, Vidar, Prince of Vinland (The son of Eerika and Magnus) had been there to negotiate a fishing and lumber trade agreement with the chieftain of Nuuk. When Alfred saw the coat of arms that distinct from any other nation in Europe and ships docked in harbor with viking designs he knew that the pagans had survived. He bought a local ship from a villager and shadowed Vidar's ships as they returned to Leifthorp. Midway, he was spotted and captured by Vidar. At first he thought that his great grandfather's premonition had come true and that Alfred was an European Spy. Due to language barriers, Alfred could not communicate properly. However, he noticed the distinct ancient norse tongue of Vidar and his men. Alfred could not speak Norse, but he could speak Icelandic, which was a cousin tongue of Norse. Slowly but surely he got his point across to Vidar. Vidar was in a conundrum. This European was not a spy, but a curious scholar. He had brought many books and scrolls regarding European technology along with him which would be very useful to Vinland. So Vidar made Alfred cut all ties to Europe and made Alfred into a Vinnish Citizen and brought him to Vinland. Alfred brought with him the rediscovered works of Aristotle, Archimedes, Ptolemy, Galen etc. This provided a more fundamental basis for philosophy and science to take hold in Vinland. Alfred became a quick friend to King Thorkell III who was very taken with the works of Archimedes in particular. In 1267, Alfred requested King Thorkell III to establish a national University for Vinnish scholars. King Thorkell III agreed and in 1268, the University of Midgard was established on the outskirts of Leifthorp with Alfred being the University's first dean.

In 1269, King Thorkell III died of lung cancer. He was a beloved king of the nation. His era of reform had made Vinland much more prosperous and had brought Vinland out of the instability of The Dark Era. He was dubbed Thorkell III The Great.

He was succeeded by his son, Thorgil who christened Thorgil III. Thorgil III let the High Council run the nation until 1272 by which time Thorgil finished his education in The University of Midgard in medieval ecology. He assumed full command in 1272. He was a learned man and knew that if people like Alfred could find Vinland, then one day, the entirety of Europe would soon follow. He thus followed a rapid policy of armament production and militarization. This was encouraged by his uncle Vidar, who by this time had been dubbed 'Vidar the Legitimate Illegitimate.' His moniker defined him as a illegitimate child, who had gained legitimacy and love of the people by shedding blood, tears and sweat for his nation against the native raids, his powerful trading and commercial abilities.

Vidar died in 1275 leading an attack at the age of 51 on a native war post. To the natives he was known as Vidar the Berserker. Legends say that more than a thousand natives fell to his blade personally. The natives who respected bravery and courage returned body respectfully with the Abenaki chieftain praising the man for his battle prowess. Vidar was buried in the Royal Crypt and a statue of him was erected in the main square in Leifthorp where a plaque was glued to the base of his statue. It contained one sentence written by Thorgil III himself. "Never judge a man from his origins, but judge him by his actions."

Thorgil III also pursued the policy of his predecessors of increasing the population of his country. By 1290, the population of Vinland hit 800,000. Eerika's policy of three child per family had made population grow rapidly throughout the century. Thorgil was also known to be a devout follower of the Norse faith. He constructed more than 50 temples all across Vinland devoting himself to the Vanir and Aesir gods. In 1297, Thorgil III died being known as Thorgil III the Devout.

Thus another chapter in Vinland's history came to an end. Thorgil III was remembered for his militaristic reforms for in the latter half of the next century, things would become extremely dicey, extremely quickly.

End of Chapter 3

 

[Sarthak]

Chapter 4 - The Calm Before Storm

1300 was celebrated year round in Vinland. After the disappointing start to the century in the Dark Era, the Vinnish people looked forward to see a continuation of reformist and development era that Thorgil III the Devout and Thorkell III the Great. Thorgil III was succeeded by his grandson, Ragnar I. Ragnar was an expansionist who sought to expand his sphere of influence and that of Vinland. In 1303, he launched a naval expedition into the heart of Abenaki's homeland in modern day New England. In a war called the War of Abenaki Subjugation, the Abenaki were sorely defeated and the chieftain was forced to make his tribe and tribe-lands a vassal of Vinland. The War lasted for a year. Ragnar returned back to Leifthorp with the loot he had gathered in the war and distributed them among his nobles. In 1311, after Vinland's population reached the one million mark Ragnar introduced the 'Law of Martial ability' with support of the Chamber in the High Council which stipulated that all males from age 16 must join and serve in the army until the age of 19. Of course out of the three years of service, 2 and a half years were spent in training. Ragnar's main objective from this law was that should a war erupt, he could call upon well trained soldiers from the common populace as well.

