At that time, the title of Canada had not yet appeared. In the east, the scholar-bureaucrats of the Song Dynasty enjoyed the glory of co-ruling the world with Emperor Renzong, and the commoner peasants silently shouldered the heavy responsibility of paying food and taxes, apportioning and changing care, and the lucky ones would be sent to the front line in the northwest to see for themselves Watch the head-on charge of the Dangxiang cavalry. This ushered in an early spring in the first half of the 11th century.
At the same time, people in the far western world are struggling to survive, even the Vikings, who are famous for their tenacity and fierceness, are no exception. As the countries of continental Europe became increasingly vigilant, plundering became difficult to gain. With the rise of religion in the general environment, the competition in the field of thought trumps the direct destruction of the body, and the bloody and brutal “Viking Age” is about to come to an end .
The once valiant warrior gradually became a farmer with his head bowed, or a well-behaved hunter and fisherman. The pioneers of exploration who galloped the ocean in the past were also troubled by the extremely realistic daily problem of eating. Unable to withstand the double blow of reduced trade and worsening climate, they had to bow their heads proudly and packed up their bags from various strongholds. The first and last official Viking settlers in Canada—and even on the North American continent—are boarding ships to return home .
Although it took only three years for the Vikings to come here across the ocean, they built a small home after all. Now, the Viking village of Meadows Bay, the northernmost tip of Newfoundland , is deserted. There is no sound of the stove in the blacksmith shop, no sawdust flying in the shipyard, and the turf and wooden houses that used to be full of jokes and scolding suddenly left only silence. All the houses are now like tombstones strewn about in a tomb, telling of a tumultuous past that is lifeless.
The dragon boat sets sail. While the wooden oars are moving evenly, the horizon behind you looks farther and farther, and finally disappears under the slight waves inadvertently. Leaving North America and leaving this land called “Vinland” made the Vikings have mixed feelings, as if people who did not know the Wei and Jin Dynasties were forced to leave the Peach Blossom Land. Silence brought thoughts floating in the mind. For the majority of the Vikings, looting was not the only option. If there was a piece of fertile land that could be cultivated freely, who would want to be rushed to the battlefield by the Valkyrie? Even the legendary Valhalla Temple has endless wine.
The blizzard destroyed the hope of staying, and the hostility with the locals made them restless. Coupled with the frightening and continuous plague, the Vikings were exhausted and determined to return to Northern Europe. For the future of Canada, the current end of the world, let it return to tranquility, and everything seems to have the illusion of the old days tens of thousands of years ago.
Original North America:
What was Canada like ten thousand years ago? Like everywhere in the world, there are no humans in this land. In the wilderness, there are only wild animals playing and birds chasing. Bison and musk ox gallop in groups, mammoths and mastodons walk leisurely, and ancient reindeer and giant beavers haunt the riverside.
About 20,000 to 10,000 years ago (early research said 14,000 years ago), the first group of humans visited the North American continent. At this time, early humans had already covered Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia, leaving traces of civilization everywhere, such as buried ancestors, abandoned huts, smashed stones, and even gnawed bones. They live and go, and are about to arrive at the last continent – America.
These earliest residents of North America came from the cold Siberia in Asia, and they stayed at Beiling Road Bridge when they migrated eastward. In addition to the huge glaciers blocking the way ahead, the relatively mild climate and herds on the tundra also retained people. Thousands of years allowed them to form an isolated and unique population, the ancestor of all later Native Americans. When the North American ice cap melted, a road leading to the interior of the continent was revealed. go or stay? Not only out of natural curiosity and unstoppable desire to explore, but also the practical need to track prey to fill today’s belly, people pass through Alaska and head south along the ice-free zone on the east side of the Rocky Mountains, with the North American continent at their feet.
Early humans in Canada – (about 24000 BC-8000 BC)
The Yukon Territory (Yukon), on the northwestern border of modern Canada, has left the “Bluefish Caves” site (Bluefish Caves) that records early human activities in North America .
In three inconspicuous small caves, there are many bones of mammoths, Yukon horses, tundra musk oxen, fish, and birds. The surface of the bones has unnatural traces of tool chopping. After scientific testing, the remains of 4 species of fish, 1 species of amphibian, 23 species of birds, and 35 species of mammals were found, whose age was determined to be about 24,000 years ago by radiocarbon testing .
It is not difficult to infer that the ancient humans who entered North America used the Blue Fish Cave as a special kitchen. They drag all kinds of trophies from hunting in the tundra into the cave, skin and bone, cut into pieces, and feast on the flesh. People not only fed their stomachs, but also used the remaining bones to make more weapons and tools to facilitate more hunting and processing. It can be regarded as the originator of recycling.
