Few people still believe that Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover America. Besides the legends of the Irish St. Brendan and the Welsh explorer Madoc, the journeys to Vinland the Good are backed up by Viking structures found in Newfoundland.Apologists for Columbus claim that while they will admit that Leif Erickson got here earlier that the Norse failed to alert the rest of Europe, making their discovery essentially moot.
Not so! And I can prove it.
In 1112 AD Pope Paschell II appointed the first bishop of America. Of course, it wasn't called that yet, Amerigo Bespucci not having been born no less made the map and affixing his name. But he did call it by its Norse name, Vinland. He appointed Iceland born cleric Erik Gnupsson bishop of Greenland and Vinland. Gnupsson, also called Bishop Henricus, lived in the Greenland town of . He traveled to Vinland, it is reported, at least once to minister to the spiritual needs of the Norse settlers there.
So... if no one knew that the Norse had started to settle Binland, why would the Pope have appointed a bishop?
And why, if the Church knew about it, no one went to look?
So go ahead and celebrate October 12. If it makes you happy, who am I to point ouot it is the celebration of an also-ran, hmmm?
Hey, Columbus's historical significance hardly makes him an "also-ran"! Poor old Chris gets picked on so much these days, I feel compelled to stick up for him.
ReplyDeleteBut it's funny that you blogged about the Viking settlements in America this week -- I did too, focusing on how climate change put an end to the Viking exploration and put the exploration ball in the courts of more southerly countries. Those who are interested in this topic, check it out at http://franceshunter.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/the-little-ice-age/.