Vinland Blog 2026
Introduction
I have always been interested in the Vikings, especially their visits to North America and the encounters with the natives (Skraelings). As if to spur this on, I was commissioned to build a model of a Viking Longship for our Local Scandinavian Cultural Center. Near the same time I obtained a copy of the book Westviking by Farley Mowat (1965) and after reading it, decided to take a vacation to Newfoundland where L' Anse Aux Meadows, the only verified Norse site in North America is located. What I learned in Newfoundland and the subsequent results of my research is remarkable.
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Probability Factor
PF1. Not likely. Prove to me that it is.
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| A detailed map of the Spirit Pond area showing longhouse and tablet find locations. (NEARA) |
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| The Kingittorsuaq runestone dated 1314 (Previously published on blog) |
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| The obverse of the Spirit Pond Amulet showing a cross. (Photo Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, Decorah, Iowa) |
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| The reverse of the Spirit Pond amulet. (Photo Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, Decorah, Iowa) |
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| The minor tablet found at Spirit Pond (Photo Scott Wolter ©2009) |
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| The Spirit Pond map stone. (Photo- NEARA) |
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| Drawing of the Spirit Pond map stone. |
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| The reverse of the Spirit Pond map stone (Wolter) |
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| The Spirit Pond runestone (Photo- NEARA) |
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| Drawing of the Spirit Pond Runestone |
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| Seventeen presage their doom |
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| Current map of Spirit Pond with the Map Stone drawing superimposed. |
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| A basic map of the Maine/New England coast. An X marks Spirit Pond |
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| The Svingerud Stone, discovered in a cremation dated btween CE1 and 250 sets back Elder Futhark to at least BCE 200 |
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| Fourteenth century Hooked X rune |
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| Pendatic dating from the Larsen Manuscript |
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| The Easter Table from a pre 1838 manuscript |
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January 15
Welcome to 2026 and another year of the Vinland Blog. Before we get started I am pleased to announce the digital release of Twenty Five Doors today, a compedium of short stories and poems. Please e mail me if you would like a copy. Additionally, the SECOND EDITION of Kjalarnes Found is now available on AMAZON. Be sure to specify Second Edition when looking it up as the First Edition is now out of print.
Now, an interesting tidbit that just came out, then on to a very significant feature:
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Wood analysis of the Gardar Cathedral in Greenland (CE 1000-1350) has resulted in 26 separate fragments from North America. Experts conclude this is an indicator of 'sustained activity' with the New World. More detailed analysis is stating 350 years!
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Phillipsburg, Maine
Mooring Stone
Longhouse Foundation
Amulet 1971
Tablet 1971
Runestone - Map Stone 1971
Runestone - Inscription Stone 1971
In 1971 a discovery was made by Walter Elliot, a carpenter, searching for arrowheads at the south end of Spirit Pond where it meets the Morse River. It consisted of three carved stone tablets and an amulet. This (like usual) immediately begat claims of forgery, mainly because of the confusion of what was written on the inscription stone, which subsequently became known as the Spirit Pond Runestone.
A major detractor and so called expert whose name is not worth mentioning quickly quacked 'Hoax' because he did not understand what they were, claiming they were not eleventh century runes. Of course not, they are fourteenth or early fifteenth century. The runes have since been deciphered by knowledgeable linguists.
Unfortunately Walter Elliot passed away before the runes could be interpreted. Sadly, on his deathbed his last words were, "I just wanted to know what they said."
The runes on all these finds closely match those of the Kingittorsuaq runestone of Greenland (GR1) found in 1823. This story from the far north is dated 1314 in pendatic dating and is the same type of numbering as the date (1362) on the Kensington Runestone. The Narragansett stone also uses this evolved runic language.
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Mooring stone
Later searches of this area by Scott Wolter turned up a mooring stone.
PF 5
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Longhouse Foundations
The longhouse foundations were discovered by the New England Archaeological Research Association (NEARA). They were several hundred yards north of the 'hole stone' and made of sod with wooden floorboards. The bottom boards were carbon dated to 1405 +-40 with others showing habitation into the 1600s.
