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rowed from various sources, largely from Irish
traditions, and from classical literature as remote as the
Odyssey. He especially emphasized the assertion
that even the description of Vinland the Good shows
that this region is identical with the Isles of the
Blessed, of the Greeks, and the Insulae Fortunatae
of the Middle Ages, so conspicious in the Irish
traditions. He likewise indicated the connection between
Vinland the Good and the Norwegian
and the Alvelande of Icelandic folk-lore,—originally
the abode of the dead.
In similar manner he declared that there was a
connection between the original signification of the
designation Skrelling and numerous creatures of
Norse folk-lore such as wights (Vmiter), elves, and
hulders. In this connection he deemed the similarity
of this word with the German (forest
troll) as striking. The description of the combat
with the Skrellings who fought with bomb-like
weap-pons was declared to be identical with the
descriptions in Icelandic literature of Hmrbrest, which must
have been explosions of powder. This sphere-like
weapon of the sagas also shows kinship with an
Irish tradition whose origin goes back to the Cyclops
°f the Odyssey.
In other words, the Vinland sagas are veritable
artificial peacocks, stuffed and rigged out with
feathers stolen from the literary aviaries of many
lands, from Ireland to Greece, and even farther.
After having expounded his theory of the
composition of these sages, Dr. Nansen conceded that they
contained features relating to voyages to lands south
and west of Greenland that seemed to be the result
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