Did Vikings Reach the US?

American History Hit

History Hit

America, History

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 17 February 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What is a Viking? Did they really make it to the United States? And if so, how far did they get?

Don speaks to Martyn Whittock about the norse landings in North America. From the Icelandic sagas to the archaeological evidence that supports them, listen as we separate the truth from the myths.

Martyn is an author, educational consultant and former teacher. His book on this subject is American Vikings.

Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcript

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0:00.0	The wood planking creaks as we pull hard on the oars against a stiff, outgoing tide,
0:07.0	our ship riding a swell towards a rocky coastline rising ahead. Towering cliffs, spotted with green,
0:14.0	are punctuated by waterfalls, inlets, the opening of what might be a small bay. In the waters around us, teeming schools of fish shimmer on the surface
0:23.6	as birds dive into them.
0:25.6	Nearby, two plumes of water aspirate as great whales exhale from below.
0:31.6	A rainbow arcs through the mist.
0:34.6	Scanning the shoreline for a suitable landing spot, we head for a break in the rocky outcroppings,
0:41.1	where we see an inviting blue-black calm beyond the huge boulders.
0:45.6	From all we've seen today, everywhere we've sailed, it seems certain this land is without
0:50.7	inhabitants.
0:52.4	Can you imagine?
0:53.6	A world far from our own,
0:55.4	a new land,
0:56.8	a warmer land,
0:58.6	rich with forests,
0:59.8	open spaces,
1:00.7	and abundant wildlife.
1:02.6	At home,
1:03.4	we will boast of our success.
1:05.4	This voyage to a new realm,
1:07.1	a new world,
1:08.8	which we call our own.
	...

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