The new flag of Vinland that Ragnar adopted. The green background denotes the lush nature of Vinland. The Black outline denotes their historical persecution in Europe. The White represents unity and the raven emblem signifies their Norse heritage and paganism.

Ragnar's War Banner

In 1312, Ragnar started to colonize modern day south eastern Quebec to connect Noror Vinland to the modern day Gulf of St. Lawrence. He personally led many defenses against the raids made by the native population. By now, however, Ragnar was trying to make the native Americans assimilate with the Norse population. However, unlike the Beothuk who have intermingled and assimilated with the Norse, the other tribes in the north like the Miqmaq refused to assimilate and launched multiple campaigns against the Norse settlements. Knowing that his army could not be present everywhere, Ragnar passed the 'Act of Guard' in 1318 in which every major settlement would have an organization called the 'City Guard' which would act as a garrison and paramilitary force. This act was not applied to Vinland Island where attacks from Native americans was an implausibility.

In 1321, Ragnar died in the field of battle against Micmaqs. He was dubbed Ragnar the Warrior. He was succeeded by his daughter, Princess Ylva ascended the throne as Queen Ylva I. She was a quiet and reserved woman who liked to understand things better before acting. She had studied at the University of Midgard in philosophy and history. She was aware that by now, the natives who had not assimilated into Vinland, were now growing extremely agitated by the constant 3 centuries long wars that had been fought between them. The Abenaki tribe's loyalty was a fickle thing as well. Ylva knew that she would have to scout the inner parts of the mainland to find more about her enemies. Before her, her predecessors had been hesitant to enter to far inland and had gone inland very cautiously. Ylva sent an expedition group of about 5000, a very large group across the sea and into abenaki lands from where they would depart inland to explore the area. They were given the task of mapping the inland areas, finding about the local flora and fauna as well as the local populace. The Great 5000 Expedition began in 1323 and would not be heard off again up until 1338. In meantime, Ylva received news from spies in Greenland and Iceland that the popes and the Vatican were taking the rumors about Vinland much more seriously after a legend regarding Alfred Hampton had become famous throughout Europe. Ylva was startled by this and stopped all trade networks to Iceland. The trade she did with Greenland was also becoming very limited in order to isolate Vinland from Europe.

Ylva also knew that should her kingdom come to blows with Europe she would need an extremely strong navy to fend off the crusading forces. And so she began. In 1325, she established the Vinnish Royal Navy with each ship in English being denoted as VRS (Vinnish Royal Ship). She invested mainly in a type of ship that was a mix of the Viking Longship and European Galleys. Her architects called it the Warship. It would have the fighting capability of a galley and the maneuverability and sailing capacity of the Longship. When the Warship proved to be a success in tests in the ocean, by 1327, she began to fund the mass production of these ships and training of their crews. She allowed women to become members of the crews as well. She intended to have at an armada of 1000 Warships. With each Warship having a crew of 40, she knew that her dream wasn't that far off, because Vinland could support those numbers, due to the ongoing sharp population increase in Vinland. In 1331, she established the Royal Vinnish Shipbuilding Manufactory (RVSM) that was given official power over the building capacity of Vinland for its navy.

In 1333, Ylva was almost assassinated by an Abenaki assassin during a Norse festival. Ylva enraged sent an ultimatum to the Abenaki chieftain to pay gold as reparations to Vinland and hand over the assassin so that he could be tried by Vinnish justice. The Abenaki refused. A war ensued as Ylva personally led her troops against the Abenaki. In an ensuing two year war called the 'War of Vinnish Revenge' the Abenaki were defeated. They did put up a better fight than the first Vinnish invasion of Abenaki but, they were defeated. Abenaki paid the gold ransom and sent the assassin in chains to Vinland. The Abenaki officially became a tributary tribal confederacy of Vinland. The assassin was tried and executed in 1336.

Following the war, she created the 'Court of Vinland' in which a panel of 5 judges would determine the fate of criminals. The Court of VInland was divided into the Jarl Courts, which was to operate on the territory of the Jarls and the Main Court which was based in Leifthorp. Major cases regarding the entire nation would be done of Big 5, which was a name given to the 5 judges of the main court.

In 1338, the Great 5000 expedition returned with about a fifth of that number. 4000 explorers had died due to attacks, disease and lack of supplies. They had walked all the way from modern Quebec to the Great Lakes, to the Rockies and the West Coast of Modern Day USA and came back mapping a roughly accurate map. They had brought data on the local flora and fauna as well as the local tribes like the Shoshone, Salish, Iroquois, etc. The 1000 remaining explorers were made nobility for their actions and for the first time, the Order of Vanir had been given to anyone. The Order of Vanir and the Order of Aesir were the two highest national award that Vinland could give anyone. The Order of Aesir was awarded to anyone who had brought great new things to the war and military sectors of Vinland while the Order of Vanir was given to anyone who would contribute greatly to the civilian portion of Vinnish society.

