Viking culture finds new life as Vinland Society of P.E.I. returns from 5-year hiatus
Attendees at Charlottetown event learn how traditional Norse boats shape modern designs
Prince Edward Islanders had the chance to step back in time and explore Viking traditions, and learn how some of that history might be tied to this province.
An event held Sunday evening at the Beaconsfield Carriage House in Charlottetown was hosted by the Vinland Society of P.E.I.
The group, which promotes cultural ties between Iceland and the Island and celebrates Viking culture, returned this month after a five-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Viking lore describes Vinland as a fertile area in the Gulf of St. Lawrence filled with grapevines and beech trees, and it could very well have been P.E.I., said society president Megan Macdonald.
Macdonald said Viking history sparks curiosity and a sense of adventure that resonates deeply with Islanders.
"Prince Edward Islanders understand the notion of people travelling on the ocean and coming to our shores, or the idea that we could get in a boat and go to a faraway place, that we are connected to by water," she told CBC News.
"People find the idea of Vikings exciting, adventurous, out of the ordinary and it sparks curiosity about what we could possibly find."
Viking boats, then and now
At the event, society member Kevin Jeffrey gave a presentation about Viking boats and how their designs have influenced modern vessels.
Jeffrey, a lifelong Viking enthusiast, said school art projects and movies spurred his fascination as a child.
"I felt my whole life, you know, I must have been a Viking in the past somewhere, and I do have a little bit of Norwegian blood," he said.
Today, Jeffrey owns NorseBoat Ltd., a business in Flat River, P.E.I., that builds modern boats inspired by Viking traditions. Sunday, he brought one of his hand-crafted Norse boats to the event for attendees to view up close.
Jeffrey said Viking boats were narrow, fast and versatile, capable of being sailed and rowed. Their distinctive double-ended shape allowed them to sail in both directions, much like the ferries that run across the Northumberland Strait between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia.
Norse boats were made with what's called clinker-built or lapstrake design characterized by overlapping planks on the hull.
"It's a very beautiful look, a classic look, and I wanted to make sure that I had that as the signature of the boats," he said.
The boats are built for adventure, and can be sailed, rowed and even used for camping. Each boat can hold up to six people but can still be operated by one person. They're compact enough to fit in a garage, can be towed by a modest-sized car, and feature a lightweight carbon-fibre mast that's easy to set up.
"It just conjures up for people that are thinking about buying a boat that they could do adventurous things in a small boat."
He added that Vikings travelled across the Atlantic by island-hopping from Norway to the Shetland Islands, then to the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland and finally to Newfoundland and Labrador.
"They actually were not out of sight of land for all that long on that whole ocean crossing," Jeffrey said. "It's things like that that aren't well-known."
With files from Connor Lamont