historical lectures and essays(查尔斯金斯利历史讲座)






                       Historical Lectures and Essays 



 Historical Lectures and 

                        Essays 



                       by Charles Kingsley 



                                     1 


… Page 2…

                                 Historical Lectures and Essays 



           THE FIRST DISCOVERY OF 

                               AMERICA 



     Let me begin this lecture {1} with a scene in the North Atlantic 863 

years since。 

     〃Bjarne Grimolfson was blown with his ship into the Irish Ocean; and 

there came worms and the ship began to sink under them。                     They had a 

boat which they had payed with seals’ blubber; for that the sea… worms will 

not hurt。    But when they got into the boat they saw that it would not hold 

them all。     Then said Bjarne; ’As the boat will only hold the half of us; my 

advice is that we should draw lots who shall go in her; for that will not be 

unworthy of our manhood。’ This advice seemed so good that none gainsaid 

it; and they drew lots。       And the lot fell to Bjarne that he should go in the 

boat   with   half   his   crew。  But   as   he   got   into   the   boat;   there   spake   an 

Icelander who was in the ship and had followed Bjarne from Iceland; ’Art 

thou   going   to   leave   me   here;   Bjarne?’  Quoth   Bjarne;   ’So   it   must   be。’ 

Then said the man; ’Another thing didst thou promise my father; when I 

sailed with thee from Iceland; than to desert me thus。             For thou saidst that 

we both should share the same lot。’ Bjarne said; ’And that we will not do。 

Get thou down into the boat; and I will get up into the ship; now I see that 

thou   art so greedy  after  life。’    So   Bjarne   went   up   into the  ship;  and the 

man   went down   into   the boat;   and   the boat   went on   its   voyage   till   they 

came to Dublin in Ireland。          Most men say that Bjarne and his rades 

perished among the worms; for they were never heard of after。〃 

     This story may serve as a text for my whole lecture。             Not only does it 

smack   of   the   sea…breeze   and   the   salt   water;   like   all   the   finest   old   Norse 

sagas; but it gives a glimpse at least of the nobleness which underlay the 

grim   and   often   cruel   nature   of   the   Norseman。    It   belongs;   too;   to   the 



                                               2 


… Page 3…

                                    Historical Lectures and Essays 



culminating   epoch;   to   the   beginning   of   that   era   when   the   Scandinavian 

peoples had their great times; when the old fierceness of the worshippers 

of Thor and Odin was tempered; without being effeminated; by the Faith 

of   the   〃White   Christ;〃   till   the very  men   who   had   been   the   destroyers   of 

Western Europe became its civilisers。 

     It   should   have;   moreover;   a   special   interest   to   Americans。         Foras 

American   antiquaries   are   well   awareBjarne   was   on   his   voyage   home 

from the coast of New England; possibly from that very Mount Hope Bay 

which      seems    to  have    borne    the   same    name     in  the  time    of  those    old 

Norsemen; as afterwards in the days of King Philip; the last sachem of the 

Wampanong          Indians。     He    was    going    back    to  Greenland;      perhaps     for 

reinforcements;         finding;     he    and    his    fellow…captain;       Thorfinn;      the 

Esquimaux   who   then   dwelt   in   that   land   too   strong   for   them。         For   the 

Norsemen   were   then   on   the   very   edge   of   discovery;   which   might   have 

changed   the   history   not   only   of   this   continent   but   of   Europe   likewise。 

They had found and colonised Iceland and Greenland。                         They had found 

Labrador; and called it Helluland; from its ice…polished rocks。                      They had 

found   Nova   Scotia   seemingly;   and   called   it   Markland;   from   its   woods。 