In 1341, Queen Ylva died of stroke. She was dubbed Queen Ylva the Silent for her reserved behaviour. She was succeeded by her son, Leif IV.

Leif IV was quick to jump on the mantle and authorized the colonization of modern day Prince Edward Island which became known as Queen Ylva Island after Leif's mother. Leif however committed one major blunder in 1356. He had followed through with his mother's dream of an Vinnish Armada and had sent them precariously close to Iceland's waters for training. The gig was up. Multiple fishermen from Ireland, Hebrides, England and Scotland saw the armada sporting the flag of dreaded Viking Raven. Something that had not been seen in over three and a half century. Legends and lores about that flag had been associated with the Vikings and the englishmen in particular panicked.

By 1360, the pope had gotten wind of the news. He sent a personal emissary to scout the area. By the time the pope's emissaries had reached Greenland, Leif IV had closed all trade with Greenland in order to prevent them finding about Vinland. The army and navy was kept at full alert as an ominous atmosphere threatened to break Pax Vinlandia in the New World. Leif IV and the nobles had held their breaths and sighed collectively in relief when the emissary's could not find any proof of Vinland's existence. Vinalnd had bribed the Greenlanders extensively with gold and silver to shut their mouths about Vinland and remove any imprint that Vinland may have had with Greenland. The pope declared that the armada had been a trick sent by the devil to scare 'The Innocent Devout followers of Christ in England where a long held fear of the ancient Viking Pagans still exist.'

Vinland had come precariously close to having its existence found out. After that incident which is known in Vinland as the 'Armada Incident', all naval exercises were diverted to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. However the damage had been done. The European Monarchs and the pope were being increasingly suspicious. Leif IV knew that it was by now only a matter of time. In 1372 the population hit the 2 million mark and he immediately adjusted his grandfather's conscription law and added women to be conscripted and trained as well. In order to make his population better and stronger mentally as well, he made studying in the University of Midgard compulsory for all men and women after the army training from the age of 19 to 24.

In 1374, Leif IV died of cancer. Since he did not have a child, the line of succession was passed to his eldest niece, Princess Kari or now Queen Kari II. She was known to look exceedingly similar to her namesake. And in terms of personality she was exactly like her namesake; pragmatic, strong and fierce.

She knew that war was coming and had funneled a lot of funds into the military and her thoughts came true in 1377. Her brother had gone to Nuuk to renew a trade deal there just when another Pope's emissary had set foot on the town. Their contacts in Iceland had failed to know that the emissaries had been coming and could not warn them in time. The emissaries knew that something was up the moment they saw giant warships docked at port with the dreaded viking raven. They forced their way into the Governor's room finding him talking about the trade deal with Kari's brother, Prince Vidar II.

* * *

Vidar had been chatting amiably with the governor about the trade deal when the door came crashing down. When he saw who was standing behind the doors his blood ran cold, priests, christian priests. And he was here in all Viking regalia. The priests looked at him in disbelief and then turned to the Governor who looked as much pale as Vidar himself looked.

"Who is this man?" The priest asked in Greenlandic.

"He's...He's a visitor." The Governor stammered out.

"From where?"

"From...From Iceland."

"You lie Governor!" The priest snarled and turned to Vidar. "Where are you from?"

"Like the governor told you, I am from Iceland." Vidar said smoothly.

"Your not. I am a priest native to Iceland. So don't speak nonsense, you are not from Iceland." The priest snarled again. Vidar froze and sighed. He motioned his guards and said "Break."

The guards nodded as they drew their swords and swung it at the priests. The priests yelped in surprise and jumped backwards freeing up the door. Vidar took his chance and broke out of the door with his guards, kicked the priests down the road and escaped into the port. They boarded the warship and immediately set sail for Leifthorp. War was coming. And by Thor, was Vinland ready for it.

* * *

The priests eventually bullied the Greenland population into speaking about Vinland under the threat of excommunication and death. In Vinland, the country immediately mobilized for war and by 1378, news of Vinland filtered into the Vatican. At first Pope Urban VI was surprised, extremely surprised, however surprise gave way to indignation and indignation gave way to anger. He ordered a crusade against Vinland. The Monarchs of Europe were all surprised at this turn of events, however none of the major European Monarchs entered the Crusade. England and France were stuck in a perpetual battle for supremacy and Castille and Aragon had just finished a devastating war (War of the Two Peters) which had exhausted them and were in no shape to pursue another war. However, knights from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, Portugal, Italy, the Baltic and the Balkans all started to gear up for the Crusade.

