TEXT C In the summer of 999, Leif
Erikson voyaged to Norway and spent the following winter with King Olaf
Tryggvason. Substantially the same account is given by both the Saga of Eric the
Red and the Flat Island Book. The latter says nothing about Leif’s return voyage
to Greenland, but according to the former it was during this return voyage that
Leif discovered America. The Flat Island Book, however, tells of another and
earlier landfall by Biarni, the son of a prominent man named Heriulf, and makes
that the inspiration for the voyage to the new land by Leif. In brief, like
Leif, Biarni and his companions sight three countries in succession before
reaching Greenland, and to come upon each new land takes 1 "doegr" (time record)
more than the last until Biarni comes to land directly in front of his father’s
house in the last-mentioned country. This narrative has been
rejected by most later writers, and they may be justified. Possibly, Biarni was
a companion of Leif when he voyaged from Norway to Greenland via America, or it
may be that the entire tale is but a garbled account of that voyage and Biarni
another name for Leif. It should be noted, however, that the stories of Leif’s
visit to King Olaf and Biarni’s to that king’s predecessor are in the same
narrative in the Flat Island Book, so there is less likelihood of duplication
than if they were from different sources. Also, Biarni landed on none of the
lands he passed, but Leif apparently landed on one, for he brought back
specimens of wheat, vines, and timber. Nor is there any good reason to believe
that the first land visited by Biarni was Wineland. The first land was "level
and covered with woods," and "there were small hillocks upon it." Of forests,
later writers do not emphasize them particularly in connection with Wineland,
though they are often noted incidentally; and of hills, the Saga says of
Wineland only that "wherever there was hilly ground, there were
vines." Additionally, if the two narratives were taken from the
same source we should expect a closer resemblance of Helluland. The Saga says of
it: "They found there hellus (large flat stones)." According to the Biarni
narrative, however, "this land was high and mountainous." The intervals of 1, 2,
3, and 4 "doegr" in both narratives are suggestive, but mythic formulas of this
kind may be introduced into narratives without altogether destroying their
historicity. It is also held against the Biarni narrative that its hero is made
to come upon the coast of Greenland exactly in front of his father’s home. But
it should be recalled that Heriulfsness lay below two high mountains which
served as landmarks for navigators. I would give up Biarni more
readily were it not that the story of Leif’s voyage contained in the supposedly
more reliable Saga is almost as amazing. But Leif’s voyage across the entire
width of the North Atlantic is said to be "probable" because it is incorporated
into the narrative of a preferred authority, while Biarni’s is "improbable" or
even "impossible" because the document containing it has been condemned. All of the following are mentioned as similarities between Leif Erikson’s voyage and Biarni’s voyage EXCEPT that ______.
A.they both visited Norway B.on the return voyage, both visited three different lands C.both returned to Greenland D.both visited Wineland