The humans who came to North America are called Paleo- Indians . They were skilled hunters and were able to use tactics against huge mammoths, mastodons, and ancient bison. This depends on the carefully crafted grooved stone spear point. Even today, when we see the sharpness of the hand-made spear point with a beautiful streamlined shape, we will sigh that it is not easy to make. This is the famous Clovis culture among the ancient Indians .
(With the different characteristics of stone tool processing, the cultures of different early human groups can be distinguished. The picture shows the Clovis spearhead)
The ancient Indians both hunted animals and collected fruits and vegetables. They seldom stayed in one place for a long time, and were accustomed to a wandering life in search of food and migration. They moved slowly south together in a big family of 20 to 50 people. From the territory of modern Canada into the United States, across North America to Mexico, and later went deeper into the jungles of South America, they became the ancestors of most Native Americans. In the process of continuous moving, ancient humans always favored those places with lush aquatic plants and animals. At that time, due to the lowering of the sea level in western Canada, a prairie (the modern Haida Gwaii Islands) appeared near the Queen Charlotte Strait and the Hecate Strait, which was very suitable for birds and animals to breed. The ancient Indians regarded this place as home for 4,000 thousand years, leaving behind a lot of domestic waste, which is the unique stone tools and leftover large animal remains unearthed in modern times.
More than 10,000 years ago, the “Young Dryas” incident broke out, and the global temperature dropped rapidly. North American animals experienced mass extinction. Many large animals such as mammoths, mastodons, camels, and horses did not survive, and the Clovis culture gradually disappeared. The harsh environment tests all creatures. Compared with animals, ancient humans can rely not only on their survival instincts, but also on the thinking and analysis brought by their developed brains. Clovis’s long-standing tradition was gradually abandoned, and people adapted to survive with new strategies.
From 9000 BC, the surviving humans developed Plano cultures in the Great Plains region from central Canada to central America . The ancient Indians used the new hunting techniques they had pondered and summed up in the wilderness. Although there are no mammoths, herds of bison are good targets. They don’t use brute force to swarm up and fight recklessly, but use a unique strategy of intimidating, driving, and guiding the cattle to make them rush off the cliff in a panic. Initially, it may have come from a flash of inspiration after someone has observed it for a long time, and it has been successful through repeated practice. In the following thousands of years, this method developed from crude to more mature, and even became a unique culture called “bison leaping”.
Due to the lack of native horses, it was not easy to drive the bison. The ancient Indians could only make up for it with brains and technology. According to modern records of the Blackfoot people, they would place two rows of hundreds of stone piles near the cliff in advance, stretching for about 3 kilometers, forming a road-like passage. Then some experienced young people put on animal skins, dress up as wolves or coyotes, and go to scare the cattle. They are also responsible for leading frightened bison into the passage. Next, the instinct of the herd will make them run all the way until they rush down the end of the channel – a cliff more than 10 meters high. The Indian warriors are already waiting here, and will use spears and sticks to end the bison with injured legs and feet. There are often many prey, so the processing camps are set up very close. The women will not stay out of it. They are responsible for further processing the bison parts that have been initially processed, such as sewing cowhide pockets to store fresh beef marinated in thick butter, turning strong beef bones into hand tools, and tanning cowhide into leather clothing. or tent material. The food, clothing, housing and transportation of dozens of people almost all come from the dedication of the buffalo herd.
(The Bison Jumping Cliff Museum is located 18 kilometers west of Fort McLeod, Alberta , Canada , on Highway 785. This hunting ground has been used for about 5,000 years, and many similar hunting grounds have been found in North America)
A successful hunt is hard-won, and often requires the joint sweating and hard work of all the villagers, but the beef feast for many days will satisfy everyone, and even accidentally produced the early artistic impulse to splash ink on the rock wall. Due to the spectacular hunting, a young Blackfoot tribe once wanted to witness the shocking scene of the cattle jumping off the cliff at close range, but was accidentally trapped in it. When people found him, he had been crushed into a mash by a large pile of thick bison bodies, and even his head was completely smashed into slag.
Favorable technologies will naturally be spread. About 8,000-7,000 years ago, aborigines of many different cultures began to use the method of driving bison to hunt, which gradually became one of the characteristics of North America .
Archaic period – (about 8000 BC-3000 BC)
As the climate in North America gradually returned to normal and the glaciers retreated, the newly exposed grasslands and lakes nourished bison and reindeer, and also expanded the living area of the ancient Indians. Traces of humans have appeared in the Arctic, the West Coast, the Northwest Territories, and the Central Plains. Some ancient Indians began to adopt settlement methods. They hunted deer in the mountains, butchered cattle in the plains, and fished in the sea. A wooden framed leather tent for shelter from the elements.
8500 BC, Folsom culture (Folsom tradition) appeared in central North America. Their stone tools and weapons differ from the Plano culture, which also lived on Canadian soil and may have been neighbors. The Folsom also hunt bison, but their daily diet is richer, from big bison, deer, goats, to small woodchucks and cottontail rabbits. There is archaeological evidence that they may have started building stationary dwellings rather than tents.
