Vinland

[ MICHAEL, spoken ]
Are you on a clean page?

[ LUKE, spoken ]
Yup

[ MICHAEL, spoken ]
Perfect
You'll love this one. It's my favorite

Lesson twenty-two: the Viking discovery of Vinland, the--... not Finland, Vinland. The New World

[ LUKE, spoken ]
Oh, right

[ MICHAEL, spoken ]
Iceland, 985

[ MICHAEL ]
Stones and sheep
And kings and cattle

[ LUKE, spoken ]
Uh-huh!

[ MICHAEL ]
Longboats coat the sea for battle
For willing
Pull your oar
And make a killing
Viking, if your wife and frozen life aren't to your liking
Take more

[ LUKE, spoken ]
More of what?

[ MICHAEL, spoken ]
Of what you deserve! Keep writing

[ MICHAEL ]
A young man, strong
By the name of Bjarni
An explorer, just like you

[ LUKE, spoken ]
Oh, I'm not--

[ MICHAEL ]
Has a farm and a wagon
His tattoo is a dragon
Down his arm
And he's so-damn-tired
Of these lazy-fucking-people all around him!

[ LUKE, spoken ]
What?!

[ MICHAEL ]
They astound him
With their ignorance
Convince him that there's gotta be more to explore

[ ENSEMBLE ]
More!

[ MICHAEL ]
To embrace!

[ ENSEMBLE ]
More!

[ MICHAEL ]
There's a dream!
Please, Thor!
Where's this place?

[ MICHAEL & ENSEMBLE ]
Where's this place?

[ MICHAEL ]
White sand
Sloping down from the green trees
Standing guard at the clear stream

[ WOMEN ]
Vines, vines
Sweetest wines

[ MICHAEL ]
Vinland

[ ENSEMBLE ]
Vinland

{ LUKE, spoken ]
So this is like... their Garden of Eden?

[ MICHAEL, spoken ]
No, Eden's a myth. They're dreaming of North America, probably around Newfoundland. Five-hundred and seven years before Columbus discovered it

[ LUKE, spoken ]
Seriously?! The Vikings came here?!

[ MICHAEL, spoken ]
You bet. But we're not there yet

[ MICHAEL ]
So he wrangles up twenty-five strong young men
Like you
And then he sails, as Vikings do
And they drank and they danced and they sang
And they're off with a bang
Through the ice
Set your sights on paradise!

[ MICHAEL & ENSEMBLE ]
Pull and pull!
Pull and pull!

[ MICHAEL ]
And the very next day, as the sagas say
There was a fog
And everything slowed
And they rowed
And they rowed
And they said

[ ENSEMBLE ]
"Bjarni, we can't go on
We gotta turn back!"

[ BOY ]
Someone will always want to drop the anchor
Drop the anchor
And make you stop!

[ MICHAEL, spoken ]
But Bjarni said no, and they rode

[ LUKE, spoken ]
What do you mean--?

[ MICHAEL, spoken ]
He was tired and hungry, too
But he knew

[ MICHAEL ]
To the west of pain is a paradise
We will sail straight in
Let them star our skin
There is always pain before paradise
So only the strong belong!

[ MICHAEL, spoken ]
You're one of the strong ones, welcome

[ LUKE, spoken ]
Can we do this later? Please, Michael, I'm getting dizzy

[ MICHAEL, spoken ]
You have to learn to focus, kid!

[ LUKE, spoken ]
I'm totally lost!

[ MICHAEL, spoken ]
You can handle it. Another sip!

[ LUKE, spoken ]
No!

[ MICHAEL, spoken ]
You don't say no to me! Ever!

To the west of pain is a paradise
Paradise!
If you're in our way
There'll be blood to pay!
There is always pain before paradise
Because only the strong...
Only the strong...
Only the strong belong...

[ MICHAEL, spoken ]
Good. Where were we?