June 25, 2022, St. John’s-
L’Anse aux Meadows Along the northern tip of Newfoundland, there once lived at least three nations of people, who were lumped together by the Viking fishermen, upon their landing at Quirpon Island and the nearby mainland, and called Skraeling, after the term they used to describe the Inuit of Greenland. The term variously means “wearer of animal pelts”, “wearer of dried skins”, “barbarians” or even “weaklings”.
At first, the Vikings stayed on Quirpon and at the sight now known as L’Anse aux Meadows ,a corruption of the French L’Anse aux Medee, which means “Medea’s Cove”, after a ship Medea, of the French commercial fishing fleet that docked in what is now Gumper’s Bay, in the 16th and 17th Centuries. The Vikings first settled here in 990 A.D. and went back to Greenland in 1050. so their artifacts being here at all are an extra treasure. Whether they also went south to Cape Cod is still up for debate.
The above scene shows the boggy area that greeted the Vikings. They had to choose their steps very carefully. Visitors today have nice boardwalks on which to tread.
My first walk was on Harry Youden’s Trail. He was a fervent supporter of unearthing Viking relics in this area, which was one of his favourite places to walk and meditate.
The above sculpture was commissioned by UNESCO, when L’Anse aux Meadows was designated a World Heritage Site.
Below, one of several mementos left by Harry, creating both a personal and “Fae” ambiance.
Note the ventilation ducts. The Norse used them, and here’s why:
One of the few women in the settlement group was a sailor’s wife, who was also a sale maker. As she was not sewing sails all the time, she busied herself with creative projects, like this above.
I spoke for several minutes with the docent who portrayed this busy woman, as well as with the woodworking and cook docents. All of them emphasized the constant work that needed doing, twelve hours a day, seven days a week, in this novel environment. All of the settlers longed, constantly, for “home”-Greenland.
NEXT POST: The road to Deer Lake (with Gros Morne National Park along the way)
A Sagittarian Seeker 
It’s beautiful country — however – when I was in Churchill, MB, I realized that there is not enough light for me to thrive in the far north or the far south — I find that lack of light a little depressing, having grown up much closer to the tropics! I love the idea of Harry’s little house and the carving — and of course the dog’s library!
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This time of year, light abounds-then again, there is that LONG winter.
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But even now the sun is low in the sky — rather than overhead. That makes a huge difference to the light level!
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Yes, it does. Interestingly, the central part of the island is much warmer than the southern area. The same is true of Labrador.
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Very interesting place! I think I’d like to spend several days there!! And there are lots of geocaches there too!
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One could easily spend a month on Newfoundland. The distances are seemingly great, end to end. I chose to limit myself to a “sampler” of 5 days- with spirit messages to go specifically to L’Anse aux Meadows and the Burin Peninsula. Those were two of the three places where I received the warmest welcomes.
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