According to Olson’s book, Maloc was a Welsh prince who somehow fell into great disfavor with the British crown. Fearing for his life, he gathered a troop of loyal cohorts, and set sail for parts unknown.
I read the book about 20 years ago, so I don’t remember a whole lot about it. A few years after I read it, I was attending a Mormon conference, and a Mormon leader had a copy of the book, and held it forth as proof that Columbus and the Vikings were not necessarily the first visitors to the American continent.
Since the book was very obscure, I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t imagine the Mormon leader purchasing a copy in the bar parking lot, as I had.
Still, there was a lot to the book. It’s a shame that Olson wasn’t more of a scholar, able to present his research in a a more responsible and acceptable fashion. And/or, that he refused to publish it as a legend, but insisted it was all true.
Maybe a history scholar will be interested and give this topic the treatment it warrants.
* The Mandans spoke Welsh
* They used a boat which was know as the Welsh Coracle
* Many of the Mandans had blond hair and blue eyes