I can imagine how difficult it must be for some people--especially those not from Minnesota or else living overseas--to understand where particular locations are in relationship to the Kensington Runestone...so I decided to create a sort of "KRS Locational Chart" to make the task a bit easier. Of course, the importance of each location is according to my own personal speculation. Many of the sites are well known to KRS researchers, with a few possible exceptions. I have essays about most of the sites listed here that can be seen at my blog at americanrunestone.blogspot.com.
Number one,the KRS, discovered about four miles east of the Chippewa River. The Chippewa River begins in the Brandon area (think Brandon Axe) and empties into the Minnesota River by Granite Falls. My view is that the Chippewa River figures heavily in the KRS storyline, since I believe it was by this river that the Norse explorers reached not only Runestone Hill, but also their ill-fated campsite at Davidson Lake, which has two skerries, and is where the medieval-era Erdahl Axe was found in 1894 under a stump more than two feet across. Like a time capsule. I believe that Runestone Hill was a moat-like, defensive camp site and that stoneholes at Runestone Park may have been carved out at a different time than 1362.
Number two, Davidson Lake, which I believe is the much-looked-for "Lake With Two Skerries" that has provided such an abundance of intrigue for researchers trying to locate it. Davidson Lake is uppermost in a succession of lakes that empty into one another before discharging into the Chippewa River. Apparently, fishing was not that great at Davidson Lake, and half of the group of twenty men camped there left for a day of fishing. When they returned, they found that their ten companions had all been brutally killed. Hjalmar Holand had stood on the west bank of Davidson Lake while looking for the finding spot of the Erdahl Axe--without realizing it was the lake with two skerries. He had started his search for the mystery lake just a few miles too far north of Davidson Lake, and he ended up foolishly choosing out Cormorant Lake, about eighty miles from Runestone Hill, in part because of the "mooring stones" at the lake. I wholeheartedly believe that Davidson Lake--located about a day's journey north from Runestone Hill, is likely to be the lake with two skerries referred to on the KRS...and that having located it may eventually go a long way in helping to establish the validity of the message on the KRS.
Number three, the Sauk Lake Altar Rock, a title improvement over formerly being referred to as "The Viking Altar Rock." From Sauk Lake, the Sauk River discharges into the Mississippi River rather than into the Minnesota River, which likely means that the Altar Rock was created (stoneholes chiseled) by Norsemen who had traveled the Mississippi River above St. Anthony Falls. To me, this seems to set the huge rock apart from the Norse goings-on along the Chippewa River, which was accessed via the Minnesota River. Perhaps the uniquely shaped rock was visited as far back as the early Vinland years. At one time many years ago, the rock was owned by the Knights of Columbus in Sauk Centre, and a park was even proposed for Todd County, but the plan unfortunately slowly dissolved into Minnesota's silly "Viking Trail," with the Sauk Lake Altar Rock being the last stop on the trail--just after Kensington Runestone Park. Signs for Minnesota's Viking Trail still dot the countryside. According to information in one of Holand's books, there used to be a "fine spring" near the rock before all the large trees were cut down. Importantly, the Altar Rock was "discovered" before the area was settled. The rock has four slightly triangular-shaped and very aged-appearing stoneholes hand chiseled into it, two of which were horizontally made, apparently to position pegs into to support an altar table.
Number four, a proposed rocky lookout shelter "sconce," which appears to be a campsite set upon the highest rocky knoll in the area. The site seems to suggest a strategically defensive opportunity, including the option of "fighting downhill." Plenteous springwater pours out of the ground nearby. I was granted the opportunity to look the site over and take pictures after a young farmhand from Germany, tending horses, pointed the lookout shelter out for me as being something odd and compelling to see. Who were the builders of the stone walls perched up high, with Lake Emily in view to the west and the Chippewa River just a few miles farther westward? Native Americans? A Norse explorers' camp-over spot? Or possibly early settlers setting up a defense during the "Sioux Uprising," a Civil War-era conflict between area whites and Native Americans? Oddly enough, the hill-top site is about a day's journey downriver from Runestone Hill, and its also located just a few miles east of the Chippewa River...as is Runestone Hill. Something else somewhat mystifying to me is the seemingly purposeful "central placement" of the large, flat-faced pyramid--or triangular-shaped--rock in the main wall. The "stumbling blocks" in an orderly line behind the main wall are , to me at least, simply awsome, and they really do seem to indicate the seriousness of a well-planned defense. Be sure to see the photos if you go to the "sconce" page.
Number five, the Whetstone River environs, located in northeastern South Dakota, where authentic Norse stonehole clusters abound. There are also a few seemingly Norse petroglyphs along the river, and what may be a medieval blacksmithing rock, with a stone anvil and a quenching basin. The two petroglyphs and the possible blacksmithing stone can be seen in Wolter's "hooked X" book. A large white, flat-topped rock with a stonehole in it and what appears to be a purposely cracked-off slab of rock, seems to be marking the beginning of the Whetstone River--which in medieval times emptied into the beginning of the Minnesota River (now diverted into the bottom of Big Stone Lake).
