Page "Norse colonization of the Americas" Paragraph 19

There are conflicting stories but one account states that a bull belonging to Karlsefni came storming out of the wood, so frightening the natives that they ran to their skin-boats and rowed away.

They returned three days later, in force.

The natives used catapults, hoisting " a large sphere on a pole ; it was dark blue in color " and about the size of a sheep's belly, which flew over the heads of the men and made an ugly din.

The Norsemen retreated.

Leif Ericson's half-sister Freydís Eiríksdóttir was pregnant and unable to keep up with the retreating Norsemen.

She called out to them to stop fleeing from " such pitiful wretches ", adding that if she had weapons, she could do better than that.

Freydís seized the sword belonging to a man who had been killed by the natives.

She pulled one of her breasts out of her bodice and struck it with the sword, frightening the natives, who fled.