Chapter 2: Outward Expansion
Turn of the Century
- The end of the 11th century marked the expansion of Skræligen settlement into two additional towns: Miðrtunga & Smarvik.
- Miðrtunga was the new name of the middle Abenaki village that had integrated with the Skræligens after the epidemic. It was given the name when it formally integrated into Skrælige in 1062, sending its own heads of household to the Þing.
- Smarvik was the original landing site of the Norse in 1042 before they migrated north to the Siguan River. Depending on the winds, it was sometime easier for the ocean-going ships to land here, so a few people decided to live there permanently in 1085 and help facilitate these landings.
- Construction of the Almannavegr began in 1101, a great road connecting Miðrtunga to Skrælingborg through to Smarvik.
Storrfloð of 1123
One feature of the Siguan River at its mouth is the fluctuating flow - that is, the river line constantly moved back and forth. This led to frequent floods, but these floods were mostly minor and kept the valley very fertile.
In March of 1123, however, heavy rainfall, storm surge, and snowmelt mixed together to cause a great flood, or Storrfloð. The damage was extensive - between the town walls and the river, most buildings were ruined. Some damage occurred within the walls as well, but the earthworks stopped the worst of the flood. The Abenaki village further upstream was less badly affected, but led them to retreat further inland regardless.
The magnitude of the damage was partly due to erosion - the clear-cutting of the forest made the ground more susceptible to erosion, which made the flooding a lot worse. This erosion caused by clear-cutting and unsustainable agriculture was a common problem throughout the Norse North American colonies, and this was just an early sign of the damage it could cause.
While this fact was not realized by the Skræligens, they did realize the need to act. Construction of the "Floðveggr" began, a great flood wall along the banks of the Siguan River. Most of the wall was a large earthwork with rocks piled ontop, though a portion near the main road from town to the river was further fortified by a massive stone wall. New wooden docks were constructed below the wall so that the ships had somewhere to stay - previously they would just land on the shore, and the longships were light enough to be carried further inland.
Growth of Industry and Commerce
After the damage of the flood, Skrælige was able to fairly quickly rebound. With the Abenaki retreating inland, more fishing areas opened up. More trees came down to clear land for more farms, and the agricultural output grew. Trade up the coast to Humarvik and Straumfjorð grew, loosely connecting Skrælige with the larger Norse economy.
This led to domestic growth as well. Some damaged structures in the centre of town were cleared to make way for a proper marketplace, allowing for easier trade. The growing economy kept Skrælige supplied with goods from the Old World, and propped up a small class of merchants and artisans in town. More resources meant better infrastructure as well - a bridge was built to bring the Almannavegr across the river and into Miðrtunga, rather than just ford through the river as it previously did.
The Manntal (Census) of 1200
For the year 1200, the Þing commissioned a "Manntal", or census, of all the people in Skrælige. This would help make sure that taxation was done fairly and didn't miss anyone, as well as help better understand the needs of the settlement. An exhaustive count was completed, giving the first clear recorded population count of the islands (not including the "120 men, women, and children" mentioned in the Sagas). The breakdown was as follows:
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Skrælingborg: 314
- Within the walls: 179
- Just outside the walls: 86
- By the docks: 38
- Vinstrileið village: 20
- Hœgrilelð village: 34
- Scattered nearby: 14
- Miðrtunga: 61
- Norðstaðr: 17
- Smarvik: 57
- Total population of 506, including 12 þrælls (thralls/slaves).
The State of the Western Norse World
Outside of Skrælige, things weren't quite as great. Population remained stable in Straumfjorð, but declined in Humarvik and Leifsbuðir, and no new settlements were founded. Leifsbuðir wasn't suitable for much more than a small stopover point, and Humarvik was running into conflict with the local Mi'kmaq. Many settlers from these two towns either moved to Straumfjorð or Skrælige, or went back east to Greenland or further to the Old World.
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You can also read this on the Ministry of Sagas website, or view https://youtu.be/e9chZKS5Wt8. Thanks for reading!
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