Estotiland facts for kids

The name "Estotilande" is written on this map of New France from 1660.

Map from the Atlas of Abraham Ortelius showing the locations of Estotiland and Norumbega.

Nicolo Zeno's 1558 map showing Estotiland and Drogeo.

Mappemonde de Sebastian Münster showing "Estotiland" (1544).

Estotiland was a mysterious land that appeared on an old map called the Zeno map. This map was made a long time ago, in the 14th century. On modern maps, Estotiland would be located where parts of Canada are today. These areas include Labrador, Quebec, and Newfoundland. People used to think it was a real place. However, many historians now believe the map and the stories about it might not be true.

What the Zeno Map Said About Estotiland

The Zeno map came with some letters that told a story. These letters claimed that some fishermen from a place called "Frise" were sailing in the North Atlantic. A big storm blew their boat far to the west. They ended up discovering a new land they called "Estotiland."

The letters described Estotiland as a very rich and fertile country. It had mountains further inland. The king of Estotiland was quite interesting. He owned books written in Latin, but he couldn't understand them! The language spoken by the king and his people was also very different from what the Vikings spoke.

The fishermen had a special tool called a compass. This tool helped them sail safely. The king of Estotiland was so impressed by this. He convinced the fishermen to take him on a sea trip to another land to the south. This other land was named "Drogeo."

Was the Zeno Map Real?

Since the 1500s, many historians have wondered if the Zeno map and the letters were actually fake. They thought someone might have made them up.

However, a map made by a French mapmaker named Nicolas Sanson around 1660 also showed Estotiland. This map showed Estotiland located north of New France. This suggests that some people still believed in its existence even much later.

Where Did the Name "Estotiland" Come From?

Scientists have come up with a few ideas about where the name "Estotiland" might have originated:

• It might come from the words Estocafis or estocafic. These are old words for cod fish, which is also called stockfish. Cod has been fished in this area for hundreds of years.
• It could be a changed version of the word Escociland. This would mean "land of the Scottish." The Zeno brothers' story mentioned friendly people of Viking origin who had Latin Bibles.
• The name might come from the Germanic word ost. This word could mean "east of the lands beyond."