Leif+Eriksson

L e i f E r i k s s o n  __By Taylah Rheinberger and Jordan Sarkissian__ Norse explorer by the name of Leif Eriksson was probably the first European to set foot on North America. The Sagas of Icelanders say that Leif Eriksson established a Norse settlement in Vinland. Leif Eriksson’s story was recorded by many Icelandic writers in the 13th and 14th centuries, but the accounts which they give differ so greatly that it is not possible to be certain of the details of Leif’s career. A different story is told in //Tale of Greenlanders,// a saga that modern scholars believe is older and more reliable then the //Saga of Erik the Red.// __ Early Life: __ It is known that Leif was born about AD 970 in Iceland. Erik the Red, a Norse explorer and outlaw was the father of Leif. Erik the Red founded two Norse colonies in Greenland. Western Settlement and Eastern Settlement is what he called them. Leif’s mother was Thjodhild. Leif Eriksson had three siblings, two brothers Thorvald and Thorsteinn, and a sister, Freydis. Leif married a woman called Thorgunna. They had one son who they named Thorkell Leifsson. __ Exploration of outer colonies: __ While staying in Norway, Leif Eriksson converted to Christianity. Many Norse folk were doing the same under the rule of the King of Norway, Olaf 1. When Leif returned to Greenland, he met a man named Bjarni Herjolfsson and bought his boat to start his exploration. According to the Sagas of the Greenlanders, Leif Eriksson started his journey in the year 1003 or 1002. Eriksson explored far and wide, coming to a land of flat rocks. He therefore called it Helluland (“Land of the flat stones”). In modern day times, scientists have come to the conclusion that this is Baffin Island. He departed from this so called ‘Helluland’ and came to a flat wooden land, with sandy beaches. Eriksson called this land “Woodland” which is probably Labrador in modern times. __ Exploration of Vinland: __ According to //Tale of the Greenlanders,// and Icelandic trader named Bjarni Herjolfsson was the first European to sight land in North America. Some years later, Leif bought Bjarni’s ship and, based on his description, retraced the voyage shortly after the year 1000. As he sailed, he reached what he knew as Helluland and Markland, before finding Vinland. Leif and his crew built shelters and stayed in Vinland for a year or two before returning to Greenland. Leif let his brother, Thorvald, borrow Bjarni’s ship for further exploration of Vinland. The precise identity of Vinland remains controversial among scholars. Some say it is Newfoundland, others, Nova Scotia or even New England. In 1963, archaeologists found ruins of a Viking-type settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows, in northern Newfoundland, which corresponds to Leif’s description of Vinland. __ Notes: __ · In 1964, the USA congress authorised and requested the president to make October 9 of each year, Leif Eriksson day. The date was chosen for its connection to the first organised immigration from Norway to the USA not for any event in the life of Leif Eriksson. · Leif Eriksson’s son’s surname is a combination of Leif and Eriksson.