Re: Ang: Estotiland

[Niven Sinclair <niven@niven.co.uk>]

At 09:41 28/09/00 +0200, you wrote:
>kevin wrote:  "Would anyone know what 'Estotiland' means"
>
>Estotiland could possibly mean Greenland or Nova Scotia, according to old 
>sources. It's also mentioned in John Milton's Paradise Lost - but as an 
>imaginary tract of land.
>
>Erling


Just as the Spaniards referred to the whole of America as Florida (now only 
a State);
           the Arabs referred to the whole of the Iberian Peninsula as 
Andalusia (now only a Province);
             the Norse referred to the whole of North America as 
'Engroneland' which included Baffin Island,
                         Labrador (Helluland)  Newfoundland (Markland) 
Estotiland (Nova Scotia),
                         Vinland (New England).

                         The settlers of Greenland (as we know it today) 
could not have survived
                         without provisions from the New World.  The saga 
of Eric 'the Red' as
                         told in the "Kings Mirror" and the Bull of Pope 
Alexander VI describes
                         Greenland as country  'barren of bread and 
oil'.  There are reports of a
                         Bishop John of Ireland meeting his death in 
Vinland in 1066 and Bishop
                         Eric (of Gardar) attending to his flock in Vinland 
(1121) from which he
                         did not return.  A bishop's seat was invariably in 
the centre of his diocese
                                    and, that being so, Gardar would fit in 
with that norm if one takes in the
                                    North American territories.  It is a 
matter of historical record that the Norse
                                    were in the New World from the 10th 
Century onwards.  Read Storm,
                                    Rafn, Inverson, Nansen, Rousell, Gunnar 
Thompson et al.

                         I do not know whether Zeno was the first person to 
use the word "Estotiland"
                         to describe the land (now known as Nova Scotia) 
but the name persists in
                         subsequent maps, notably that of  DeVirga (1414) 
Claudius Clavius (1424) and
                         was still being used by Resen (1605).  Most of the 
map makers rely heavily
                                    on the Zeno map and the known voyages 
of Nicholas of Lynn in the mid 1300's
                           There are a whole host of pre-Columbian maps 
which cover North America
                                     whilst DeVirga's map (mentioned above) 
covers South America as far South as
                           Peru.

                           South America was known to the Romans as Cattigara
                                                       to the Indians as 
Patal India
                                                       to the Arabs as Wag-Waq
                                                       to the Spaniards as 
Ophir

                            It was here that Francisco Pizarro found hoards 
of Inca Gold in 1533

People have the mistaken belief that the World was populated by 
land-lubbers before the advent of Columbus.
They have also the mistaken belief that the Europeans were the only people 
who could sail ships.

If one studies the many histories of early voyages, a completely different 
picture emerges.  In particular.
there is an urgent need to study the maps and reports of the Richard 
Hakluyt Society which, I believe, will
give proof positive of Henry Sinclair's voyages.  Some of the maps are 
believed to be reproduced in
Ridpath's History of America.  Others are said to be with the Hakluyt 
Society in London (now incorporated
in the British Museum) but my early attempts at gaining access did not meet 
with any success.  Perhaps,
someone with more time on their hands, can take up the search.


But back to "Estotiiland": Andrew Sinclair suggests that "Estotiland" may 
be a corruption of "East Scotland"
                              where Henry Sinclair had his Scottish Estates 
but I prefer Erling's suggestion.
                                    Place names invariably describe the 
terrain e.g. Helluland: the stony land; Markland:
                           the wooded land; Vinland: the land of the 
vine.  Greenland was, of course, the
                                     exception and was said to be part of 
the ruse to attract settlers there.  One wonders
                            why?

Niven Sinclair

>
> >>> kevrik@shaka.com 27.09.00 19:40 >>>
>Would anyone know what 'Estotiland' means and why Prince Henry named his new
>lands with that particular name? Great information about Prince Henry's
>voyages, thanks to all involved. A great time to be on the list ! Mahalo ,
>Kevin
>
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