In 1380, Nuuk was filled with knights as they prepared for launching their crusade to Vinland.

In Vinland 1000 Warships were guarding the coasts as the sea men eyed the oceans. In an attempt to broker peace, Queen Kari herself sent a letter to Pope Urban VI to meet her in Reykjavik. On July 27th, 1380, Queen Kari met Pope Urban Vi in Reykjavik. The pope was not here to negotiate. He was willing to allow a truce until Queen Kari II returned to Vinland but the crusade would go on. Queen Kari implored him stating that "We Norse have lived in peace without harming you Christians for the last 3 and a half centuries. Can we not live in peace? We, the descendants who were prosecuted for our faith who now practice it quietly and safely without harming or disturbing you. We also have a sizable Irish community who practice Catholicism. They even a church in Dublin Square in Leifthorp. We have allowed them to practice their faith in peace just as they have let us practise our faith in peace. Can we not extend that to all of Christianity?"

Queen Kari II returned to Leifthorp disappointed that the Pope had not been willing to negotiate and called for a speech in the capital. Her speech was written down by the royal scribes.

"My dear citizens. It is with a heavy heart, that i must inform you that Pope Urban VI, the head of Church has refused negotiations. As of this moment, The Kingdom of Vinland is at War with European Christendom. My friends, I implore you to resist and fight against this tyranny that would see our age old traditions and faith wane into the dusty pages of history. But now again, iI would like to request something of you all. Some of you are Irish, people who left Europe to find a new start. You practice Christianity. I am not fighting against you and that is because we have coexisted peacefully for centuries, and I intend to keep it that way. My citizens, the time for peace is over. The Time For War has arrived. May the Aesir bless us with victory and strike down our enemies. For Vinland! This is not a war about religion any longer! This is a war about our very survival! Whether you be Norse, Irish, Beothuk, we are all united by one fact, WE ARE VINNISH! LET US FIGHT FOR VINLAND MY FRIENDS!"

She was met with a tremendous ovation. By now, the Royal Vinnish Army could muster up 100,000 men on land and 60,000 men to fight in the seas for the 1100 Warships that Vinland had deployed.

The Vinnish Crusade had begun.

END OF CHAPTER 4

 

[Tomislav Addai]

View attachment 534402
A portrait of Queen Kari. She was known to be a very ferocious fighter and a beautiful maiden. She was nicknamed 'Kari the irresistible' by her suitors.

True enough indeed.

 

[Sarthak]

Chapter 5 - The Vinnish Crusade

The First Phase

The First phase of the Vinnish Crusade was conducted from between 1380 to 1387. It is also known as the 'Naval and Bluffing Phase'. On the latter portion of the name, it was called a bluffing era later on after Christopher Columbus because the Vinnish enforced a propaganda that made Europeans believe that Vinland was simply an island west of Greenland about twice the size of Iceland with a more suitable climate. Vinland higher ups feared that should the Europeans find out about the whole new Continent they would attack and colonize the area becoming competitors. The former portion of the name is self explanatory.

Vinland's massive navy was proving to be a heavy weight in the Crusade as the navy fought off the Crusaders. They had many advantages going on for them. The Vinnish had multiple warm water and well made infrastructure to supply and sustain these ports and the Vinnish were fighting in home waters whilst the Crusaders lacked all of these from their base in Greenland. On May 27th, 1382, the Vinnish and Crusader Navies managed to encounter each other in a massive battle. The Battle of the Vinnish Sea (Modern day Labrador Sea) saw the Vinnish Navy destroy the Crusader fleet.

A painting in Leifthorp depicting the Battle of the Vinnish Sea

With most of the Crusader fleet at the bottom of the sea, the Crusade went into a lull with only a few skirmishes being reported here and there as the Crusaders recovered. They were greatly helped by the fact that Castille and Aragon were now supporting the Crusade and sending men and ships to aid them. In 1386 the Crusaders won a stunning victory at the Battle of the Vinnish Straits.

With Noror Vinland exposed for landing, Queen Kari crossed the Erikson bridge and entered Noror Vinland and took personal command of the 25,000 strong army. Norfjord Fortress which had been Magnus and Eerika's stronghold in the Pretender War had been brought up to war footing and the Crusaders landed next to the shores of Norfjord in 1388.

The Second Phase: 1388 to 1394

At first, the sheer amount of Crusader soldiers overwhelmed Queen Kari who had not as of until now taken command of any kind of military operation. At first she engaged the Crusaders at the Battle of Norfjord and lost. She retreated to the Fortress where a year long siege forced Queen Kari and her troops to abandon the Fortress and use the cover of night to sneak out silently and covertly.

