Vinland Flag - What Might Have Been Magnet

Around the year 1100, Leif Eriksson became the first known European to lead an expedition to North America. The Viking explorer named three distinct regions: Helluland (the Land of Flat Stones, which was Baffin Island in Canada), Markland (the Land of Forests, which was likely in Labrador), and Vinland (the Land of Wine, which was in Newfoundland and possibly New England). While a wine industry has recently flourished in New England, there is little evidence the Vikings actually fostered or tended vineyards. However, the specter of a lush land where grapes could thrive was an enticing inducement for Vikings seeking a more temperate life than they had in, say, Greenland. Thus, by using a title like Vinland, Leif Eriksson may have been the first real estate promoter in North America. The Viking settlements lasted for approximately 30 years, as they ultimately concluded they couldn't (or wouldn't) co-exist with the local tribes. One has to wonder, though, what might have been if the Vikings had stayed and prospered. They had a tolerant culture, were the inventors of a parliament that allowed free assembly, and maintained an upwardly mobile social structure. In short, they were centuries ahead of their time. The actual Viking flag in Vinland depicted a raven. This is a hypothetical flag that has become associated with the thought of a modern-day Vinland and all that it might have represented.