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stodge said:The Danish king, allied by marriage to Tostig, Edgar, and the Scottish king could have made common cause
King Svein of Denmark was also Harold's cousin. He might have decided to make common cause with the obviously God-blessed Harold Williamsbane (one of the titles given to him in the epic The March of Harold) in order to crush the Norwegians. Incidentally its interesting just how many people Harold Godwinson was related to. The royal Anglo-Saxon dynasty,the House of Godwinson would be related by marriage to the ruling houses of Norway, Denmark and possibly most surprisingly (to me at least) to the Grand Princes of Kiev through Harold's daughters marriage to Grand Prince Vladimir Monomakh.
Norman said:Additionally, because much of this civilization depends on seaborn commerce, do we have earlier or later settlement of Vinland?
According to The Vikings in History (F.D. Logan, 1991), 'In about the year 1000 Vikings sighted, landed at, explored and attempted to settle the North American littoral'. According to the same source, Vinland was known at the court of the aforementioned King Svein (incidentally nephew of King Cnut of England). A German geographer, Adam of Bremen recorded this information which implies that it was no secret.
Maybe Anglo-Saxon England might provide the impetus to continue the settlement of Vinland. I'm not trying to argue that any permanent settlements might be set up but possibly, through closer ties with Iceland, English fishing fleets might seasonally sail to the cod banks off Newfoundland, setting up temporary outposts to salt their catch. As news spread of Newfoundland, land hungry Scandinavians might start to set up more permanent settlements as they did in Iceland.
Over time, some of these fishermen would drift further south finding more habitable terrain around OTL Maine and Massachusets. Trading contacts are made with the Skraelings and diseases soon decimate them. Meanwhile in England, a disaffected earl is exiled (just as Harold the Great was exiled to Ireland earlier in his career). This adventurous and hot-blooded young Earl of Stamford gathers those thanes still loyal to him and sets out for Vinland. He establishes the settlement of New Stamford on the site of OTL Boston. As the first noble in Vinland, he operates as an independent petty king in his own right, bringing the disease wracked skraelings under his control. His descendants will, in later years be the rulers of a great anglo-Saxon nation...