(The spearhead of Folsom culture is streamlined and sharper)
Just like all the inhabitants in other parts of the world, the ancient Indian brothers and sisters in early Canada hunted and gathered together, only the division of labor was different, and there was no distinction. As time goes by, people become more and more proficient in obtaining food and materials, and the more they eat, the more they privately own. Life is easier for those who are strong and handy, but those who are weak and sick are in trouble, and the gap between rich and poor begins. In the tombs of the ancients discovered today, some have only a few crude tools, and some are covered with shells, flint, bone implements and exquisite weapons. The system of chiefs or chiefs emerged naturally and silently.
Around 8000 BC, the climate in North America stabilized and was already similar to the environment of modern Canada . As sea levels rose, the Bering land bridge was submerged by the ocean, and the Americas were completely isolated from other continents . As immigrants, the ancient Indians could only settle in their new homes. They migrated farther and farther. During the trekking process, people continued to sum up their life experiences and began to artificially plant crops, such as melons and beans. A branch of Paleo-Indians, the Na-Dene language family (Na-Dene) is distributed throughout Northwest and Central Canada. They are the earliest ancestors of the Athabascan natives, such as the later martial Apaches and the Navajos who were skilled in farming and animal husbandry. The villages where they gather have large houses built for multiple families to live together. Know how to hunt and fish to store food for winter. In the southern region, the Wyandot people are active between the Great Lakes. They are used to hunting reindeer better than bison ( Wyandot, also known as the Wyandot people).
In 7000 BC, the inhabitants of the west coast of Canada also had a distinctive way of life. On Vancouver Island in the southwest, the Nuu- chah -nulth people are becoming more proficient at whaling. They hunt gray whales and humpback whales close to the coast with special spears. There are records that show that the Nuchanuerte people sometimes hunted and killed the overlord of the sea, the killer whale, regardless of the risk, in order to show their bravery. In their culture, killer whales rule the oceans and have better quality meat than other large whales. Whaling activities vary from tribe to tribe, but generally involve bathing, abstinence, prayer, and unique rituals before and after the hunt. Once a whale is captured, the meat becomes food for people, the blubber is used for lighting, and the bone becomes a material. The whole whale is hardly wasted.
Woodland Age – (approximately 3000 BC-1000 AD)
In 3000 BC, many long houses and houses with boats as roofs could be seen along the Atlantic coast of northeastern Canada. Some of the inhabitants are infrequent because they spend their time trading and selling goods among the tribes. The scope of the transaction expanded with each business operation, and later extended from eastern Canada to the vicinity of modern New York in the United States. From this came the currency , which was a beautiful white flint from Labrador.
The people here are known as the ” Red Paint People” because of their preference for using red ocher in large quantities in their burials . Some tribes live on the coast in summer and inland in winter, while others live on the coast all year round. The figure of the red-painted man is active among the currents and waves, and is good at fishing and gathering, and can even make boats specially for fishing ferocious swordfish. In addition to cooking fresh fish and shells, they sometimes eat animal meat and roots, acorns, berries, nuts and the like. In this era, the red lacquer people had not yet mastered pottery making and metal processing, and bones and stones were still the main source of tools for the tribe.
In 2500 BC, in the area on the east coast of the Bering Strait near the North Pole, some human beings who did not migrate south were left here, and the glimmer of civilization also became shining. The ancients looked for seals on the snow-swept sea, and caught fat salmon by the streams where the snow melted. Countless hunting experience and long-term processing of skin and meat led them to create a series of small and practical processing knives, such as scrapers, carving knives, adzes, barbed arrowheads and sharp spears. The appearance of the bow and arrow greatly enhanced the hunting success rate of the Arctic people.
It is not difficult for us to imagine the scene at that time. A few Arctic ancestors emerged from the turf houses on the shore, wearing leather felt hats, holding bows and arrows, and a solid tool bag tied around their waists, looking like an old hunter. They are called the ” Arctic Small Tool tradition ” by scientists. They lived in the Canadian Arctic and Greenland. They were good at making knives and bows, and later learned to fire pottery. The “Arctic Gadget Tradition” in different regions has its own characteristics. Some of them later evolved into Dorset culture, but many tribes and traditions have disappeared in the long river of history.
In 2000 BC, the ancients living inland also gradually transformed nature, and the residents around the Great Lakes accidentally discovered natural chalcopyrite. Those yellow things in the crushed rock and gravel made people curious at first, and then they found that they could be beaten and deformed, and then they were quickly processed into various simple tools. Although not too hard, its flexibility and ductility are much better than ordinary stones. In addition, the craft of excavating clay and burning paper pottery began to spread to various ethnic groups. On the North American continent, this technology was first invented by the Laurentians in southern Ontario . They creatively made pointed-bottomed cups and decorated them with Jomon patterns. With the introduction of teosinte from southern Mexico, Canadian aborigines began to cultivate and domesticate it, and early corn appeared . Supplemented with pumpkins and beans, people’s diet was guaranteed, and the population continued to increase. However, because horses and camels in North America have long been extinct, and bison are difficult to domesticate, it is difficult for Canadian residents to achieve large-scale farming. It is unimaginable to plow the fields without cattle and horses.