PF 5
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We now come to the items found in 1971. These were found several hundred yards south of the longhouse and about twenty five yards from the mooring stone. See the map.
Stone Amulet
This 2" x 3" oval Basalt stone amulet, holed at the top, features a Templar(?) Cross on one side; pendatic dating(20), VIN in Younger Futhark and what appears to be an Ogam symbol on the other. I am guessing twenty as well. I was fortunate to examine the museum copy at the Vesterheim Museum in Iowa which was identically reproduced from the original. The wear on the hole in the stone indicates it was worn for some time. (Take a look back at the Seneca Ladd Collection photo I posted last year.)
PF 5
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Tablet
This is also known as the Folk Stone. It is comprised of two rows of twelve symbols. Most are of Younger Futhark but also includes a Hooked X and a bind rune. It translates out to NORKSLOLK SPAEK. We will come back to this later. Most experts agree this tablet was used for testing carving purposes.
PF 5
February 15
Breaking news: A child's thigh bone fragment found along the coast of Labrador has been DNA tested and is NORSE! The Governments of Canada and Iceland plan to work together to mount an expedition to examine others sites along the coastline. Mallery identified fourteen sites along the coast of Labrador in 1946. After fifteen years of this blog it is pleasing to see the results turning up that I predicted years ago. Now to continue with the findings at Spirit Pond.
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The Map Stone
Known as the Map Stone this features a coastline with lettering and pendatic numerals. It contains the hooked X and secret Easter Table dating of 1402.Most experts agree that Norse maps of this age will generally have east at the top. The inscriptions seem to agree by generally following this direction but in this case an arrow points southwest to 'Vin'. Newport is approximately 50 miles away as the ship sails.
Vinland takes 2 days
When this triangular tablet is placed upright with the apex downward the map closely resembles the area of Spirit Pond. There is a fish hook shape to the land and the islands below are comparable up to and including (what to them was) heart shaped Seguin Island Light Station. There is an X on the map where the longhouse foundations were discovered. Remember that early map making will have distorted shorelines not only due to visual inconsistencies but we also cannot dismiss changes in topography over the centuries. This one is crude and hand drawn and the very first map to display the coastline of North America.
Numerous Younger Futhark runes are scattered across the map including the pendatic date 21.
The other side of the stone is rife with carved figures. At the top is the Younger Futhark runic inscription with a hooked X and bind rune that says something like RIMLAEKI. (Wolter suggests 'good land' in Algonquin but the word 'lake' also has Norse roots. (Loan words?) At the bottom is something in Ogam. Some experts suggest this is a 44, again confirming latitude.
Between this is a number of symbols of a very native appearance. Reading from top left is: fish, water bird, deer, snake; second row: shaman face, man paddling canoe over pelt, bow and arrow; at bottom left a final symbol appears to be an upside down tipi similar to the one on the New England Mystery Stone that we covered in our July 2025 blog entry. It could also be a crude attempt at the Ogam letter Iphin. Regardless, these mystery native symbols may lead to something further. Wolter's opinion is that these were carved as indicators of what was in the area. Let's look at another possibility. Perhaps these symbols are an Algonquin pictograph language in writing. Look at the photo of the Seneca Ladd collection in July of last year's blog after the mystery stone. There are numerous symbols inscribed on stone amulets similar to the ones above. The Bourne Stone and the Judacilla Rock are but a few that contain similar pictographs. Also, the more one googles it the more this is feasible. Take a look at this link:
But that is something for someone else in the future to research. I am searching for Viking or Viking related stuff.
The below link is a more detailed analysis of the Map Stone. What the author describes as far as the secret writing on the tablets say; I must admit that after fifteen years of searching for the Vikings, I find his conclusions to be a little extreme. Mind you, at one time I would have never believed the Norse to be in Oklahoma or the Beaufort Sea either. Time, technology and further research will tell if his translations are correct. We must keep an open mind.
