Alexandria, in northern Minnesota, is proud of its Scandinavian heritage. Big Ole stands watch over the city and looks for all the world to be a conquering Viking. But surely the Vikings didn't land in the upper midwest of America. Even more hard to swallow is the claim on Big Ole's shield: that Alexandria is the birthplace of America. I am familiar with Eric the Red's early voyages to Iceland and Greenland, but I had quite a few doubts that Viking explorers first came to Minnesota before other parts of Vinland.
It turns out that this claim is based on a rune stone that was discovered in the area, and is on display in a local museum. A quick Google search suggested that the stone was a hoax and not a record of Viking exploration. I had to see for myself and handed over $8 to get in the exhibit. The lady taking my money saw that I was worried if it was worth it and told me there was also a Viking ship inside.
The stone looked quite authentic, the ship did not. There is quite a bit of evidence that the Vikings landed in Hudson Bay and headed south along rivers. This would bring them through Minnesota, but they certainly would not have been traveling by ship.
The stone itself is fascinating. The runes have been translated from Swedish and describe a 'journey of discovery' in 1362 of 30 men from Norway. The party was attacked and ten men killed. Another group of ten men were waiting for them with ships 14 days travel from that place. The rune stone was unearthed in 1898 by an illiterate Swedish farmer clearing his field. The date, location and distances seem consistent with other historical records, so why did no one believe the farmer's story and why did they accuse him of fabricating it himself?
The public turned against the Swede and his family. One son committed suicide and his daughter ran away in disgrace. It wasn't until after his death that the stone fell into the hands of of a historian who studied the runes and decided they could be authentic.
There are several reasons why the runes were quickly dismissed. It was written in Swedish about a party from Norway. The language and symbols used were not consistent with medieval times, but much more modern. And although rune stones are often made in memory of those who have passed, it is unlikely that a exploring party who had just been fatally attacked would take the time to carve a message in rock.
It is much more likely that a learned Swedish immigrant made the artifact as a way of honoring his history and culture. He would have used old mementoes brought over from Scandinavia, artwork that incorporated some ancient runes. He would have described an account very near to what actually happened and displayed it on a stone similar to those found in his homeland. Then somehow the stone is abandoned and forgotten; only to be discovered by a fellow immigrant some years later.
I can see that happening in my yard. I might put some small piece of yard-art with my flowers; something meaning full to me. It would be a saying or some manifestation of my Anglo Brazilian roots.
Then my garden falls into disrepair, after I am gone. The piece is buried and covered with weeds. A tree grows over it, concealing it beneath its roots. Then, one day in the future, someone new buys the house or inherits the garden. In order to bring the wild beds under control, they clear away the weeds and pull up the young trees. They then find my piece; maybe it is written in Portuguese. They decipher its message and puzzle over who put it there and why.
I say I can see this happening because it has. Jon helped me with the worst of the clearing of my garden, using a tractor to uproot the unwanted trees that had grown. The digging unearthed a metal tool and a large piece of bone. We immediately started to speculate who had buried them and why. Was the bone human? What was the metal tool used for that necessitated its being buried?
I'm sure we could come up with an entertaining, if not believable, murder story.
I do feel for poor illiterate Olof, who found the rune stone near Alexandria, Minnesota. He did not deserve to be treated the way he was. Today we are thankful for his discovery for the simple fact that it fuels our curiosity and causes us to ask questions of the past... the past that has affected all of us who live in the midwest.
Save when kinsman honors his kin.
- —Hávamál
- Put up or unearth your marker. Claim your past.
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