(Ancient corn unearthed)
In 500 BC, the Dorset culture emerged in the northern Nunavut region . In the arctic blizzard, human beings never completely disappeared. The Dorset people are different from the later Thule people and the Inuit (Eskimos), they are taller and stronger. They are not very used to communicating with other races, and “easily escape” when encountering situations.
In contrast to the earlier arctic gadget tradition, the Dorset people did not use bows and arrows. They hunted marine mammals with harpoons and spears. Such as seals, walruses or narwhals. Once the animals breathed through the holes in the ice, the ambush hunters would suddenly attack. For land animals such as polar bears and reindeer that also appear near the coast, the Dorset people seldom choose them as targets. They seem to have their own fixed living habits, that is, they completely rely on marine animals . Although the Dorset people do not drill holes, they use stone knives to create elaborate small wood carvings, bone carvings and characteristic masks.
The Baffin Island Oral History records some of the characteristics and experiences of the Dorset people:
“The earliest inhabitants (there) were giants, who had such a broad chest that they could grab a whole seal with their bare hands. They walked on the ice and never fell. Although they were strong, they had no weapons for war. Later, the new Those who arrived drove them from the sea.”
Since 300 BC, the Hopewell culture in central and eastern North America has flourished. They are famous for their exquisite handicrafts and exquisite tombs, and they also have a lot of experience in trade. Canada’s ancient people were also influenced as the Hopewells sold pots, drinking glasses, pipes, earrings, and children’s toys to and from Lake Ontario. Who would have guessed that the simple place where the north and the south communicated with each other at that time would turn into a bustling city of Toronto in the future.
(Hopeville Cultural Trade Network)
(complex rituals of the Hopewell culture)
In 200 BC, some new faces appeared near the Bering Strait. Thule people , who are the ancestors of the future Inuit people. The neighboring Dorset people already existed, and the Thule people can still show a very obvious advantage of their own ethnic group. They are lean and short in stature, tough in character and strong in manipulative ability, and they are quite adapted to life on the sea. Archaeologists have found the kayaks they used, large skinned boats that were built to last. In the early days, the Thule people hunted seals and walruses with a single boat, and later they were able to cooperate with multiple boats to round up bowhead whales in stormy waves. They kept learning, first made harpoons with walrus ivory and antlers, then added inflatable buoys to the harpoon lines, made various shapes of spearheads for harpoons, and finally invented bone bows and arrows and bone helmet armor.
(Modern restored image of Thule)
Ships make hunting and transportation more convenient for the Thule people, and unity makes the collective cooperation of the Thule people smoother. On the seaside wilderness, the solid houses made of snow-white whale bones and cold hard rocks proudly demonstrate the strength of this ethnic group. The residents of Dorset would rather give in than go to war against the expansion of the Thule people, and finally disappeared around the 16th century.
(Remains of whalebone houses of the Thule people)
After entering AD, large and small villages and small towns were scattered all over Canada, dotted and invisible trade routes connected them naturally. Some tribes are friendly and help each other, while others are enemies. Some groups disappear and new ones arise.
To the northwest, there are the Athapaskan, Slavey, Dogrib, Tutchone and Tlingit.
Pacific coast, Tsimshian, Haida, Salish, Kwakiutl, Heiltsuk, Nootka , Nisga’a, Senakw, Gitxsan.
In the central plain, there are Niisitapi, Káínawa, Tsuutina, and Piikáni.
In the northern woodlands, there are Nēhiyawak and Chipewyan.
Near the Great Lakes, there are Anishinaabe, Algonquin, Iroquois, Haudenosaunee, and Wendat.
Along the Atlantic coast, there are Beothuk, Wolastoqiyik, Innu, Abenaki, and Mi’kmaq.
Viking Visits:
In 986 AD, the North American continent was finally visited by foreign guests. Although it was only a glimpse from afar, Canada had the first contact with other civilizations.
It was a Viking captain, Bjarni Herjólfsson . In the tenth century, conquest and adventure were still popular among the Vikings. As a captain of a merchant ship, Biyani often traded his cargo on the ocean. Although he lives in Norway, Bijani is very filial and visits his parents in Iceland regularly every summer. “Legend of the Greenlanders” records that that year, Bijani sailed to visit his parents as usual, and when he arrived in Iceland, he discovered that his father had gone to Greenland with the famous explorer Erik the Red. Greenland is a new land that has just been developed for a few years, and the old man of his father is amazing. But he didn’t say hello before going out, and the son couldn’t feel relieved that he couldn’t see the old man, so he had to run again. In the summer, Biani and his crew set sail westward. The straight-line distance from Iceland to Greenland is more than 800 kilometers, which was not an easy journey in the Middle Ages. And the sea is no better than the land, and it didn’t take long for something to go wrong.
