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Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 1996-11 > 0848885586


From: Peter Gooding <>
Subject: Re: The Principal work of the Vikings
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 1996 01:33:06 GMT


"R. Leutner" <> wrote:
>I hate to be picky, but if there was a sizable population of such Viking
>look-alike Indians somewhere I'd like to know the evidence for it.

If there was a sizable population (or any such distinct population) of
Viking Indians, I'd like to know the evidence for it, too.

>Everything I have seen so far seems to be about a tribe just beyond the
>ken of whoever is reporting, not eye-witness stuff. In other words,
>legend not supportable history. But prove me wrong. Sure, there is a
>theoretical possibility of such a thing, and it's a probablility rather
>higher than, say, aliens laying out landing strips in Peru, but if it
>were really true I'd expect a literature on the subject that's a little
>more substantial than what I have seen/heard of.

I agree with what you say. I am certainly speaking hypothetically,
and that *is* important so that we can know what to expect under
given circumstances. The original poster claimed of a historical
report from the 1600s of such a tribe encountered, that would lend
itself to possible Viking ancestory. I was responding to the response
by taf who claimed that if such a report were to be true it was more
likely to be due to Portugese traders.

If such a historical report from the 1600s were to be true, it would be
significant. (a 20 century encounter would not be worth much).
Depending on the exact dates involved, my argument is that it would be
far more likely that a significantly blue-eyed blond tribe, recognised as
Indian, would have had a more ancient colonising source of these
characteristics than the recent related arrivals.

Peter Gooding

>On 22 Nov 1996, Peter Gooding wrote:
>> Later European contacts would have much *less* time and chance to increase
>> in population size, assimilate with native populations, and produce
recessive
>> homogeneous characteristics, all at once, than an older, established Viking
>> tribe, and may have had just as much or more conflict with the native
>> population.

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