Viking and Native North American Interactions: The Spread of Disease in the Norse Discovery of North America

Author

Sarah N. Haughawout, Utah State University

Date of Award

12-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Departmental Honors

Department

History

Abstract

This paper evaluates the potential for spread of disease in the Norse and Native North American interactions around 1000 CE. At this time, the Vikings were expanding their territory in search of land and natural resources following the Viking Raids in mainland Europe. They traveled to Iceland, then Greenland, and finally the eastern coast of northern Canada. Norse explorers faced numerous obstacles on their journeys, but they still prospered in North America for a time. The Vikings hunted the land and sea mammals, used the land, and found ways to thrive while having hostile relations and contact with the Native North Americans.

As a reference for how disease spreads between European and Native American contact, this paper used Kyle Harper’s four variables of disease spread: (1) timing and intensity, (2) population density of Native populations before contact, (3) physical geography, and (4) ecological transformation. Incorporating evidence from reviews, conclusions, analyses and other scholarly research, this paper aims to provide a reasonable defense that the Norse did not spread disease to the Native North Americans they encountered. A bulk of the source material for this paper is secondary sources; they are used to explain archaeological, ecological, anthropological, and epidemiological evidence that supports the conclusion. This paper uses The Eddas along with Viking sagas as a way to establish the locations of the Viking settlements, the extent of the contact, and what types of interactions the Norse had with the Native North Americans. Discovering who the Vikings came into contact with is another purpose of this paper and is targeted using both scholarly reports and primary sources.

This paper argues that the Norse did not spread disease to the Native North Americans, or that if they did, it was on so small a scale that it had no real impact on either population. This conclusion works as a contrast to the later European contacts with Native Americans in which disease was spread rampantly and conditions were prime for the transmission of both parasite and pathogen. By examining the contact between the Vikings and Native North Americans, scholars can see the differences in these two periods and forms of contact. The implications of these differences are vast, highlighting the importance of close examination of colonialism and imperialism.

Recommended Citation

Haughawout, Sarah N., "Viking and Native North American Interactions: The Spread of Disease in the Norse Discovery of North America" (2024). Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects. 1039.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/honors/1039