A sudden storm beat Biani and the crew to pieces, and the ship deviated greatly from its course. Because there is no chart and compass, they can only try their best to control the direction according to experience. Three days later, the worried people finally saw a piece of land, but it was not the same as the Greenland described by the explorers. Although it is covered with forests and mountains, there is no village or port, or it is completely uninhabited. As far as the eye can see, there are gentle hills of green grass and lush forests, which is a scene of a paradise. No one on board has ever been to Greenland. They only know that Greenland is very short of timber. The crew wondered where is this place? Have you discovered a new continent?
But Bianni was not interested, and was only anxious to visit his father. The crew suggested landing and exploring, and even begged Biani to seize the opportunity. As the captain, he was unmoved, and directly directed the sail to leave. Later, Bijani got what he wanted and arrived in Greenland to meet his father, and lived there with the old man until his death. Bijani returned to Norway after taking care of the aftermath. It is already known that he saw the new land in the west. At first the news did not attract people’s attention. As the street wine shops spread more and more widely, and their descriptions became more and more magical, the leaders and commoners gradually became interested. The Vikings who lived in the barren lands of Iceland and Norway wanted to change the status quo, not to mention the ordinary people who suffered from the “recent famine”. Some people want to relocate, some people want to develop forests. Like emigrating to Greenland, a new land means new opportunities, new hopes.
Modern archeology has proved that Biyani did discover the North American continent , and the land he saw was most likely Newfoundland, Labrador and Baffin Island. Given that Bijani himself is not interested in taking risks, other Vikings will not miss this opportunity.
Erik the Redhead was known for his adventures, and his son , Leif Eriksson, inherited the genes. After getting the news of the New World, Leff went directly to Biyani, not only inquired about the discovery process in detail face to face, but also immediately bought the ship at that time, hired 35 crew members, and started the adventure to the west without stopping.
In order to ensure the success of the expedition, Leif persuaded his experienced father. They were going to set off together, but the red-haired Eric accidentally fell off the bank on his horse and was unable to make the trip due to injuries. The ominous omen did not stop Leif, and his strong desire for adventure drove him to set off by boat. They followed the route provided by Biyani all the way, and because of the reference of water current, wind direction, and reef landmarks, the navigation was finally smooth.
One day around 1000 AD, Leif and his companions arrived in the New World – Newfoundland, Canada . Looking at the sandy beach patted by the waves in front of you, the green grass on the plain, flowers and fruits dotted with the colors of shrubs and groves are like a dream. Joy was on everyone’s face that they were rewarded for their efforts to find a better life. After some exploration, the Vikings named the area here according to its characteristics. Should he be the master of the new land?
Who does this land belong to? Maybe it should belong to nature. Before the arrival of the Vikings, five Aboriginal groups successively settled in Newfoundland. According to scientific research, the oldest one can even be traced back to 6000 years ago. But for various reasons, most of the aborigines chose to leave. The last group of inhabitants, the Dorset people, had moved away for about 300 years when the Norse settlers arrived.
A new life begins with joy. Leif and more than 30 companions found a good place on the west side of the land with a mild climate, lush aquatic plants, and rich salmon in the streams. While they were building houses, they continued to send teams to explore the surroundings. The companions who went to the south found something good. The field was covered with grape vines, green or red or purple, and the dense clusters of wild grapes made people appetite. The Vikings couldn’t help but exercise their brains, seeing not only the after-dinner fruit, but also the best raw materials for intoxicating wine. Therefore, they named it the ” land of wine ” – Vinland (Vinland/Wineland). Compared with the previously discovered “land of flat stones” and “land of forests”, the “land of wine” is obviously more attractive. In addition, cranberries, gooseberries, and pumpkins grow at will without human labor. Reindeer, bears, wolves, foxes, lynxes, minks, and various birds are everywhere. Seals, walruses, and whales are often seen near the water, and no traces of humans have been found nearby. Leif and the sailors were very satisfied, and soon cut and processed wood here, and established a small settlement for the convenience of themselves and those who came after them. Modern historians have verified that the famous Vinland in Viking records may be located around the Gulf of St. Lawrence at the southern tip of Newfoundland. Even today, the colorful scenery is still one of the highlights of tourism.
