Red Ravens

SAGA OF FREYDIS ERICKSDOTTIR

--------- <Attribute text to: Voyage of Wave Cleaver, Inc. Frederick N. Brown > ---------

From across the time and distance to that long neglected Viking colony of Greenland, it is rather hard to grasp that entire generations of people lived out their lives in relative peace in a European manner on what we view as a desolate island: cold, bleak, harsh Greenland, but now known to have been much milder than today. A whole separate culture existed there, somewhat remote from the parent culture of Iceland and even capable of sending out explorations and collective expeditions. Such literature as survived from Greenland were documents which went back to Iceland with people who returned there, persons who removed for whatever reasons including marriage, and sometimes appeared in the Icelandic and Norwegian sagas in indirect, as well as direct, references to the land to the west. Leif clearly had troubles mixed with his good luck and among others was an illegitimate half-sister named Freydis who is one of the most signal person-ages of the Vinland voyages, because it is known that she made the trip to Vinland at least twice. Her personality comes down through the ages in the epics as hardy, effective, shrewish and venomous. However, in their youth there is evidence that Leif thought quite highly of her - she may have been older than he; or just as likely, considerably younger. She had a number of children, one of whom was apparently born at Leif's house in Vinland. She first appears as a participant in a battle which took place at a place called Hop, which is a Norse version of the English "Hope", meaning a marshy inlet or haven of possibly dangerous approach. The settlement there was sizeable and populated by as many as 165 persons. Primarily amicable contacts with natives deteriorated and terminated with some natives being charged by a Viking bull. They depart with sullen mien and apparent demonstrations of malice, return in several weeks' time with many reinforcements and commence a battle in which they ultimately are successful in inducing the Vikings into an uncharacteristic retreat. The retreat passes the house wherein Freydis resides and she, perhaps previously unaware of the fighting - attempts to rally the men by ridiculing them. This does not work and she is forced to join them but is "-much slowed, as she was big with child ". The retreat leaves her behind and she is about to be caught up by the natives when she comes upon a dead Norseman. He is named and described as being felled by a flat stone, which protrudes from his skull. His sword is beside him and Freydis snatches this up, brandishes it, exposes her breasts and strokes the sword on them. The dismayed natives then retreat in turn, or simply break off the battle - the sagas do not evidence haste - and they depart in their boats. Formidable woman!

Hop is later apparently abandoned because of the precarious position of proximity to the disturbed natives, and the band removes back to the island Straumney. Freydis and others reappear back in Greenland some few - at least three - years later. Freydis decides to found an expedition of her own to Vinland and forms a partnership with two brothers named Helgi and Finnboggi.lm They travel in two ships which make the remarkable and noteworthy accomplishment of arriving at Leif's houses a fortnight apart, not having sailed in - or at least early parted - company. The brothers have arrived first and ensconced themselves in Leif's house and when Freydis arrives she takes affront and evicts them with considerable asperity. They go off and take up residence in a single large structure. Their numbers are stated as being twenty men and five women. At departure they had agreed to maintain equal crews, but Freydis serrupticiously secreted five extra men who were discovered by the others only at arrival. The complement here at this time is, therefore,  55 persons, of whom 6, likely more, were female.

The two parties become enemies because of this episode and the seasons and winter proceed with growing bad feeling between them. Earlier, the two crews had engaged in "games" but this soon ceased and then occured an incident which in horror and deceit lives in the annals of the north and contributes to the ultimate abandonment and disfavor of Leif's "budir", and indeed, disturbs Scandinavians to this day. Most of the story must have come from the lips of Freydis herself. One night she arises while all are sleeping and goes over to the other house of the brothers. She does not enter but stands quietly in the doorway and is eventually seen there by the half-wakened Finnboggi. He asks her what she wants and she replies that she wants to talk to him and desires him to come outside for this. He arises and goes out with her and they sit on a log  just outside and talk, apparently a low, subdued conversation although we have only Freydis' word for it, for Finnboggi did not survive the sunrise. Freydis begins by asking him how he likes the place and he replies that he likes it well enough but is disturbed by the dissension between them. She claims to be as disturbed as he and then goes on to say that her purpose in coming was to propose a trade in boats as hers is smaller than the brothers'. She later claims that he agrees to this trade and after a few more remarks they part, she returning home - remember that this is Leif's own house - and Finnboggi back to bed.

--------- <Attribute text to: Voyage of Wave Cleaver, Inc. Frederick N. Brown > ---------

When she is home and re-entering her own bed she awakens her husband, Thorvard, with her cold feet. Perhaps he was not asleep after all for he questions her on where she has been. Rather than tell him the above she says she has gone to the brothers to trade boats and they have abused her and that she expects Thorvard to do something about it. She berates him unmercifully - it must have been a long night for him - and she eventually threatens to divorce him on their return to Greenland. Goaded thus, he takes his crew and removes to the other dwelling and surrounds it with its sleeping crew. A party enters and binds the men - twenty in number - and then they are brought out one by one and killed. The five women are then brought out but there is universal refusal to kill them, at which Freydis takes an ax and "leaves them dead."

She swears the crew to secrecy under pain of death and eventually the party returns to Greenland - some say in the brothers' ship. The saga called "Flateybok is explicit that this homeward trip commenced, "-in early Spring, and they arrived in Greenland after a happy trip in early Summer" (This key statement has been completely overlooked by most as to its significance. It means a journey of at least two months at the very least, and if we consider that the seasons are later at northern latitudes it could well represent four months travel time.)

Soon rumors abound as to the fate of the missing crew. Dark suspicions arise as to events at Vinland. Leif, who had inherited leadership on the death of Erick the same year as his return, has two or three of the crew seized and put to torture. They separately tell identical stories which are accepted as thus being true.

Freydis is brought to trial and convicted but rather than mete out severe punishment Leif simply makes the anguished statement, "I have not a mind to do unto Freydis what justice demands. I only say that her and her clan and children will amount to but little." This explicit and probably most effective curse is the final direct reference to Leifsbudir in the famous Vinland sagas. There is no further remark or mention in the Greenland epics of any interest in the place. It is possible that these devout Christians felt that the settlement to which they had traveled for over twenty years was now unfit for further habitation.

On the whole it is a dramatic and effective tale, as are many others surrounding the Vinland voyages. One can almost feel the wry, dry menace of Freydis' madness. The scene where the two antagonists meet and sit on the log for talk can almost be brought to the mind's eye.