Sasquatch Chronicles Blog

Apr 28

The oldest account of Bigfoot was recorded in 986 AD

The oldest account of Bigfoot was recorded in 986 AD by Leif Ericson and his men. During their first landing in the New World, the Norsemen wrote about manlike beasts that were “horribly ugly, hairy, swarthy and with great black eyes.”

Leif Ericson3Among his accounts, Leif told of seeing huge hairy men who towered over him and his men. The “huge hairy men”, according to Leif, lived in the Woods and had a rank odour and a deafening shriek. It should be noted that Leif Ericson and his men describe huge manlike beasts that were loud and foul-smelling and clearly distinct from native peoples. Apparently, Leif had several sightings of the “huge hairy men” before departing the island.

They called the creature “Skellring”. People believe that the creature “Skellring” is what we know today as Bigfoot. This is the earliest recorded encounter with Bigfoot, or Sasquatch.

The Norse word “skellring” is a term of contempt. It means, roughly, a “barbarian.” What is interesting is the word “hairy.” The Norse were a hairy people themselves, big men with matted hair and beards. Why did they remark on the “skellring” being hairy? Was it because they were very much hairier than the Norsemen?

Leif Ericson1

 

69 Responses to “The oldest account of Bigfoot was recorded in 986 AD”

  3. Tyler D

    It’s funny to me that skeptics can say this entire topic is just one big hoax. I don’t believe Nordic Vikings we’re in on this huge scheme saying “A thousand years from now they are so going to fall for this crap”. I wish some people we’re a bit more open minded and would notice that there’s more to this than just what you read. Soon enough it’ll be out there for everyone to recognize. I love this encounter, unbelievably fascinating. I think historic accounts are the best

    • Christopher c

      Well said.,I think the movie the Thirteenth Warrior was based on leif Ericksons account but in the movie they put Native Americans as the villains depicting them as cannibal savage’s wearing a bear headresses and coming in to raid their fortresses under the cover of heavy fog.

      • schlad

        I was thinking that now too, the movie was, I think, based on a Michael Crichton book called ‘ Eaters of the Dead’ it’s supposed to be a translation of the accounts of a Muslim man that travelled with a group of Vikings. I feel that what they encountered was a tribe of Sasquatch too! Great minds..

      • John S

        The movie “The 13th Warrior” is definitely NOT based on Leif Erickson, nor did it have anything to do with bigfoot.

        The 13th Warrior was based on Michael Crichton’s book “Eaters of the Dead” which was an imaginative re-interpretation of the tale of Beowulf combined with Ahmad ibn Fadlan’s historical account of Volga Vikings.

        In the film the Viking warrior leader’s name in the movie was “Buliwyf” (in the movie his name is pronounced more like ( Bull Vie )

        Now you know… and knowing is half the battle. ;]

  4. Papa - Yeti

    I really enjoy researching for the encounters of past decades and past centuries. I have obtained an account (Mentioning) earlier than 986 A.D. but Leif Ericson is awesome, I would have loved to be there an seen it all happening.

    Wes. the earlier dated Encounter is this: ►840 C.E. – Sightings of monstrous apelike creatures lurking in the darkness of forests and mountainous regions of the world have been reported since the middle Ages. In 840 C.E., Agobard, the Archbishop of Lyons, told of three such demons, “giant people of the forest and mountains,” who were stoned to death after being displayed in chains for several days.

    • Carla P

      we have our ‘trolls’…..there was a fascinating article about a Saudi Arabian guy who traveled with Vikings and documented it all, including sasquatch experiences, which they sometimes call trolls. …and then there’s Wendel

  8. Papa - Yeti

    ►Villagers of the Caucasus Mountains have legends of [Ape – like] “Wildman” going back for centuries.

    Here is one from 1205 C.E. ► Also found at (Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained) [Also there is this reference] “In his Chronicles, About Ralph of Coggeshall Abbey, Essex, England, wrote of a “strange – Monster” whose charred body had been found after a lightning storm on the night of ‘John The Baptist’ ‘in June 1205. He stated that a terrible stench came from the beast with “Monstrous Limbs.”[” Well, a lightning bold can get up to 30,000 kelvins (53,540 degrees Fahrenheit). So I can imagine that the “Strange – Monster” if it was in fact a Sasquatch was quite the inferno if it was covered in hair.”]