( The restoration of the Viking ruins in Meadows Bay, Newfoundland , it is inferred that it was a ship repairing place and a small stronghold at that time )
Winter is coming, and everyone knows that Canada is cold, but the Vikings survived with the abundant food and furs they collected. At the beginning of spring, Leif decided to return to the voyage. He knew his expedition had been successful and it was time to go home and honor his father. Loaded with delicious grapes and high-quality timber, the dragon boat returned to Greenland. On the way, Leif also rescued a group of Icelandic sailors who were killed at sea. Everyone was so excited that they simply called him “Lucky Leif”.
After returning to Greenland, I found that the New World has brought people a lot of talk after dinner. Although Leif is busy with family affairs and no longer leaves, his brother Thorvald (Thorvald Eiriksson) is eager to try. The brothers approached Leif for a lesson, thinking that the exploration of new lands was not enough. A few years later, Thorwald sailed to Vinland along the old road with a crew of 30. The camp left by Leif gave the newcomers a lot of help, and the supplies and houses stored allowed people to survive the winter smoothly. As soon as the ice and snow melted, Thorwald impatiently led his companions to start exploring.
Unlike Leif’s calm personality, Thorwald’s pursuit of excitement. When they reconnaissance along the northern coast (approximately the modern-day Labrador area), they first discovered the local residents-the Thule people (the Vikings called the aborigines “Skrling”, and it is currently inferred that they are probably the Thule people).
At the time, nine locals were sleeping under the kayaks. Originally, a friendly greeting could have avoided many troubles, but Thorwald suddenly became murderous, and without saying hello, he took the lead and drew his sword, beheading eight sleeping locals on the spot. Only one person escaped by chance. As in the Church of England and the Frankish countryside, the Vikings once again displayed bloodthirsty bestiality. Thorwald’s sword was turned on, and he was addicted, but it didn’t take long for him to usher in revenge. The survivor soon returned with his clansmen. Thule’s bone bow bone spear may be inferior to the Vikings’ iron sword, but it is no problem for killing people. The invaders tried to rely on the camp to defend themselves, but the simple barricades and thin shields couldn’t help them. Flying and whistling, an arrow pierced through layers of obstacles and pierced deeply into the armpit of the culprit – Thorwald.
(Paintings from different eras deviate greatly from the restoration of the scene, the author is subject to new information)
The Norse settlers barely held off the Thule counterattack, but Thorwald died hopelessly. The rest survived the onset of winter until the following spring, and once the ice thawed, the Vikings fled by boat.
The first relationship between Europe and America got off to such a bad start. But the Viking expedition to Canada was not over yet. Not long after, the famous Thorfinn Karlsefni led 3 ships and 140 people (some say 160 people, including women) set sail again to Newfoundland to formally establish a colony. Thorfin intends to seriously settle down in the legendary Vinland, and for this purpose, he also brought his female relatives and livestock, including Leif’s cousin. When they arrived, they found the wild grapes and wild wheat they had heard about. In the first winter, the immigrants lived by fishing by the water, hunting in the forest, and even collecting bird eggs. In the second year of peace, the Vikings began to explore far away.
Out of caution, Thorfinn led the team himself. Soon after, they did meet the locals, most likely still Thule residents. Thorfinn was not reckless, publicly expressed his kindness, and the natives also declared peace to them. The two parties did not understand each other, and they communicated through gestures, movements, and facial expressions, and even started a barter business. The Thule people quickly brought out high-quality gray squirrel skins and various furs, and the Vikings also put out milk and red cloth that cannot be seen in North America. It seems that the local residents are most interested in the red cloth, and they bought a lot of cloth strips to tie on their heads, which became a popular decoration. For his subordinates who were keen to exchange for leather goods, Tolfin strictly forbade them to exchange the iron swords and spears they carried. He understands that weapons are the life of the Vikings.
When communicating at close range, the Europeans finally took a closer look at the appearance of the aborigines. They wrote in the history books: “They are short in stature, with fierce faces and disheveled hair. They have big eyes and wide cheeks.”
The two sides lived in peace for a short time , and soon after, an accident happened. According to different records, there are two completely different statements here. There are records that a native trader tried to steal Viking iron weapons and was killed, leading to a war between the two sides. Another account states that Torfinn’s bull suddenly burst out of the woods, terrifying the unsuspecting natives. They fled in kayaks and returned three days later in a rage.
The natives seem to have used some kind of catapult, shooting “dark blue” spheres “the size of a sheep’s belly” at the Vikings, which landed “with a terrible noise”. Thorfin and others retreated quickly, and it seemed that two people were killed. During the retreat, Leif’s cousin couldn’t keep up because she was pregnant with Liujia, and shouted to the companions not to be scared away by “these poor people”. And she cried that she could do better if she had a weapon in her hand. Seeing that she was about to be overtaken, Cousin Leif simply picked up an iron sword belonging to her companion who had just died, turned around and stood still. Facing a group of pursuers, this strange woman tore off her corset, slapped one breast with a sharp sword, and perhaps screamed desperately like a soldier. The aborigines had never seen such a scene before, and they were frightened and fled in all directions.