In early 1389, she engaged the Crusader forces at the Battle of Eirikthorp which she won, but could not pursue the fleeing Crusaders because of her starving troops. Instead in mid 1389 she was engaged by the Crusaders at the Second Battle of Eirikthorp where she was soundly defeated. This defeat was so crushing that she had to abandon much of Northern Noror Vinland.

In 1390 she was forced to the back foot when she was forced to hold Skaoifjord as the last Vinnish held territory in Noror Vinland, the town that connected Vinland via the Eriksonn bridge. In 1391, the tides in the land war turned and turned decisively. Vinland's navy had recovered from the Battle of the Vinnish Straits and was now beginning to stop any reinforcement from Greenland into the Crusader Forces. Kari had also strategically left highly trained troops in strategic areas to act as Partisans behind enemy lines. These soldier partisans combined with civilian partisans wreaked havoc on the Crusader supply lines. Of course they punished the civilians heavily for this. In January 7th 1391, The Crusaders killed 1500 inhabitants of Norfjord for practicing an annual Norse Pagan ritual. When news of this reached Kari's ears and the fact that the Pope had praised the 'Massacre of Norfjord' she sent out 50 ships with marines and highly trained men behind enemy waters. Their single purpose, even at the cost of their lives was to enter the Eternal City of Rome and kill Pope Urban VI. In Kari's mind this would be a fitting revenge for the Pope who had brought nothing but death and destruction upon her country.

In February 21st, 1391, ironically Queen Kari's birthday, she engaged the Crusader forces under the command of the Swiss Guard at the Fields of Skaoifjord. The Battle of the Sakoifjord Fields remains in history one of the greatest Vinnish victories, as the Crusader forces were encircled and destroyed with the Vinnish massacring the Crusader forces in a fury as revenge for the Massacre of Norfjord. Many Irish participated in this battle too as the Irish settlement in Haakonthorp in Noror Vinland had also been torched to the ground and the irish were riding in a Vinnish nationalistic fervor because of that incident. Southern Noror Vinland was now firmly back in Vinnish control.

Queen Kari marched into Northern Noror Fjord and engaged the Crusaders in one final momentous battle at the Battle of Miraheim (A huge plain field outside of Eirikthorp). The Vinnish reinvigorated by their recent victories charged with a furious roar that many historians write as 'The Roar That Was Heard Throughout The World.' The Battle of Miraheim lasted a week from October 9 to 16th 1391 and the Crusaders were decisively crushed. By early 1394, remnants of the Crusader force had been pushed out of Vinland.

The Last Phase: The Murder of Pope Urban VI

In Vinland and the seas, naval skirmishes continued but in reality, the war in that front had already been won. The casualties taken by the Crusaders in the battles had been too high to pursue any more campaigns. The 50 Vinnish ships against all odds had entered the Mediterranean in June 1391 and destroyed a Papal Naval flotilla in the Tyrrhenian Sea and dismounted 2000 troops into the Italian Peninsula. They had been sick of the long and perilous journey across the ocean, but they were the most professional troops Vinland had to offer. They owed their allegiance to Vinland and the Queen, no one else, not even themselves. They scuttled the ships and scattered themselves into the villages surrounding Rome.

In 1392 having integrated themselves as normal italian civilians, they entered Rome unopposed with no one suspicious of them. That night, on September 9th, 1392, the 2000 soldiers showed their true colors and took the Vatican by force and seized the Bishops and Pope by force. The Commander of the Vinnish Force was Prince Vidar II. He personally slayed Pope Urban VI.

* * *
Vidar wiped the blood of Pope Urban VI from his sword and looked at the horrified bishops on tied to the floor. He was a fast learner and had learned Italian fairly quickly. He looked at them and said "Do you wish to meet the same fate as the Pope?"

One brave bishop said "You may take our lives, but the great merciful lord will claim yours as his own."

"We didn't want this war Bishop. You were the ones who declared it. Not us. You went on to commit several war crimes in our country killing hundreds of thousands of our civilians simply because they didn't follow your faith. You even killed the Irish people in Noror Vinland because they didn't support you, and they were Christian by the Great God Tyr. You kind simply religion as a tool. A tool to garner the riches of conquered territory in the name of religion. Your kind is not worthy of calling yourselves the messengers of God on earth." Vidar spat as he beheaded the foolish bishop.

Another bishop stood upright and asked "Is it true? That we killed fellow christians in your homeland?"

