On our recent bus trip to North Dakota we made a stop in
Alexandria, Minnesota. Alexandria is a
county seat and has a museum which contains the famous or is it infamous Kensington
Runestone. The Runestone is a 200-pound slab of greywacke covered in
runes on its face and side that supporters claim is evidence that Scandinavian
explorers reached the middle of North America in the 14th century, although
experts identify it as a 19th-century hoax.
The stone was found by as local farmer in 1898 in the largely rural township of
Solem, Douglas County, Minnesota, and named after the nearest settlement,
Kensington. Scientists and experts in Scandinavian linguistics consider the Runestone
to be a fake. The Runestone has been analyzed and dismissed repeatedly without
altering local opinion of the Runestone's legitimacy. The museum contains many
interesting artifacts of metal origin from Europe found in North America to
buttress the claim of the rocks Viking authenticity, Still it is known that the stone age native
Americans had vast trading networks across the continents in all sorts of
items. This doubtless explains the metal
axes reaching the interior of the continent from the north Atlantic islands
and coast. True or not the thousands of Scandinavians who settled in Minnesota
must have taken pride in thinking their ancestors had “discovered” America long
before Columbus.
Back aboard our bus after the impressive museum visit our
guide took a vote on what we saw. Did
the Vikings truly visit Minnesota via Hudson Bay and rivers of the North in the
early 14th century? Thirty three said
yes and 7 doubters said no, including Mr. and Mrs. Troutbirder. Mmmmmm.
And just now reading the Minneapolis Star and Tribune it seems
a new musical has opened “ The Ohman Stone.” According to the paper “ It’s a
new musical premiering Saturday in the Minnesota Fringe Festival, that does the
one thing you wouldn’t expect from a story about the Kensington Runestone. It
takes it seriously. The Minnesota icon, housed in an Alexandria museum, is a
fake. Probably. Well, who knows? The notion of knights gallivanting about the
Minnesota prairie 130 years before Columbus landed in the Bahamas, as the runes
carved into the stone suggest, is a Monty Python movie — not plausible history.
Right?
It doesn’t matter. The real story of the runestone is not
about the stone. It’s about people. The musical’s creators understand this,
marketing their play as “Swedes vs. Norwegians, farmers vs. academia.” For
legislators and petitioners pushing to turn the farm where the runestone was
discovered into a state historic site, the story of the stone goes even deeper,
to the heart of what it means to be a Minnesotan.” Oh no. Now I’m thinking this born and bred Minnesotan and part Norwegian has denied his heritage and should have been a little more careful in his skepticism…..:)
I had heard of another stone in Love, OK.
ReplyDeleteWell, it sure makes for a good story, even if it's not authentic. I had never heard of it before, so it was all very entertaining for me! :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of a fun thing although the results of that vote do give one pause.
ReplyDeletewow! i'd expect a few more cynics these days! :)
ReplyDeleteAww, who would do such a thing to create such a hoax? I like that it is left up to the individual to decide. The romantic in me would want it to be real.
ReplyDeleteInteresting Norwegian history. I've read about the runestone before. Interesting.... It IS all about the PEOPLE...
ReplyDeleteHave a great day.. I posted a "Rain or Sun" blog today.. Interesting scenic drive!!!
Hugs,
Betsy
I am a believer! I hope it becomes a State Historic Site our tax $ could go for worse..and has.
ReplyDeleteUrban legend??
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed that museum. I believe the story because the old reasons to call it a hoax were mostly based on sort of "oh yeah" stuff. The more recent inquiries have found that indeed the language is authentic and that there is lots of evidence that there was a much higher water level in that area, and to the north, where boat could have come much closer to the center of the continent. There have been, for example, rings driven into rock for tying up the boats. Plus, there is evidence in other places in the central US of visitors that were probably from Northern Europe. In any case, it is a good story. The family of the man who discovered the stone suffered abuse from other people. They had no reason to perpetuate a hoax, if it was one.
ReplyDeleteYou can be forgiven. Somebody has to use their head.
ReplyDeleteQuite a display for a hoax. Of course it is an old hoax. If it is a hoax. No matter, it is still very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe Runestone makes a good story no matter what the true circumstances were. -- barbara
ReplyDeleteAs others have said, a wonderful story nonetheless! Thank you for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteLOL ~ very fun story. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of like which came first - the chicken or the egg? Perhaps we will never know. ;)
ReplyDeleteHappy August my friend!
xo Catherine