After the unexpected battle, the Nordics claimed to have killed “many of the natives”. But Torfin was determined to give up the settlement. He had no confidence in stabilizing the internal divisions and holding on to the land full of strangers. Violent conquest seemed to easily trump peaceful co-existence for the usual diplomatic methods of Viking society. They are more adept at aggressive combat than communicative compromise.
On the other hand, the records of the later Inuit (descendants of the Thule people) also mentioned that a conflict broke out between the two sides, and a kayaker stabbed a heavily armed foreigner to death with an accurate spear. The aborigines were not happy about this, and were also worried that the outsiders would gather troops for revenge.
The blood feud brought the Viking colonization to a hasty end, and Thorfinn led his team back home. Their attempts lasted for a total of 3 years, and the scene of their final departure was just like the beginning of this article, full of fear, loneliness, and helplessness. As for the next European visit to America and Canada, it will take 500 years.
Today, when people come to Meadows Bay in the northern part of Newfoundland, they can still see the remains of the Nordic immigrants (L’Anse aux Meadows) – “Prairie Bay”.
Mature civilizations – (after 1000 AD)
Canada is back to being undisturbed. Various human races grow naturally like trees.
In the north , the Inuit , descendants of the Thule people, thrived. As Viking power in Greenland waned through trade and disease, Inuit tribes were able to spread eastward from Canada.
In the 14th century, the Inuit captured a Nordic settlement in western Greenland, and then occupied abandoned villages and towns in the east, basically controlling the entire island of Greenland. They let the Vikings also taste the bitter taste of losing ground. Through exchanges and raids, the Inuit possessed some iron weapons and tools, and domesticated dogs as transport animals, which are very suitable for living in cold regions. War, as a means, came naturally to the lives of the Inuit , even in the extreme north of the earth.
In the late 14th century, the small ice river came and the global climate turned cold. Even the cold-resistant Inuit are in trouble. The disappearance of bowhead whales, their important prey, from northern Canada and Greenland has challenged traditional habits. Some groups stayed in Alaska to continue looking for whales, while others migrated south to Labrador, which was slightly warmer. Due to the difficulty in adapting to the southern climate, their immigration was very slow and life was difficult.
In the south , Indian civilization tends to be stable, and many tribes live scattered in various places. Some rely on traditional hunting, living on bison and white-tailed deer; some rely on fishing and gathering, looking for salmon, picking fruits and vegetables; Some ethnic groups maintain friendly relations because of kinship or close interests, trade and cooperate with each other, and will further form tribal alliances. Similarly, conflicts between different ethnic groups due to competition for the living environment have become enemies, and bloody wars have erupted.
For example, the famous Iroquois originated near Montreal in southeastern Canada, survived on the St. Lawrence River, and later developed to today’s New York and the Great Lakes. They were originally part of the Algonquian group, expelled after a failed rebellion. Since then, the hatred between the Iroquois and the Algonquin ethnic groups has deepened , and conflicts have continued.
(The man in blue is the French, fighting the Iroquois on the side of the Algonquin)
In the 15th century, five Iroquois tribes united on their own initiative to form the Iroquois Confederacy . They are the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, and Cayuga. The alliance, led by a powerful chieftain, expanded the surrounding areas by force. Due to the concentration of power, the elimination of internal struggles, and the tradition of martial arts, the alliance has repeatedly won wars against neighboring tribes and expanded its territory around the Great Lakes. Internally, the Iroquois Alliance maintains a relatively equal relationship. It is recorded in the data that “they have an absolute concept of freedom, do not allow anyone to regard themselves as noble, and will expel all slavery in the territory.” This means that the Iroquois will not turn captives into slaves. Then, the defeated have only two options: either to be adopted by a certain family and forced to join, or to be cruelly tortured to achieve an “honorable” death.
As a rival, the Algonquian ethnic group is a large group, they are the continuation of the native culture of the Atlantic coast in the past. Although they have made long-distance migrations and separated many tribes, they all speak Algonquian. Language also becomes the bond that connects people. They are distributed in a vast area of North America, including today’s Canada, the central and eastern parts of the United States. Later, the famous Indian hero Temkusay came from the Shawnee tribe, which is one of the Algonquin tribes. Other Blackfoot, Cheyenne, and Kickapoo tribes are known to people.
The social structure of ancient Canada and even the entire North American continent gradually took shape. First of all, dozens or hundreds of people of the same blood gather to live in one place, forming a village according to clan . Then, villages that are close to each other form tribes . Finally, tribes with similar interests form alliances with tribes .
Between each other, exchange, trade, marriage, war. People not only work together to hunt and farm, but also worry about family chores, marriage and love, and fight over the ownership of hunting grounds and water sources among ethnic groups, and even form blood feuds on impulse. All of this has become a daily routine on the mainland.
