Vinland Timeline Of Events
Historical Timeline 860AD - 1960AD
860 AD - Iceland is discovered
930 AD - 10,000 populate Iceland, the Iceland republic is established
982 AD - Eirik the red is forced to leave Iceland because he killed someone. In his journeys he dicovers Greenland.
986 AD - Eirik set sail from Iceland with 25 ships loaded with livestock, families, and equipment. 14 ships survive the trip to Greenland, and a colony of 300 is founded there.
986 AD - Bjarni Herjolfsson is blown off course while searching for his father and sights an as yet unexplored land west of Greenland, but does not land there.
993 AD - olaf tryggvesson becomes first christian king in norway
994 AD - olof skotkonung, king of sweden, accepts christianity
999 AD - Leifr Eiriksson converts to christianity in Norway.
Approximately 1000 AD - christianity reaches iceland and greenland. Leifr Eiriksson buys Bjarni's ship and decides to search for the lands told by Bjarni. He lands first in the land Bjarni saw last, and names it Helluland, because it is a land filled with flat stones. In the second land he finds lot of trees and names it Markland for it's forests. The third land is very rich and fertile with corn and wild grapes. He named it Vinland, after the grapes or because of it's good meadows. He wintered at Vínland, and returned back to Greenland the next summer. While there, the first child born to Europeans on the North American continent was born: Snorri Thorbrandsson.
circa 1010 AD - After Leifr's journey an expedition led by Þorfinnr Karlsefni, a wealthy Icelandic trader, returned to settle Vínland in and wintered there. The Scandinavians, both men and women, first traded but then fought with the native Skrælings. The descriptions of Skræling culture in the sagas are consistent with American Indian life. Because of Skræling attacks, the settlement was abandoned after three winters.
1124-1126 AD - Greenland becomes a diocese of its own. The episcopal residence is placed at Gardar (present-day Igaliku) close to Brattahlid (today's Qassiarsuk).
1197-1300 AD - The little Ice Age takes place in the Northern Hemisphere. In Greenland, less vegetation is available for livestock to graze on and to make matters worse, ice flows block passage of supply ships from Europe. Due to malnourishment, the average height of the Norse inhabitants dwindles to 5 feet or less. During this time the population of Greenland declines rapidly, until the settlements are abandoned completely.
1261 AD - Following the example of Iceland, the Greenlandic Parliament acknowledges the Norwegian King's supremacy and right to claim taxes.
1370-1380 AD - The trade between Norway and Greenland gradually declines. The vital trade reaches a critical minimum by the loss of the Greenland-Knarr, the trade vessel used for Greenland, in approximately 1380.
1397 AD - The Norwegian, Swedish and Danish kingdoms merge into the Kalmar Union. The supremacy and tax claims of Greenland are hereafter handled by the Danish court.
1408 - A wedding is held at Hvalsey Church. This is the last written record of Greenland's Norse population.
1480-1500 AD - The Norse population of Greenland disappears.
1492 AD - The Pope complains that it has been 80 years since a Bishop has been able to visit Greenland, due to the ice. He fears the inhabitants have either died or moved on to Markland. Columbus also "discovers" the new world during this year.
1960 AD - The Viking settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows is discovered by Helge and Anne Stine.
Other known events to which I have no date:
A coin from the reign of Olaf Kyrre 1066-80ad has been recently found in the state of Maine, indicating the southern most area known to be associated with the Norse.
Later known expeditions:
Thorvald Eiriksson (killed in Vinland by skraellings)
Thortein Eiriksson (Never finds the lands because of bad weather)
Þorfinnr Karlsefni stays in Vinland with many families for two years his son Snorri is born there.
Frøydis Eiriksson's crew goes together with an Icelandic crew on two ships. They wintered in Vinland and the Greenlanders kills the Icelandic crew and returns to Greenland in the Icelandic ship.
Pre-EU2 Fantasy Timeline 1010AD - 1419AD
1010 AD - Leifr Eiriksson is unanimously accepted as king of the fledgling Vinland settlement.
Between 1010-1015 AD - The Vinland settlement quadruples in size, as dozens of ships with colonists arrive from Greenland.
1016 AD - Men, who greatly outnumber women in Vinland, often exchange goods with the Skraeling's to buy their women, even though king Leifr forbid this sort of activity. The first half Skraeling/Norsemen is born this year, by the name of "fill in space here".
1017 AD - Leifr and his wife give birth to their second son "insert name here".
1021 AD - King Leifr completes construction of The Great Longhouse. It would become the seat of power for all Norse settlements in North America.
1023 AD - A band of Beothuk indians raid the depleted warehouse along the frontier. War immediately breaks out.
1024 AD - Vinland is greatly outnumbered, and faces defeat. However, the Micmac tribe, longstanding enemies of the Beothuk, will not allow the annhilation of Vinland, as Vinland is their only source of Iron and other trade goods, the secret of their construction is carefully concealed by thr Vinlanders. The Micmac join the war on Vinland's side, for these and many more reasons.