PF 5
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The Inscription Stone
Now we come to the most baffling of the stones. This contains 16 lines of runes on two sides, the hooked X as well as barred runes comparable to those of the Ukna slab (Sweden 1325). It contains the pendatic numerals 44 which measures closely to 44 degrees latitude, the location where it was found. It has Easter Table dating to 1401.
There are conflicting translations about what these runes say and you can view some on the following links, but I believe the translation by Robert Johnson and Janey Westin in The Last Kings of Norse America to be the most accurate, as we will see. (Remember, when a correct research path is followed it will always result in further revelations.) I would recommend this book, for the authors' viewpoints are critical in finding the correct history of Pre Columbus North America (PCE). Another book important to our studies here is The Hooked X by Scott Wolter.
Here are a couple other varying opinions:
Noahs Age Numerologist Viewpoint
Spirit Pond Runestone translation
Here is the translation by Johnson/Westin. I have put in the punctuation which will help us to make sense of it. This is a sample of a typical, Norse style epic poem:
Fallen kinsman, ever valiant fellows,
A roaring sea struck seventeen dead,
Hail to you, weeping fountains.
Year 20 we lost the company of twelve companions.
12 daghrise westward, 10 daghrise northward,
The saga of a young Folkung,
Bearded chief man Haakon discovered a circle by being able to sail towards the west on the lakes of the trade empire.
Weeping fountains,
Year 21.
A shout into the burning lights! Blessed Maria. Alas!
Powerless those on the Seal Ship to proceed to obtain an edge to devote attention in regard to win the ship against the terrible storm,
Seventeen presage their inevitable battle stroke,
accept the sinking,
the bane of their approaching death,
Hail to you weeping fountains. Year 21.
Abbreviations on this stone are similar to those on the KRS.There are bind runes, bars, dotted Rs and the hooked X present.
March 15
So what does this all mean?
To provide the answer we must work back and forth with some of the research we have already gleaned. It is important to consider how the SPR Spirit Pond Runestone is related to the KRS Kensington Runestone.
Based on everything we have learned about Norse America so far, using Johnson/Westin's theories and translation, Hjalmar Holand's earlier suppositions as well as Scott Wolter's work, this is along the line of what I believe happened:
We step back to 1354 when Paul Knudsen was given a letter of marque to search for the missing Greenlanders of Ivar Bardarson's earlier report. Whether this expedition actually took place is unknown but it is an indication of intent. So we know that the Knorr was to be sent out on a tax gathering mission labeled as good religious missionary work. But what else went with it?
Several different sources lead to the conclusion that a Royal Expedition took place from 1361 to 1364. The soon to be King Haakon VII made a tour of his future realm. Although his exact birth date is unknown, the poem on the stone gives us his age when he took the tour.
Thus, we assign the 'year 20' to 1362 and the 'year 21' to 1363.
From a separate historical source we learn of the cleric Nicholas of Lynn who in that same time period was in a voyage that took him north to the Arctic Circle and his discovery of Magnetic North.
Bishop Olaus Magnus reports in 1505 in the Historia De Gentibis Septentrionalibus that two skin boats were captured when they attacked the ROYAL FLEET in Greenland while they were on their way to Vinland. These kayaks are apparently somewhere in a church in Norway according to Holand. Another source tells us the Norwegian Kingdom was so large it took tax collectors 3 years to cover it's entire expanse.
It is most likely the ships of the Royal Expedition made a tour of the North Atlantic Viks where Haakon learned of the Ginnungagap (the Hudson Strait) and the great inland sea (Hudson Bay). These are detailed on the 'Bishop's Map' which will be looked at in detail later. They then proceeded to New Vinland and it's capitol of Norumbega.
At Norumbega, while Haakon toured New Vinland, an expedition of thirty men were sent west 'over the lakes of the trade empire' where we know they met disaster with the massacre of ten men near Kensington in 1362.
Two ships were sent back north through the Ginnungagap (the Hudson Strait) to the 'haven' in Hudson Bay. One ship with ten men (let's call it the Knorr)was ordered to remain there to wait in a prearraged agreement with the Kensington Expedition while the other ship (the Seal Ship) took Nicholas of Lynn north for his explorations.