North America has entered the childhood of human civilization. Clans, tribes are coming of age, nations are coming
. However, humans arrived in North America tens of thousands of years later than other continents, and the huge gap caused by these tens of thousands of years is not easy to make up. Moreover, the inherent restrictions and closed environment make it impossible for them to understand the outside world. There are no cattle, no wheels, no stirrups, no iron smelting, no silk paper gunpowder, no Crusaders and Mongolian cavalry, and it is impossible to know that the magnificent age of navigation has come.
Second contact:
In the vicissitudes of life, 500 years have passed since the first encounter with the Vikings, and the Aboriginal people of Canada are about to welcome new visitors.
Jacques Cartier , the seasoned French explorer leaning on the side of the ship. Seeing the cheers of the excited sailors, he knew that he could fulfill his promise to the king-to open up a sea route to rich Asia and “discover those islands and lands where gold and valuables can be found in large quantities.”
In May 1534, the 20-day arduous voyage was complete, and French sailors jumped onto the beaches of Newfoundland one by one. They think that this is probably the edge of Asia in Marco Polo’s travel notes. Soon, Cartier encountered the aboriginal Mi’kmaq (Mi’kmaq), an Algonquian tribe. Both outsiders and local residents were surprised by the sudden meeting, but both sides expressed a friendly attitude and made some simple transactions. The French moved on and found the Iroquois again, still at peace.
On July 24, they found the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. It is conceivable that going upstream along the river may be the legendary land full of “gold, rubies and other treasures”. Cartier couldn’t hold back, and immediately ordered the sailors to erect a 10-meter-high cross here . It read “Long Live the King of France”! Declare that the land under your feet belongs to France, which is far away from the ocean. Although the onlookers of the Iroquois did not know the French language of flamboyance and the meaning of the cross, they were shocked by the excitement shown by the outsiders.
Considering that there is hope for treasure hunting, Cartier played smart and took advantage of the situation to kidnap the two sons of the Indian chief, and later kidnapped the local leader. The French did not intend to engage in a bloody massacre, but to bring the aborigines to the French dignitaries and personally tell the secrets of those unknown lands, such as the magical “Kingdom of Saguenay” and its countless gold and gems, so that Strengthen your position in Gala to invest. Later, Cartier returned to North America many times and built settlements on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Perhaps the hard work paid off, and the French really found a lot of crystal diamonds and yellow gold around them.
What is the purpose of the long and difficult voyage? The dream of getting rich is in front of every explorer, and they frantically collect all the treasures and take as much as they can. Pockets, pockets, cargo boxes, floors, until the entire cabin is filled. Dozens of days later, the French returned to Europe. What an exhilarating journey it was. Titles, mansions, beauties, and fragrant cars, all their desires for wealth and status have become a reality?
No, a bucket of cold water extinguished all illusions. Because experts identified that the “diamonds and gold” they brought back were actually worthless quartz crystals and pyrite. At that time, the French lament of helplessness became a proverb: “faux comme les diamants du Canada” (faux comme les diamants du Canada).
Misfortunes never come singly, and the new settlement established by Cartier is also precarious. French villages in North America were abandoned after a few years due to deteriorating relations with the Iroquois , unsuitability to the harsh climate, and the spread of disease.
New beginnings:
However, as an adventurer, Cartier still has something to gain, after all, he is the first person to name “Canada” . It was the second year after arriving on the North American continent, Cartier explored to the Iroquois village of Stadacona (Stadacona), which is the modern Quebec City area.
He asked the local guide where is this? The aborigines answered bluntly: ” Village (kanata).”
his is the St. Lawrence Iroquois word for “kanata,” meaning a village or settlement. Cartier may have mistakenly thought that this term was a local place name, or it may just refer to convenience, and later habitually referred to the area around Stadakona Village as kanata. As Cartier’s discovery continued to spread, Kanata became Canada, and Canada’s name first appeared on a map in 1565.
(First map to feature Canada)
For Canada, modern history has officially begun.
The French emerged as a new power on the North American continent, and they would join forces with the Algonquians in their war against the Iroquois. Fur trade, beaver war, Holland and England intervened one after another. The French made their profits, and the British Empire took their land. Money and blood, tradition and innovation. For hundreds of years, the Indians and Inuit who have lived here for a long time, immigrants from other countries, and mixed-race Metis people have gradually written their own unique stories.
The remains of the remains of the Blue Fish Cave are still there, and high-rise buildings in Vancouver are rising from the ground. This land has changed from no one to people, from a single group of people to multi-party competition, and then to the inclusiveness of modern cultures.
Canada, the name of the original village settlement, has been given a new meaning by time.
(Insist on providing high-quality original historical texts for everyone. The pictures are from the Internet, invaded and deleted)
References:
- American Prehistory
- A Brief History of Canada
- Encyclopedia Britannica
-
The Legend of the Greenlanders