Vidar smiled coldly as he beckoned to one of his commanders. "This is my friend and a field commander of our army. His name is Afric O'Connor. He's an Irishman. Why don't you ask him yourself."

The red bearded Afric stood up as he looked at the bishop. He clenched his fists and tears licked out of his eyes as he said "You....you bastards who claim to be the Holy See of Christianity bloody well killed my family! My 67 year old father who couldn't defend himself. My wife was raped. My son....my son, the apple of my eye killed at the stake for telling his Norse friend that he found Norse traditions fascinating. The Crusader who heard that personally killed him at the stake laughing at him."

The Bishops looked outraged, well most of them anyway. One particularly foolish Bishop shouted "Your family got what it deserved by mingling themselves with heretics!"

In a blink of an eye the Bishops head had been detached from his body as Vidar's sword came crunching down.

The Bishop who had asked the question had tears in his eyes and murmured "Forgive us, my lord, for we have sinned. Forgive us."

The Bishop looked at Vidar and said "We surrender. As the last executive authority of the Papacy, we surrender."

Another bishop looked at him and hissed. "Pietro! You don't mean that!"

"Quiet! We have lost decisively at land with no hope of return and killed pagan and christian alike without discrimination that will bring condemnation upon our souls!" The Bishop snarled.

Vidar smiled at Pietro and said "Thank you Bishop, or should I say Pope Boniface IX."

Pietro looked confused as he asked "What?"

"We're installing a friendly pope to the Papacy. You. Now get up. We have work to do."

* * *
The new Pope Boniface IX declared the Crusade to have been defeated by the Vinnish both on the field of battle and morally as well. He condemned the war crimes committed by the Crusaders and declared peace with Vinland. Vidar and his men were guaranteed safe passage through Italy and France to England and finally Vinland by Christendom. Queen Kari pushed for a clause in the new Treaty of Reykjavik in which it clearly stipulated that Vinnish waters and territories were not allowed to any European unless they were traders. Trading would happen on neutral ground on Greenland and Iceland.

In 1395, Queen Kari and Prince Vidar returned to Leifthorp from Reykjavik and declared the Crusade over with a victory for Vinland. Queen Kari II was dubbed Queen Kari II the Warrior Queen and Prince Vidar II was dubbed Prince Vidar II the Slayer (For having slayed the Pope).

From 1380 to 1395, the Vinnish Crusade remains in Vinnish History one of the key events in Vinnish History. Old timers celebrated that their faith would be conserved and believed that the victory of Vinland was revenge for the persecution their ancestors had faced in Europe. Even today in Rome on the entrance of the Vatican remains the Sword of Vidar on display which Vidar had left in Rome after slaying the Pope and many of his Bishops in the Vatican.

After 1395, Vinland entered a era of rebuilding as much of the infrastructure of the Noror Vinland had been wreaked by the Crusaders. In honor of Queen Kari II and Prince Vidar II a statue was made of them in Skaoifjord that ruses 25 meters into the sky. A statue of them holding the Treaty of Reykjavik high as they looked down joyously into the crowd.

This Statue is called the Statue of Victory, Dreams and Salvation.

End of Chapter - 5

 

[Sarthak]

This is awesome I've always been interested in making a timeline but never have. This very good. My only question. Will the Vinnish colonize/Conqour the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Basically Novascotia New Brunswick PEI and the coast of Quebec. Would bring them into contact with many more native tribes.

that would be telling........

 

[Sarthak]

Chapter 6: The New Century

As a whole, the 15th century would remain a mixed century for the Vinnish. They were currently in the process of rebuilding their nation from the Vinnish Crusade and weren't eager to go on any marauding expeditions when their home had been torched to the ground by the damnable Europeans. Thankfully, the Vinnish bluff about Vinland being an island had worked and the Europeans were none so the wiser. A few Europeans who were curious were turned away by the large Vinnish fleet who were patrolling the waters to ensure Vinnish isolation from Europe.

In 1406, Queen Kari died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 57. She was greatly mourned by the nation. No longer was she called Queen Kari II the Warrior Queen, but she was now called Queen Kari II The Great. Kari would remain one of the greatest monarchs in Vinnish history who lived up to her namesake. Since Queen Kari had not married nor had she had a child, the succession fell to Prince Vidar II's grandson, Canute.

King Canute I had been born during the Vinnish crusade and had lived through it and while as royalty he had been detached from the war in the relative safety of Leifthorp he had been greatly affected by observing the destruction and carnage that war had brought. For it he detested war. However he knew that even if he did not pursue war, war would pursue him, so Canute I mainly focused on maintaining his military whilst also rebuilding his nation. The Crusade had shown the higher ups of Vinland the poor state of infrastructure in Noror Vinland and Canute began funding of major highway and roadway projects along with other logistical projects all across Noror Vinland. All colonization efforts were stopped to rebuild the nation.

