The Native Americans and Vikings...??

Question

Native Americans and the Vikings...
What was it like for Native Americans and Vikings when they met? Was it hostile? Friendly? How did they interact, etc...
Do you know if their are any records of their meeting?
I'd appreciate any information you can give me on this (even links to helpful websites)

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

It was during the voyages of the son of Erik the Red namely Lief Erickson many centuries before Columbus' voyage in 1000 CE. The Vikings encountered the Natives of Newfoundland and one Robert Cahill wrote a book that says they went further south into New England.

It is likely that the violent nature of Vikings may have been viewed as inhospitable by some of the many violent tribal nations of eastern Canada and New England. I would imagine that if they had met up with the Narragansett's, Mohawk, Mic-Mac, Algonquian, or other nations that did not care for rude/violent outsiders there may have been a skirmish or too.

Then there are the theories that Vikings made it all the way to Minnesota? Well suffice it to say they'd have to run into the same violent tribes as Lewis and Clark did. The Mandan would have had a real doozie of a skirmish with them if they tried to bully their way through Minnesota. The Black Foot would have had a field day with them too. No contest there. No Vikings would have survived that one. After a long arduous Viking travel and portage across Canada the Black Foot would have had a hometown advantage.

Here's a little trivia: The Chinese traveled to California and all the way down to South America way before even the Vikings and before Christ was born! They never had ONE battle with the Native Americans. The same goes for ancient Romans, Phoenicians, and Egyptians. Only the Vikings, English, and Spaniards didn't seem to know how to be cordial when visiting somebody else's country! Indian country that is... Something to do with MANIFEST DESTINY and Imperial Hubris?

Answer 2

It was fairly hostile. This information does not come from any written account, since there is none, but rather from the archaeological remains in Newfoundland. The remnants of the Viking community is a defensive ring fort, thus indicating that there was some hostility. There is also some spread of arrowheads, weapons etc. that suggest there was some battles that took place. Ultimately the Vikings considered Newfoundland more trouble than it was worth (and the weather was bad also).

Answer 3

One story is that they got along fine until the Vikings gave the Native Americans milk. Since the Natives were lactos intolerant, that made them sick, and they thought they had been poisoned. After that, the Vikings had to leave.

Answer 4

The one story i know. A group of vikings came down to the east coast. Once there they started a settlement, sometime during there stay a small group of vikings went to explore and came back and found there family slaughtered and horses stolen. So the small group with there warrior ways went to fight and slaughtered Indians and in turned killed. Thats one of the more famous cases. It's suspected that the native americans Took/stole horses because they were a sharing people and the vikings took it a little to seriously

Answer 5

They generally ignored each other.