“Rather that of a Roman athlete…” – Leif Ericson Commemorative Silver Coins

Today, the Leif Ericson Commemorative Silver Coins – both the dollar and the 1000 kronur remember the unveiling of the statue 128 years ago.

In the Antiquary of December 1887, John B. Shipley wrote an article about the early Norsemen and the recent recognition of Leif Ericson in Boston.

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An historical event of considerable importance, as marking an epoch in the diffusion of mankind and the origin of nations, has lately been commemorated at Boston, U.S.A., by the unveiling of a statue of Leif Erikson, the intrepid Icelandic navigator and explorer, who, landing on the coast of Massachusetts in the year 1000 A.D., was the first European to tread the shores of the New World.

The occasion is noticeable as being the first public recognition by the American people of their earliest discoverers. And it should be observed, also, that the territory which now forms part of one of the greatest Republics of the world was discovered by adventurous seamen of our own race, from a Republic that was then in its palmiest epic making days—the Republic of Iceland.

First visited by Irish monks about 800 A.D., Iceland was permanently settled (A.D. 874) by colonists from Norway, who were discontented under the rule of King Harald Harfager.

Two years after, another band of adventurers from Norway landed in Neustria, and founded the dukedom of Normandy, becoming vassals of the King of France.

But in Iceland there was no previous sovereign to claim the homage of the settlers, and they accordingly set up the form of government most natural to a free and equal people.

The Republic of Iceland, thus founded, continued in existence until 1262, when the island was annexed to Norway; and later, in 1380, it was transferred to the Crown of Denmark.

Mariners from Iceland were not long in discovering Greenland. But no settlement was made there until 983, when the country was colonized under Jarl Erik the Red.

His son Leif made a journey to Norway, and was well received by King Olaf Tryggveson.

He embraced Christianity, and was sent back by the King to Greenland, accompanied by a priest and clerks, in order that Christianity might be established in the new colony.

We first hear of America being sighted in or about 985 an. by Bjarni Herjulfson, who in trying to reach Greenland had been carried out of his course.

No landing was made, but he appears to have found the coasts of New England, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Labrador.

On his return from Norway, Leif, son of Erik, determined to visit and explore the new countries. The date of his voyage is given in the Heimskringla as 1000 A.D.

He passed in succession the shores described by Bjarni, and came at last to the land first sighted by the latter, to which, from the wild grapes he found there, he gave the name of Vinland.

Here he remained all the winter, exploring the country, and erected a temporary settlement called Leifsbuthir (Leif’s booths).

During his next few years, he and his kindred made several voyages backwards and forwards to Greenland and Iceland. Prominent among the early settlers was Thorfinn Karlsefne, who with his wife Gudrid spent three years in Vinland (1007—1010), and there their son Snorre was born.

Karlsefne returned to Greenland in 1010, and to Iceland the next year.

After Karlsefne’s death, and his son’s marriage, Gudrid went to Rome, where she was received with considerable distinction, and great attention was paid to her accounts of the new countries.

On her return to her son’s home, where a church had meanwhile been built, she passed the remainder of her life as a religious recluse.

A record copied at the Vatican states that in the year 1112 Pope Paschal II made Erik Upsi Bishop of Iceland, Greenland, and Vinland.

Another record mentions that this Bishop Erik went personally to Vinland in 1121.

At Newport, RI., there is still in existence a curious round tower of Romanesque architecture, which has been conjectured to date from about this period (eleventh or early twelfth century).

Far up the western coast of Greenland, in N. lat. 72° 55’, Runic inscribed stones have been found, which are dated by Professors Rask and Firm Magnussen at 1135 A.D.

The last recorded visit to the Vinland colony took place in 1347, after which all direct trace of the inhabitants appears to be lost.

But indirectly there is a very curious survival recorded by Mr. Charles G. Leland in his Algonquin Legends of New England, wherein he very ably shows that the stories of the Edda, of the old Scandinavian mythology, still exist among the local branches of the great Algonquin tribe.

Odin, Thor, and mischief-making Loki are there, with all their Scandinavian traits of character and force of individuality.

Their identity is, it is true, disguised under other names, but without detracting from a minuteness of detail and fidelity of transmission that can surely only have been the result of long continued friendly intercourse, if not of actual interfusion of races, between the Icelandic colonists and the Indian natives.

Unfortunately we here obtain no clue to the origin of the Indian and Esquimaux tribes, except that we may infer from the Sagas that they were in possession of the country at these remote periods.

A mass of carefully collected information on these early voyages is given in Miss Marie A. Brown’s recently published book on The Icelandic Discoverers of America (London: Trubner), which also contains an excellent and useful bibliography of the subject, chronologically arranged, for the guidance of the student of these most fascinating problems of antiquarian research.

JOHN B. SHIPLEY.

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Later in that same volume, a description of the Boston celebration noted the size and characteristics of the statue:

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An imposing celebration was held at Boston, U.S.A., on the 29th of October last, when the new bronze statue of Leif Erikson, the Icelandic explorer, was unveiled.

The erection of this monument is mainly due to the late Mr. Ole Bull; but it has only recently been completed, being cast in bronze from a model by Miss Anne Whitney.

The statue is of heroic size, standing 8 feet 6 inches high, on a pedestal 11 feet 3 inches in height.

The execution is good, but the conception is rather that of a Roman athlete than of an Icelandic sea-king.

The pedestal is ornamented with dolphins’ heads, and with the head and stern of an ancient viking-ship.

The inscription on the east face runs as follows:

LEIF
The Discoverer,
Son of ERIK,
Who Sailed from Iceland
And Landed on This Continent
A.D. 1000

Tablets on the north and south faces represent the landing of Leif, and his narration of his discoveries on his return.

The statue was dedicated on Saturday, Oct. 29th, at 3 p.m., in the presence of the Scandinavian societies of Boston, and delegates from other parts.

The procession then marched to Faneuil Hall, where addresses were delivered by Rev. E. E. Hale, and others.

In the evening, Miss Marie A. Brown, who has been for the last five years engaged in historical researches in England and Northern Europe, delivered a lecture in Tremont Temple, to a highly appreciative audience, on the subject of the early discoverers of America, and the voyages of Leif Erikson and other Icelandic navigators.

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The Leif Ericson Commemorative Silver Coins show on each side of an image of the statue in Boston, circa 1890.

Leif Ericson Commemorative Silver Coins