Later in 1024 AD - Vinland's outer defenses have been overrun and King Leifr and his greatest warriors await the inevitable onslaught in the Great Longhouse. Meanwhile, all women and children are evacuated to the ships, to flee this land if the capitol should ever fall, including Leifr's wife and young child "insert name here". When the battle finally comes, king Leifr is killed during the fighting and many of his warriors fell, including Leifr's first son Thorkell. Defeat seemed imminent, but just then the Micmac war parties arrived... the Beothuk melted into the forests. Leifr's wife becomes Queen and ruler of the Kingdom of Vinland, until her son reaches the age of 15. The war continues, but Vinland is too weak to pursue any offensive.
1025 AD - The Beothuk are defeated by the Micmac at the battle of Stony River. The surviving Beothuk agree to let Vinland live in peace forever more and to pay an annual tribute to the Micmac, in exchange for their lives.
1027 AD - The Queen rebuilds the Great Longhouse to be even better than the original.
1030 AD - "insert name here" (son of Leifr) dreams under a tree in the forest. In his dream, he is met by a Raven, who tells him that he must annhilate the Beothuk to bring complete and lasting peace to Vinland, and to avenge his father's death. The raven goes on to tell him that he his father is asking for him to restore the beliefs of his ancestors.
Between 1025-1030 AD - Peace and prosperity bring even more settlers to Vinland, from Greenland and beyond. These settlers replenish the lives lost during the Beothuk war, and then some.
1031 AD - "insert name here" is old enough to claim the throne from his ageing mother. He continues on the path of peaceful coexistance with the natives, having almost forgotten the dream of the Raven.
1033 AD - "insert name here" again has a dream of the Raven, who this time warns him that the Beothuk are planning a great offensive, despite their promises of peace. "insert name here" refuses to believe this.
Later in 1033 AD - Beothuk armies launch surprise attacks simultaneously against all settlements along the frontier river. -insert name here- now knows that the Raven was a messenger of the god Odin. The neglected Vinland army is called to duty, men volunteer in great numbers, even children, who had to be turned down.
December, 1033 AD - The Beothuk believe that the Vinland army is too weak to mount any offensive and foolishly have neglected the construction of fortifications in their village. "insert name here" leads his army through the snow along the frozen great stony river. A raven is seen flying in the sky by many that day...
January, 1034 AD - "insert name here" arrives on the outskirts of the main Beothuk settlement. He carefully makes his plan of attack, and waits til night when the Beothuk warriors are dancing in celebration of their victories. When "insert name here" finally ordered the attack, the Beothuk were too busy celebrating to be prepared for this surprise attack. Vinland won the battle with few casualties, despite being greatly outnumbered. No Beothuk man over 12 was allowed to survive and all boys under that age, who were a witness to this slaughter, had their right hand cut off so that they would be unable to use a bow to avenge their fathers in the future.
February-April 1034 AD - Minor battles take place between Vinland and minor Beothuk settlements. But with the major village destroyed and their leader killed, the Beothuk were too demoralized to put up much of a fight. In April, all of the surviving Beothuk surrendered and were allowed to become citizens of Vinland, under certain conditions. Those who refused were either killed or handed over to the Micmac, who surprisingly did not provide much more than morale support in this conflict.
June, 1034 AD - The victorious "insert name here" gives the old Asa beliefs official state religion status. Those who saw the Raven that day did not complain and as for the rest, most were only recent converts to Christianity and found little difficulty in resuming their old beliefs. "insert name here" had established himself as a great leader and so no one opposed him in this decision. Those who refused to abandon Christianity, moved to Greenland.
Between 1034-1100 AD - Pagan refugees from all over Europe and especially Scandinavia, take refuge in Vinland to escape persecution.
1036 AD - King "insert name here" makes a personal visit to the Chief of the Micmac, to thank him and his people for their support in Vinland's struggles against the Beothuk. The Micmac chief greatly enjoyed the gifts brought to him from the finest craftsmen in Vinland. He was especially fond of the beer and throughout the night, everyone exchanged stories of their experiences in the wars. Many songs were sung, and despite the differences in culture and religion, it was obvious that a lasting friendship had been forged between the two.
1037 AD - A soldier by the name of "insert name here", who took part in the great Beothuk war, begin's writing a great saga to record the events surrounding the war. His writing, though perhaps somewhat embellished, are the main historical records of the early years of Vinland.
1091 AD - The great king "insert name here" passes away at the ripe old age of 74. He is so old in fact, that it is his grandson "insert name here" who succeeds him.
1197-1300 AD - The little ice age causes most Greenlanders to move to Vinland, where the climate there has faired much better. Food is still short in Vinland though, and a rationing system is created to ensure food is distributed evenly. The ration system does not apply to the Skraeling inhabitants however, who are forced to fend for themselves. Many starve to death, mostly the second class Skraelings. Contact between Vinland and Europe declines until total isolation sets in. Europe is forced to deal with almost constant warfare and famines, to be able to return to Vinland. And the memory of that far away settlement drifts into legend...