Since a heavy amount of people had died in the Crusade, Canute followed through with his predecessor's reproduction policy however, he knew that if the population continued to grow rapidly, then a population problem would arise. He thus began the first planned urban development system in the world all across Vinland. Canute I however exploited the treaty of Reykjavik to his advantage as well. His grandaunt had enforced the isolation clause on the treaty knowing it would be beneficial for Vinland's continued existence, however, trading through beneficiaries was slow and often the expenses far outgrew the profits. So, he opened the port of Norfjord as the only single port where European traders would be allowed in Vinland. From the ship's entry into the Vinnish sea they would be tailed by the Vinnish fleet to secure their territorial secrets and the Vinnish traders would only be allowed to stay inside a certain block in Norfjord garrisoned by a part of the army so that they would not be allowed to leave and check the interior of Vinland. This policy was enacted in 1411 and as soon as the policy was known to the European countries, merchants from the British isles most notably as well as Scandinavia began earnest trade with Vinland with Vinnish Lumber, Timber and Fur beginning to become highly prized products among the European countries for their high quality.

This also had a good effect to the University of Midgard. European traders would bring the latest inventions and educational breakthroughs from Europe which would keep the University's curriculum afloat as a modern education system. The Learning Centers of Vinland were also renamed Skola (Schools).

In 1420, after the population and country had recovered completely from the Vinnish crusade, Canute allowed colonization programs to begin again. From the Island of Ylva (Prince Edward Island in OTL), plans were made to colonize Kariland (Nova Scotia in OTL). The land was named in honor of Queen Kari II the Great who had led them to victory in the Vinnish Crusade.

In 1421, Prince Vidar II The Slayer died peacefully as well in his bed at the age of 68. He was mourned throughout the nation. In 1422 the first settlement in Kariland is opened named as Karijoro (In English it means Kari's Land). In 1425 an diplomatic incident happened when a European Merchant ship tried to evade the Vinnish Navy and tried to break into the mid atlantic however the Vinnish Navy sunk the ship and rescued its crew who were arrested and deported back with all their belongings and goods seized. However since the act had been a breach of the Treaty of Reykjavik the European nations did not do anything in response. By this time, overtures were being made by European countries to establish embassies in Vinland however Canute I rebuffed them stating that all diplomatic interactions would happen through Iceland and Greenland. The Despotic Monarchy of Desmond in Ireland officially asked for King Canute in 1427 to visit them as a meeting of solidarity and thanks for the Vinnish people having taken care off and respecting the Irish people in Vinland. King Canute had initially not wanted to go but the idea seemed extremely popular within his Irish administrators and ministers so he agreed and in 1429, King Canute I was the first Vinnish Monarch to step foot on European soil after four centuries. He was welcomed with much fanfare with diplomats from Scotland, England, France, Castille, Portugal, the Kalmar Union all being in the welcoming entourage. The Diplomats from the Kalamr Union were especially eager to meet the Vinnish King as his country represented the old traditions and beliefs of Scandinavia.

King Canute returned to Vinland in 1430 having negotiated a trade agreement between Vinland, the Irish Kingdoms, Scotland, England and the Kalmar Union. In 1431, the entirety of Kariland became colonized by the Vinnish. Canute also began to import European Carrack designs to build floating fortresses and place them strategic locations all across the seas surrounding Vinland. In order to preserve Vinnish security, Canute gave heavy emphasis on the Navy stating that if the fleet had been fully successful in the Crusade, the damage done to Noror Vinland would not have had happened at all. However by 1433 a new problem arose for Canute. European traders were bringing the Black Death along with them. This forced Canute to stop trade from Norfjord completely for the Europeans and re-designated Iceland and Greenland as Trading areas for Vinland. Canute would take no chances with the Europeans.

In 1444, Canute I died. He was succeeded by his grandson, King Ragnar II. Ragnar II wanted to connect the territories of Kariland and Noror Vinland so he began an extensive colonial program in OTL Quebec and New Brunswick. OTL Quebec was named Vidarjoror (After Prince Vidar II) and OTL New Brunswick was named New Leifthorp. However due to the vast expanses of Vidarjoror and New Leifthorp, the colonization would take extensive time. The date till the end was kept at 1475. In 1446, the population of Vinland hit the 3 million mark. By this time, the small pockets of places in Scandinavia which practiced the Norse Religion and had not migrated to Vinland 4 centuries earlier had all immigrated to Vinland where they were welcomed with open arms. By this time, the intermarrying between the Beothuk, Norse and Irish population of Vinland had evolved the Vinnish people to different race itself which would be called the Vinnish Race.

