Myths of the Rune Stone: Viking Martyrs and the Birthplace of America

What do our myths say about us? Why do we choose to believe stories that have been disproven? David M. Krueger takes an in—depth look at a legend that held tremendous power in one corner of Minnesota, helping to define both a community’s and a state’s identity for decades.

In 1898, a Swedish immigrant farmer claimed to have discovered a large rock with writing carved into its surface in a field near Kensington, Minnesota. The writing told a North American origin story, predating Christopher ...