donald raab Wrote:
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> Ah. A nefarious alternative conspiracy to promote
> their views.
>
> There is one point of view that says Columbus was
> this genius who had a vision and saw things no one
> else did. He was able to convince others of theis
> vision to provide him with ships and men. He
> discovered a new world completely unknown before
> and subsequently everybody came here.
>
> Then there is the point of view (mine) that says
> he DID sail with the Norse.

You forgot to mention the 3rd viewpoint: that he was a silver tongued money grubbing social climber with poor math skills.... who conned his way into LIMITED support (3 small craft & a crew of convicts, whose absence would be no great loss to Iberia) and a contractual PROMISE of all he wanted (wealth, title, power, social status) IF he found a way to Asia.

By dumb luck he found land at about where he'd expected to find Asia, but since it WASN'T Asia (& since he was a lousy governor), the contract wasn't honored & he didn't get paid.

> He was a smart man.
> He gathered bits and pieces that suggested there
> was land open to exploitation for his benefactors.
> If he thought he was in Asia (India or China) why
> would he claim the lands for Spain.

Because he realized he WASN'T in Asia, and thus realized he wouldn't get paid UNLESS he came up with something else (new lands to possess? slaves? NEW spices?) to please his royal backers? Or because Feudal Europe was in the habit of stealing everything that wasn't nailed down or guarded by castles & armored guards?

> At that
> period of time Asia was looked upon as the light
> of the world.

B.S.

It was a "heathen" region with valuable resources (spices, silks, china, etc) ruled by a powerful empire. As such, it was looked apon as a place to trade with..... unless the barn door wasn't locked & opportunity beckoned.

CHRISTIAN Europe looked apon CHRISTIAN EUROPE "as the light of the world".... MOST regions were similarly ethnocentric, and the opinions of the few that weren't didn't have any bearing on Columbus' exploit.

> Not a very good idea sailing where
> supposedly no one else had and walk in and say it
> is mine.

Why not? The Spanish & Portuguese had already done that in the Canary Islands, and down along the coast of Africa.

> Also I've read in a couple of places he
> deliberately sailed south then east to avoid
> interception by Portuguese ships.

Cites? I DON'T recall this from his log, or from any plots I've seen of his purported route.

He was ALSO traveling with the express permission.... nay, SPONSORSHIP, of Portugal's monarch!

> They were in a race over the waters.

Nope. The Portuguese were focused on exploiting Africa.

> Much more likely. I don't
> deny the possibility of true and singular genius
> but I don't think this a case of it.
>
> There is supposedly a world map (tapestry) in
> Sweden of the 12th century.
>
> What is striking to me is the INSISTANCE that
> proir knowledge was possible. There seems to be
> an agenda here that brooks no dissent.
>
> As has been pointed out many times; even if others
> came here it is the Columbus voyage that hanged
> everything.

Yeah, too bad they didn't hang HIM first