Leif Erickson Was Historical A Character as Columbus
Close up of Leif in front of Hallgrímskirkja, in Reykjavik, Iceland. The statue was a gift from the United States government. Photo by Simon Cole
Leif Erickson Was Historical A Character as Columbus Says Prof. Olson at Festival Here
Landing of Erickson Commemorated by Sons and Daughters of Norway; Movement for Boston Statue Was Launched in Madison, Wisconsin.
Leif Erickson and Thorfln Karlaevne are as certainly historical characters as is Christopher Columbus, said Prof. Julius E. Olson, of the university, in speaking of the historical phases of the Vinland Sagas in his address at the annual fall festival of the Sons and Daughters of Norway at the Woodman hall last night.
Prof. Olson's speech was a part of a program given to commemorate the larding of Leif Erickson in America, and was heard by a lodges or the Sons of Norway and large crowd of members of the local the Daughters of Norway. Prof. Olson began by telling of some of the historical monuments that have been erected; in America in honor of Leif Erickson and another vinland voyager, namely, Thorfin Karlsevne, the only one of the old Norse explorers who attempted to build up a colony on the 'American' continent.
"Three statues in honors of Leif Erickson have been erected in the U. S.; one in Boston in 1887; a replica of this in Milwaukee in 1888; and one in Chicago in 1901.
The first impulse for the erection of the Boston monument came from Norwegian citizens of Madison, with Ole Bull as the central figure. He visited Madison in January, 1868, and in a speech at a recihtion given in his honor, he spoke of the discovery of America by the Norsemen. On the 17th of May, 1872, Ole Bull-gave a concert for the benefit of the Scandinavian library at 'the University of Wisconsin.
After the concert there was a banquet, on which occasion the. governor, C. C."Washbum; presided A speech by Prof. R. B. Anderson of this city, appealed to Ole Bull return to Madison to assist in erecting a statue, in honor of "Leif Erickson. Thus Mr. Bull returned in the fall of the same year and on the 25th of May, 1873, a meeting was held by. interested Norsemen to discuss the question of a monument Ole Bull was about to return to Norway, but promised some concerts to raise funds.
In May, 1873, the first concert was given at Cabridge, on which occasion Ole Bulle played and Prof. Anderson gave an address on Leif Erickson.
Prof Olson was door-keeper on that occasion and handled the first
funds for the monument.
It. was the idea to erect the statue in Madison at a cost of $10,000 and great festivities were arranged for a meeting in 1876, at the time of the Centennial," he continued. "Ole Bull gave assurance that he and the poet, Bjornson, and other prominent Norwegians from the homelands, would be present.
Ole Bull and Professor Anderson started for Norway to make arrangements. Bjornson promised to deliver an oration and even to write a cantata for which Edward Grieg was to compose the music. Raising the funds was a different matter, so Ole Bull induced Boston friends to aid them. But it was not until after his death (1880) that the monument was finally erected.
In conclusion, Prof. Olson read extracts from the Sagas telling of the meeting of the savages, so the audience might really judge of the reasonableness of the explorer's accounts.
A male chorus of 14 voices sang a group of Norwegian songs in a very creditable style. Much credit for the smoothness of the program is due the committee in charge.
That the Norwegians were the first profiteers in America and that they began early to operate as such was indicated by Prof. Olson. Prof. Olson read from the old Sagas the accounts of the first trading between the northmen and the natives. The account stated that the natives were particularly fond of red cloth, for which they traded their own wares to the northmen, and then wound it around their heads and bodies. The northmen soon saw that their supply of cloth would run out and then conceived the idea of cutting it into thin strips so that it would reach the former. They charged as much for them as the larger measures.
Source: Capital Times, Madison, Wisconsin, October 22, 1921, Page 8