Number six, the beginning of the Minnesota River, which eventually merges with the Mississippi River near Ft. Snelling. Recognizing the beginning of the Minnesota River seems important to me because the area is within the tight region where waterways from the north (Hudson Bay) and from the east (Great Lakes) merge, forming a huge waterway circle...which I believe is the very reason for the many Norse evidences here "out in the middle of nowhere" in the first place. And this includes the Kensington Runestone.
Number seven, the very important Chippewa River. I already covered some of its significance in the opening of this essay, but I'll just repeat that the closest navigable waterway (river) to the Runestone Park area back in 1362 was quite obviously by way of the Chippewa River; and the infamous Lake With Two Skerries appears to be just off the Chippewa River, about a day's journey north of where the KRS was discovered at Runestone Hill. When I first entered into this frustrating but wonderful search for truth concerning the KRS a dozen or so years ago, I began with a search of the waterways (and stoneholes) in the region, and I quickly began to focus in on the Chippewa River as being the most logical waterway to Runestone Hill. I believe that Davidson Lake now being tentitively identified as the Lake With Two Skerries helps to solidify the truth that Runestone Hill was approached via this same Chippewa River--with a lengthy walk figured in to help eliminate any smoke or noise coming from being too close to the river-highway. I believe a large chunk of the KRS storyline comes from the Chippewa River, but readers of this blog will likely not find this information put together anywhere else. As some of you may guess, I have gotten mocked and ridiculed, and my theories--especially about stoneholes--have been wholeheartedly dismissed, and especially by Minnesota's academic elite, who make no room for this KRS nonsense. However, I still see only truth in the KRS story. And the Chippewa River has been a good, reliable friend to me in my searching, enabling for me to not only find the waterway route to the KRS, but also to the Lake With Two Skerries.
Number eight, is the site of several medieval Norse code-stones, showing, I believe, where something is buried. The fun puzzle is comprised of six stones having stoneholes in them, arranged to suck a returning Norseman in. On the "main" code-stone is a line of stoneholes with a stonehole "missing" in one spot. On the nearby ridgeline, some stonehole rocks are arranged the same way as the stoneholes on the main code-stone...in a line, but with a stonehole rock missing instead of a stonehole. Friends, this was not by accident or fluke of nature. I believe that a group of Norsemen actually encoded several stonehole rocks to conceal and later reveal something made of iron. The encoding shows a significance to one particular spot on the ridgeline, and a ferrous-only metal detector hits very strongly on this very spot! The main code-stone (a short distance away), can be looked at as a sort of backup to the same pattern on the ridgeline. Additionally, it appears that the main code-stone--with its line of stoneholes--is pointing east. Just a few months ago, my wife discovered another stonehole near the main code-stone, several feet north, away from the main code-stone. So, in effect, it seems that some of the stoneholes have been positioned to be--in essence--a compass on the prairie, pointing out east and north. Not surprisingly, the Pomme de Terre River discharges into the beginnings (Marsh Lake) of the Minnesota River here, and this Pomme de Terre River reaches the farthest north of any tributaries discharging into the Minnesota River...in possible consideration for an intended land claim. This is speculation, of course, but I like to think that something may be buried at the site having to do with a medieval Norse land-claim.
There are a several updates, including photos, about the Norse Code-stones at several other postings on this blog. I invite anyone to learn more about this very peculiar site. As for myself, this site takes up most of my focus, because of the possibilities it offers in the way of actually finding something medieval and Norse that will turn history as we know it today on its head, as it should be. To me, it's perfectly clear that Norsemen were here in Minnesota well before the French, and Minnesota's academic elite will have a lot catching up to do. I hope the current State Archaeologist isn't afraid of what may eventually be found just south of Appleton. There is a reason Peter Stormare was turned down for sponsoring a professional dig, and I don't believe for a minute that it was because of concern for the prairie land. I don't think going down one square yard would hurt anything, especially if done with extra care for the environment. I'm frankly tired of watching my years roll by (70, now) with absolutely nothing being done about the Norse Code-stones site...just no curiosity or interest at all...only professional mockery (and disgrace), in my view.
Number 9, Norway Lake is up the Shakopee River, a tributary of the Chippewa River. It doesn't seem surprising then that two different Norse oddities may have turned up at Norway Lake. Well, one did turn up, a medieval bardiche axe, but there are questions to be answered about the other possible discovery...a submerged runestone, somewhat larger than the Kensington Runestone. According to the story, several different persons saw the runestone during times of extreme drought in the 1930s, and someone saw it a few years before the KRS was discovered in 1898. It was reportedly about three hundred pounds and about four-by-five feet and flat-sided and "emblazoned with the inscription." The Norway Lake Axe, a Scandinavian "bardiche" axe, was verified to be a 12th century axe by staff at museums in Norway. It can be seen at Alexandria's Runestone Museum. See my blog page for Norway Lake for further information about the lake's bardiche axe and the possible submerged runestone. By the way, an attempt was made to find the runestone by several divers in the 1970s, but the water was too "murky." I think today's modern technology, such as side-scan sonar, could quite easily overcome the water conditions at Norway Lake.
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