In 1363 Haakon returned to Norway where, now of legal age, he married and became King.
Meanwhile, the Kensington Expedition made it to the Haven in Hudson Bay, where upon their returning to Norumbega in 1363, the Knorr was sunk in a storm. This was most likely in the fall when Canadian storms can whip up very quickly.
In 1364 Haakon was crowned and 8 men (one of who was Nicholas of Lynn) returned to Bergen to confirm their voyage. Whether the missionaries or tax collectors were successful in their part of the mission is unknown, but by their return they had 'completed a circle' and made a huge land claim for the Norwegian Kingdom, north eastern Canada.
Editors note: The cans of worms keep coming. Does this now mean Norway has territorial claims over Labrador, Quebec and Northeastern Ontario similar to claims that Beothuk remains belong to their descendants in Iceland?
Numbers
This adds up.
30 men (22 Norwegians and 8 Goths) went west over the Great Lakes after having learned of the Graeneveldi. It would not make sense for them to go without guides and I suspect the 'Goths' are actually inhabitants of New Vinland who have been to Kensington and the haven in Hudson Bay.
Editors comment: Sigh. Another can of worms opened. If the 'Goths' are inhabitants of the area, does this mean it was settled by Danes from Gotland? But then, what about Norumbega (New Norway)?
10 more men went by ship through the Hudson Strait to a harbor somewhere in Hudson Bay.
In 1362 there were 10 men massacred near Kensington. That 2 extra were lost is not unfeasible. Wild North America is a dangerous country. That puts expedition members down to 28 in total including the ones at the haven.
In 1363 the sinking of the Knorr marks the loss of 17 men, leaving 11. If 4 happened to be Norumbegians (Goths) that stayed behind when they got back to New Vinland, 7 came to Bergen.
The report says 8 came back. But it also says 2 were priests. If 1 of these was Nicholas of Lynn, that left 7, one of which was also a priest.
According to codists, a secret message on the Kensington Runestone says 'Ivar carved me'. It would be very likely a priest would have the literacy to carve the saga on the stone, perhaps even the very same Ivar Bardarson who reported the missing Greenlanders in 1342.
The Sinclair Expedition and who dunnit
I am not going to go into a great number of details here. Scott Wolter does a very adequate job of that and this is more related to Templars rather than Vikings, although we do see connections.
The Sinclair Expedition took place from 1398 to 1402. There is strong evidence that Henry Sinclair built the Newport Tower.
Johnson/Westin believe the Spirit Pond Inscription Stone is a commemorative poem made to celebrate the Royal Expedition of 1361-1364. With the dating of 1401, it ties in very well with Sinclair but I do not believe it was carved by anyone from his group. This was done by a resident of New Vinland.
The nature of the wording on the back of the Map Stone indicates someone rather knowledgeable in Runic Norse but also Ogam (Alban-Celt) and Native Algonquin Petroglyphica. Yet the numerous scratches and marks as well as the folk stone NORKSLOLK SPAEK (Norsk Folk Speak) being mis-spelt (we call them typos) indicate our fellow was not the best at carving. The Folk Stone, probably the title of his poem, indicates he counted himself as Norsk. He may have even personally witnessed the Royal Visit him or herself. Perhaps his ethnic background was a blend of the three cultures in the region. We also have longhouse foundations that indicate regular settlement from 1400 into the 1600s.
The Metis society is a prime example of how a unique culture can evolve within short generations. We can also refer back to Peter Kalm's description of French Canadian inhabitants in 1750 for additional comparison.
Based on the wear, the amulet stone was kept for a long time and eventually discarded with the tablets, reasons unknown.
Although the Sinclair visit is more closely related to the Templars according to Wolter, we must also be aware of it's Norse connections with the mutual sharing of the Hooked X rune and its associations. We see it on an astrolabe at the Oxford Museum, in the sigla of Columbus (who was related to Henry Sinclair) and as a Templar's symbol for Knights of Christ.
The stones are currently in the Maine State Museum while Spirit Pond is preserved as a nature site.
Geographical location: 43.747,-69.811
PF 5
....to be continued.