They  had   found   New  England;   and   called it   Vinland   the   Good。              A  fair 

land   they   found   it;   well   wooded;   with   good   pasturage;   so   that   they   had 

already imported cows; and a bull whose lowings terrified the Esquimaux。 

They had found self…sown corn too; probably maize。                       The streams were 

full   of   salmon。    But   they   had   called   the   land   Vinland;   by   reason   of   its 

grapes。      Quaint enough; and bearing in its very quaintness the stamp of 

truth; is the story of the first finding of the wild fox…grapes。                    How Leif 

the Fortunate; almost as soon as he first landed; missed a little wizened old 

German   servant   of   his   father’s;   Tyrker   by   name;   and   was   much   vexed 

thereat; for he had been brought up on the old man’s knee; and hurrying off 

to find him met Tyrker ing back twisting his eyes abouta trick of his… 

…smacking   his   lips   and   talking   German   to   himself   in   high   excitement。 

And when they get him to talk Norse again; he says:                        〃I have not been 

far; but I have news for you。             I have found vines and grapes!〃              〃Is that 



                                                  3 


… Page 4…

                                    Historical Lectures and Essays 



true; foster…father?〃 says Leif。           〃True it is;〃 says the old German; 〃for I 

was brought up where there was never any lack of them。〃 

     The sagaas given by Rafnhad a detailed description of this quaint 

personage’s   appearance;   and   it   would   not   he   amiss   if   American   wine… 

growers       should     employ     an    American      sculptorand       there   are    great 

American sculptorsto render that description into marble; and set up little 

Tyrker in some public place; as the Silenus of the New World。 

     Thus the first cargoes homeward from Vinland to Greenland had been 

of timber and of raisins; and of vine…stocks; which were not like to thrive。 

     And   more。      Beyond   Vinland   the   Good   there   was said   to   be   another 

land; Whiteman’s Landor Ireland the Mickle; as some called it。 For these 

Norse      traders   from     Limerick     had    found     Ari   Marson;     and    Ketla    of 

Ruykjanes; supposed to have been long since drowned at sea; and said that 

the people had made him and Ketla chiefs; and baptized Ari。                       What is all 

this?    and   what     is  this;  too;   which    the   Esquimaux       children     taken   in 

Markland told the Northmen; of a land beyond them where the folk wore 

white clothes; and carried flags on poles?                Are these all dreams? or was 

some   part   of   that   great   civilisation;   the   relics   whereof   your   antiquarians 

find   in   so   many   parts   of   the   United   States;   still   in   existence   some   900 

years ago; and were these old Norse cousins of ours upon the very edge of 

it?    Be that as it may; how nearly did these fierce Vikings; some of whom 

seemed to have sailed far south along the shore; bee aware that just 

beyond them lay a land of fruits and spices; gold and gems?                     The adverse 

current   of   the   Gulf   Stream;   it   may   be;   would   have   long   prevented   their 

getting   past   the   Bahamas   into   the   Gulf   of   Mexico;   but;   sooner   or   later; 

some storm must have carried a Greenland viking to San Domingo or to 

Cuba; and then; as has been well said; some Scandinavian dynasty might 

have sat upon the throne of Mexico。 

     These stories   are   well   known   to   antiquarians。         They   may  be   found; 

almost   all   of   them;   in   Professor   Rafn’s   〃Antiquitates   Americanae。〃   The 

action   in   them   stands   out   often   so   clear   and   dramatic;   that   the   internal 

evidence   of   historic   truth   is   irresistible。    Thorvald;   who;   when   he   saw 



                                                  4 


… Page 5…

                                    Historical Lectures and Essays 



what seems to be; they say; the bluff head of Alderton at the south…east end 

of   Boston     Bay;    said;  〃Here    should     I  like  to  dwell;〃    and;   shot   by   an 

Esquimaux arrow; bade bury him on that place; with a cross at his head 

and    a  cross    at  his  feet;  and   call   the  place    Cross    Ness   for   evermore; 

Gudrida; the magnificent widow; who wins hearts and sees strange deeds 

from Iceland to Greenland; and Greenland to Vinland and back; and at last; 

worn out and sad; goes off on a pilgrimage to Rome; Helgi and Finnbogi; 

the  Norwegians;   who;   like   our Arctic   voyagers   in   after   times;   devise   all 

sorts   of   sports   and   games   to   keep   the   men   in   humour   during   the   long 

winter at Hope; and l