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Modern day "Vikings" land at L'Anse aux Meadows Writer and adventurer Hodding Carter and his crew of eight, aboard the replica Viking ship Snorri, made landfall at L'Anse aux Meadows this morning, marking the completion of his dream to retrace the voyage to the new World of legendary Viking explorer Leif Erikson. Expedition leader Carter, Snorri Captain Terry Moore and the crew came ashore in a fashion worthy of the Vikings, jumping over the side after securing the vessel, and swimming ashore to a welcome by hundreds of people, including school children from the area who were on hand to witness the event. "It's been almost 1,000 years since an authentic Viking knarr sailed from Greenland to L'Anse aux Meadows, and at times it has seemed like we have been trying for nearly as long," Carter said. "We have overcome all odds and it simply feels great. I hope that through our experience people now have a better understanding of what once made the Vikings the rulers of the seas." "I have never been happier to cast my eyes on a place than on L'Anse aux Meadows," Carter added. "I will be forever grateful to our captain, our courageous crew, Land's End, and all the people who encouraged us on our way." Carter and crew set sail on June 28 from Nuuk, Greenland in their second attempt to retrace history. Since that time, the crew has sailed the Snorri almost 1,800 miles in the icy waters of the North Atlantic, from Greenland across the Davis Strait to Baffin Island and south along the coast of Labrador toward L'Anse aux Meadows, a UNESCO World Heritage site - the only confirmed Viking settlement in North America. The landfall celebration included a presentation to the crew of Snorri of a ceremonial gift of wild berries and flatbreads by a group of children, signifying the `harvest of the land' that Leif Erikson called Vinland. Carter later presented the Snorri to the Viking Trail Tourism Association (VTTA) by handing a ceremonial oar to VTTA President Barb Genge. The replica will become a permanent part of the interpretation at the L'Anse aux Meadows national historic site. "The arrival of the Snorri at L'Anse aux Meadows is a tangible 20th century link with Viking marine exploits of a thousand years ago," said Chris Decker, Minister of Justice and Attorney General on behalf of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. "This voyage has been an incredible adventure unto itself, and an event that underscores the celebrations which lie ahead for Newfoundland and Labrador." In the year 2000, L'Anse aux Meadows and the Viking Trail as a whole will be the focus of a significant international Viking celebration, as the 1,000th anniversary of the Viking landfall at L'Anse aux Meadows will be observed. The minister commended the New Vinland Foundation, Hodding Carter, and Lands' End Direct Merchants, the expedition's sole sponsor, for their roles in the project, and made special mention of the donation of the Snorri to the Viking Trail Tourism Association and Parks Canada. "This is an incredible gesture on the part of all associated with the Snorri voyage, and the Snorri will be a wonderful complement to the unmatched array of Viking exhibits found at L'Anse aux Meadows," Decker added. The Snorri's arrival signifies the first time that Leif Erikson's 1,000-year-old voyage has been retraced in an authentic wind-and man-powered Viking knarr. The entire journey is chronicled on the Beyond Lands' End web site www.beyond.landsend.com where thousands of people around the globe have followed this incredible journey through the crew's daily journal entries and compelling digital photography. Contact:
1998 09 22 5:30 p.m.
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