  9. randolph w

    I really enjoy the historical accounts. It seems to add that much-needed support on the subject that always deserves a great amount of respect. And this is just down right badass, vikings and sasquatch! Awsome!

  10. Papa - Yeti

    It does make you ponder upon what the Sasquatch populace numbers were back in the Middle ages’ As for Leif and his men, Viking swords would have been pretty much useless against raging Sasquatches throwing boulder missiles at the Vikings. Did Leif’s Man have other Viking weapons other than swords? Like spears, and battle axes? And of what effect would those weapons have against a 750 plus pound, massive, and raging male Sasquatches? Did Leif and his men encounter both Sasquatch and Werewolves aka Dogman [Those creatures of course nil and void of the DNA makeup of homo sapiens]. The Vikings had to build camps for the nights as they cooked upon camp fires and slept, as well unless they only caught and ate fish, then they must have ventured into those coastal thickets and mountains with Viking spears to hunt wild boar and deer, unless they were throwing battle axes at the wild game animals. I wish I could see their expressions upon their first encountering / discovering of those huge ugly mountainous creatures. The screams, whoops, and howls must have been unnerving even for Viking to endue through the nights as they tried to sleep.

  13. Jesse W

    Leif had no DNA evidence, photos, tracks, hair samples, scat, or dermal ridges, and yet people believed him. Granted, I guess in his time they didn’t have Rick Dyers or the lot hoaxing to put so much doubt in the subject.
    When one man says it to people who weren’t there, why is there more suspicion now. Since Leif’s time how many more species of creatures have been discovered or found to not be of just legend and how many more have had their own encounters or sightings. Skepticism is healthy so long as followed by logic and research.

  15. Daniel L. W

    the native inuits were noted to be shorter than the europeans,so the mention of skellrig being huge and hairy seem to nail it.I dont think that natives had beards…I think that this not only lends credibility to leif seeing a sass,but that the vikings discovered end explored north america long before columbus. skeptics question both theories but ive seen a sass and know they are real,so i tend to believe both!

  16. Eddie M

    I think the big guys been around a lot longer than that. I read somewhere about fossilized 18″ tracks in a ancient River bed in Texas…I can’t remember where I read it.

  17. Papa - Yeti

    I have to highly agree with your statement Dan (DLE) the mentioning of Leif (The Vikings) making Ocean voyages; something made possible with Leif’s inner drive and great determination, as well as being aided by the use of polarization by means of viewing the suns position through completely overcast skies with the (Sky – Stone aka Sun – stone.
    I also have to wonder if Leif shared that knowledge and gave to the Inuit people as well of some North American Indians the knowledge as well. Suring the Inuit would have cherished and greatly improved their own navigation in their travels and hunts across the vast northern snow and ice terrain. The Sky – stone would not have helped the Inuit during snow storms but would do so in overcast skies. As far as Leif and his Viking men discovering Sasquatch, I would have like to of known if Leif Ericson and his men came across the huge foot prints first or if Sasquatch came down to the shore to dig clams, and ventured into their camps at night.

  22. Bonnie I

    Just found this blog and read through the responses. I really think there is a lot more to all this than what we actually have been told from historians. For example, what really happened to Leif Eriksson, his wife, his children? We have all kinds of historical information supplied mainly by clerics of the time of other well known figures but not him or Vinland or his mother who was of royal birth. Her name was Hilder Jorondottir and she was married to Eric the Red. Just think there was a whole lot more to the story that was kept secret by clerics of that time. I personally would not be surprised at all if the Sasquatch (Hairy Man) had a rather big part in the demise of Vinland. Also, I would not be surprised if Vinland was actually located somewhere in the Pacific Northwest because still today this is where the biggest, baddest, Bigfoot are reported.

  23. Emma G

    I live in Sweden and the word Skellring (which may well have the meaning you refer to in this article) also sounds jolly like the word for barking or screaming, which is skälla (pronounced Shell-a). Sk is usually pronounced ‘sh’ in Norse languages today (not an expert in how it sounded a thousand years ago).

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