The legend of the Kingdom of Saguenay was a potent story, which beguiled the French over many years. It did so because it capitalized on one base aspect of humans - greed.
Kingdom of Saguenay
In 1534, while exploring the New Brunswick coast, Jacques Cartier made contact with Native Americans, who told him a tale of the Kingdom of Saguenay. The Iroquoians described a powerful and rich state to the north, inhabited by blond men. What caught the attention of Cartier though was the mention of gold and furs.
In 1535 the French explorer was sponsored for another expedition to Canada. As the flotilla made its way to the St. Lawrence River, Native American guides provided more information about the Kingdom of Saguenay. According to them the kingdom was located just two days west. A harsh winter followed and iced the waterways, and Cartier and his expedition had to spend the winter with the indigenous people, where they learned more about the Kingdom of Saguenay. The people of the kingdom apparently dressed like white men, had white skin and were law abiding.
In 1536 Cartier kidnapped an Native American chief, Donnacona, and his two sons, and took them along with him to France. The French explorer let Donnacona talk to the French king, Francis I, about Saguenay, so that the monarch's interest could be piqued. Donnacona died in France without seeing his homeland again.
Years later, in 1541, the French king sent Jacques Cartier with colonists and farm animals, to create a base upstream of Quebec, and make contact with the Kingdom of Saguenay. In the period of 1541-1542 he tried to locate the kingdom but without success, and the Iroquois were hostile to the permanent settlement. The venture resulted in 35 settlers being killed, and the settlement was abandoned and Jacques Cartier returned to France. Other expeditions also met with similar success.
Were the tales of the Kingdom of Saguenay an effort to trick the French? Others have theorized that the Kingdom of Saguenay may have been old tales of a Viking settlement, which may have been encountered by the Iroquois centuries before. The mythical name survived though, and can be seen in the city Saguenay, Saguenay region and the Saguenay River.
Thank you for reading!
Kingdom of Saguenay
In 1534, while exploring the New Brunswick coast, Jacques Cartier made contact with Native Americans, who told him a tale of the Kingdom of Saguenay. The Iroquoians described a powerful and rich state to the north, inhabited by blond men. What caught the attention of Cartier though was the mention of gold and furs.
In 1535 the French explorer was sponsored for another expedition to Canada. As the flotilla made its way to the St. Lawrence River, Native American guides provided more information about the Kingdom of Saguenay. According to them the kingdom was located just two days west. A harsh winter followed and iced the waterways, and Cartier and his expedition had to spend the winter with the indigenous people, where they learned more about the Kingdom of Saguenay. The people of the kingdom apparently dressed like white men, had white skin and were law abiding.
In 1536 Cartier kidnapped an Native American chief, Donnacona, and his two sons, and took them along with him to France. The French explorer let Donnacona talk to the French king, Francis I, about Saguenay, so that the monarch's interest could be piqued. Donnacona died in France without seeing his homeland again.
Were the tales of the Kingdom of Saguenay an effort to trick the French? Others have theorized that the Kingdom of Saguenay may have been old tales of a Viking settlement, which may have been encountered by the Iroquois centuries before. The mythical name survived though, and can be seen in the city Saguenay, Saguenay region and the Saguenay River.
Thank you for reading!
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