A Yarmouth - Viking Connection?
This scenic trail is named after the famous Norse explorer, and son of Eric the Red, Leif Ericson, who may have visited these shores sometime around 1000 AD.
Many scholars regard Leif Ericson as the first European to visit and perhaps even build a settlement in the New World - nearly 500 years before the arrival of Christopher Columbus!
While we cannot be certain that Leif sailed past, or even set foot upon Yarmouth's shores, a mysterious stone with ancient markings, which may or may not be of Norse origin, has only added to the mystery of a possible Yarmouth - Viking connection.
A Mystery Written in Stone
The famous Yarmouth Runic Stone was discovered at the Head of Yarmouth Harbour in 1812. Carved into the face of the 181-kilogram (400-pound) stone are thirteen characters thought by some to be Norse runes, an ancient form of writing that dates back at least 1,000 years. Other theories have linked the stone to early Basque explorers from the regions of southern France and Northern Spain, and even the Japanese.
Since its discovery, the Yarmouth Runic Stone continues to be a great source of debate among historians and scholars around the world. While this mysterious stone refuses to give up all its secrets, it does have some interesting stories to tell.
Discovery
[sic] these stories, and more, by visiting the Yarmouth County Museum, home of the Yarmouth Runic Stone.
Leave No Stone Unturned!
The famous Yarmouth Runic Stone was discovered at the Head of Yarmouth[.] As a modern-day explorer, come and make your own exciting discoveries along the Leif Eric son Trail and Yarmouth County.
You never know what secrets these rocky shores may reveal, or whose ancient footsteps you may be walking in!
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