Were the Beothuks really the Skraelings of Viking sagas?
Probably, though no one knows for sure. The Vikings landed in Newfoundland, which was Beothuk territory, and described Skraelings with red clothing and humped canoes, which matches the Beothuks. (The pale Skraeling woman in a dark dress who came ashore during the Greenland Saga to try communicating with the Vikings may have been Micmac — the Micmacs frequently sailed along the Newfoundland coast, and Micmac legends suggest they were aware of the Norse settlements.) Are the Viking sagas a trustworthy source? They’re probably as trustworthy as British records about the Beothuks from the 1700’s. I’d take the Vinland Sagas with a grain of salt–the pregnant Norsewoman ripping off her bodice and singlehandedly routing the Skraeling warriors seems like it may be fictional, for example. But ruins of the Newfoundland Viking settlement were found at L’Anse aux Meadows, so at least part of the legend was true. Can you recommend a good book for me to read? Unfortunately, the Beothuks died withou
