File:Leif Eriksson statue by Anne Whitney, Boston.jpg

Identifier: ourcountryinstor00fran (find matches)
Title: Our country in story
Year: 1917 (1910s)
Authors: Franciscan Sisters of the Perpetual Adoration (La Crosse, Wis.)
Subjects: United States -- History America -- Discovery and exploration
Publisher: Chicago, New York, Scott, Foresman and company
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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AGO VOYAGE Here is a picture of an interesting statue which adornsCommonwealth Avenue in Boston. For the meaning ofthis beautiful monument we must go to the rugged islandof Iceland, located betweenScandinavia and Greenland,and close to the Arctic circle.The inhabitants of Icelandpossess a wealth of hand-written history stories, orsagas, as they are called. These famous Icelandicsagas tell us of a greatprince, Eric the Red, sonamed because he had redhair. Eric was born in Nor-way, where he lived, not ina castle, but in a large, rude-ly built wooden house withan open roof. Norway is aland of snow-capped moun-tains and woodland plains, of thousands of lakes andnumerous mountain torrents. Its high-walled coast isdeeply cut by numberless bays, and is fringed by count-less islands which are rich in meat and eggs and birdsand fish. In this rugged country, Eric led a wild, free life.He fearlessly followed the sharp bark of the wolf, andtracked the shaggy bear into its favorite haunts. Above 9
Text Appearing After Image:
STATUE OF LEIF ERICSON 10 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY all, did the boy Eric love to sit before a roaring fire andlisten to the stories of the chiefs or vikings, as they werecalled, from the Norwegian word viks, meaning bay. These vikings were tall, strong, and fine-looking menwith blue eyes, long, light hair, and shaggy beards. Theywere clad in rich clothing and glittering armor withcurious iron helmets. The proudest possession of the viking was his. ship.The prow, or front, was high, and usually had a savage-looking dragons head upon it. Its stern looked like ahuge dragons tail. Both head and tail were covered withgold and seemed all on fire when the sun shone upon them.The long oars resting in the oar-locks of the swelling sideslooked like so many legs. The single brightly-colored sail,set into a huge block of wood, resembled the wings ofthe dragon. From the masthead of this strange shipfluttered a square yellow flag with the picture of a ravenupon it. Hardy, vigorous, and daring were the

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