Well they /did/ find Vinland. Had that gone better, one could imagine extending down to the St. Lawrence river and treating it like that did the Rivers of Ukraine/Russia (sail as far as you can, then portage and build cities). Then find the Mississippi ...
Not as far as we know, but ... probably eventually they would have. Smallpox was certainly endemic in Viking populations.
Also, the Vikings in the Rus did pretty well trading with the Finno-Ugric peoples, so one shouldn't assume that the Vinland model of conflict with the skraelings had to prevail.
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Re: Vikings
Date: 2006-05-09 05:52 pm (UTC)Re: Vikings
Date: 2006-05-09 05:53 pm (UTC)Unless...did the Vikings bring smallpox with them?
B
Re: Vikings
Date: 2006-05-09 06:10 pm (UTC)Also, the Vikings in the Rus did pretty well trading with the Finno-Ugric peoples, so one shouldn't assume that the Vinland model of conflict with the skraelings had to prevail.
Re: Vikings
Date: 2006-05-09 06:12 pm (UTC)B