Prince Henry St Clair and the Voyage to the New World in 1398

By TempleofMysteries.com

Did a Scottish nobleman lead an expedition to America nearly 100 years before Columbus? Mounting evidence suggests that in 1398 'Prince' Henry St Clair, Earl of Orkney, visited Nova Scotia and even established a colony there. The theory about the New World colony originated with a work known as the Zeno Narrative published in Venice in 1558, telling of a voyage to America at the end of the 1390s with a prince of the Scottish islands.

• Language: English
• Publisher: TempleofMysteries.com
• Release date: Oct 8, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466088733

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Prince Henry St Clair

and the Voyage to the

New World in 1398

by

TempleofMysteries.com

Copyright 2011 TempleofMysteries.com

Smashwords Edition

Introduction

The Life of Prince Henry

The Zeno Narrative & Map

Archaeological Evidence

The Micmac Legends

A Templar Colony?

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Introduction

Did a Scottish nobleman lead an expedition to America nearly 100 years before Columbus? Mounting evidence suggests that in 1398 'Prince' Henry St Clair, Earl of Orkney, visited Nova Scotia and even established a colony there. The theory about the New World colony originated with a work known as the Zeno Narrative published in Venice in 1558, telling of a voyage to America at the end of the 1390s with a prince of the Scottish islands. 

Prince Henry St. Clair

The St Clairs held a special place in the history of Scotland. Strong supporters of Robert Bruce, the 3rd Baron, Sir William, fought at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, along with two of his sons. Sir Henry St Clair, the 6th Baron - Prince Henry's grandfather - was one of the signatories of the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath that defiantly announced Scotland's independence from England. On Robert Bruce's death Sir Henry's son William was one of three Scottish knights who set out to take his heart to the Holy Land.

The Zeno Narrative & Map

The story of Prince Henry St Clair's voyage to North America was written by the Venetian Nicolò Zeno in 1558. Zeno was a historian and prominent citizen and his book, known as 'The Zeno Narrative' included a map of the islands and countries of the North Atlantic. Zeno's source - or so he claimed - was letters written by two of his ancestors, another Nicolò, and his brother Antonio, who had served in the fleet of a Prince of the islands north of Scotland. Antonio's letters (as given in the Zeno Narrative) also refer to a book he had written that described the lands they visited in greater detail. 

Archaeological Evidence

In 1849 a cannon was found off the shore of Louisburg Harbour on Cape Breton Island, and has since been conclusively identified as one commonly used by the Venetian navy - specifically the type used by Carlo Zeno to break the Genoese blockade of Venice in 1380. Further evidence in the form of stone buildings lend further credence to the claim that Prince Henry had contacted