Ragnar II also sent many of his generals to see the fighting in the ongoing Hundred Years War in France and England. They brought back news and ideas of the English Longbow and Crossbows which would allow long range elimination of enemies in a much more efficient manner than normal bows and arrows. His generals also brought news about the famed Swiss Pikemen and their infamous tactics. Ragnar incorporated the tactics into his army and also introduced the pikemen standard into the Royal Vinnish Army. His generals stayed in Europe until the conclusion of the Hundred Years War in 1453. They returned to Vinland and compiled a book of late medieval/early modern infantry, cavalry and siege warfare tactics. This book would be called the 'Vinnish Doctrine'. Copies of this book would be distributed to every Vinnish commander to learn efficient tactics for better chances of victory for almost all scenarios.

In 1465, Ragnar II died in a ship accident. His successor, his only daughter Queen Ylva II, because of the cause of her father's death started to reform and gave heavier emphasis on shipping safety in Vinland. Vinland's fishing and shipping industry was extremely lucrative and if safety was overlooked Ylva feared that one of the major source of Vinnish income would disappear overnight.

Ylva also thought about colonizing the lands south of New Leifthorp, however doing so would anger her Abenaki and Micmaq vassals and she made an eternal promise to her vassals that Vinland would not colonize the lands south of New Leifthorp which managed to foster greater relations with her Abenaki and Leifthorp vassals. In OTL Quebec area, the great city of Norjoror (OTL Quebec) was founded.

The colonization effort of Ragnar II would end 2 years late as in 1477 the territories of Kariland and Noror Vinland would become connected via land through New Leifhtorp and Vidarjoror. After this huge scale colonization efforts were stopped in order to consolidate their new lands and create new roads and infrastructure as well as new shipping lanes. Because of this extensive colonization program, Vinland's population hit 4 million by 1479.

For a decade, the Kingdom of Vinland remained largely quiet with the notable exception of Queen Ylva II opening Norfjord to European traders again in 1487. However heads would roll in Vinland in 1492. Queen Ylva had received news that a Spanish fleet had discovered what the Vinnish called the Southern Archipelago (Caribbean Islands). The European naval advancement in guns and sailing had stunned her. She immediately began modernizing her navy and also began to take the diplomatic fallout of the discovery of the New World.

'The Great Bluff' was up. Europe knew now that an entire continent rested next to Vinland. Since the gig was up, Queen Ylva allowed free trade in Vinland with Europe in 1494 and allowed embassies to be built. However she banned christian missionaries from entering her nation.

This the 15th century was a century of reconstruction, colonization, population boom and Vinnish isolation ending. Vinland would now have foreign powers to contend with. Pax Vinlandia which was used to describe the relative peace of the New World under Vinnish hegemony, had ended.

End of Chapter 6

 

[hitcho11]

TTL reeks of pagan power fantasies

I mean... The Pope for some reason bending the knee and agreeing to go up to Reykjavik to meet a random monarch. Men from Vinland somehow sailing to Europe while remaining unnoticed, and not to the Northern Sea, but to the Mediterranean and disembarking thousands of men in the middle of Italy. And also somehow seizing Rome with... 2,000 men. And also taking the VATICAN. And also slaying the Pope himself. And also having a random pagan from the other side of the pond proclaiming a random priest as Pope - and it is accepted.

So you're telling me that hundreds of thousands of people just sail to the seemingly never-ending ocean, and somehow the vast majority of them arrive safe and sound, and then they reproduce like rabbits (while still being a small underdeveloped colony), and within years they're able to absolutely and unequivocally humiliate Christendom in the battlefield on multiple occasions?

 

[Major Major]

By now the Little Ice Age is hitting. Will the Norse here be as inflexible as the Greenland Norse in OTL were?

Also, did they just skip Greenland? There was a Bishop of Garðar appointed in 1126.

 

[Sarthak]

I'm sorry guys, but i'm going to revamp the entire series. I've found a lot of mistakes upon further research. Once it's finished I will post the link here. until then i will be continuing my alternate ww1 timeline on: https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...es-and-war-an-alternate-history-story.486136/
check it out if you want to. I need the constructive criticism (though please do not repeat what has already been said).

 

[Sarthak]

Vinland - An Alternate Timeline

The History of Vinland Original Volume. Circa 1824 Sir Douglas Johnson. Chapter 1 - Creation of a State 1000 AD To understand the Creation of Vinland, we must first look at the situation is Scandinavia. In the early days of the eleventh century, the Nordic countries were divided into two...

www.alternatehistory.com

Here it is!