Leif Ericson
Primary Author: Sloane Alexander
The primary author is the individual who drafted the first version of
this section; a section that could have been modified since it was
originally published.
Background of the Vikings
During the time of Leif Ericson, and centuries before, the Vikings were known far and wide for their vast
exploration of the known world and their love of riches. This era is known as the Viking Age, from 7501100. From the coasts of New Foundland and all the way to the Caspian Sea, the Vikings made
themselves known to the world. They were the first to settle the islands of Iceland and Greenland; even
going past the Arctic Circle.
The Journey of Leif Ericson
Ericson's father, Eric the Red, was an explorer. He was exiled from Iceland and settled on the island of
Greenland around the year 980. The exact birth date of Ericson is not known but is known that he grew
up in Greenland and was the second son of Eric the Red.
Vikings were not known for writing things down, so the only recorded events of Ericson's journeys are in
the sagas known as "Saga of the Greenlander's" and the Erik's saga, which are written about 300 year
after Ericson's voyage to North America. Both tell of how Ericson came to the continent. Erik's saga
states that he became lost on his way back from Iceland and the Greenlander saga states that Ericson
heard of the land from a man who spotted it but never set foot on it. Out of the two, it is known that the
Greenlander's saga is the more reliable.
Where and When?
What we do know is that around the year 1000, Leif Ericson made landfall in a land he named "Vinland."
Ericson had discovered other lands before arriving to Vinland; areas he called "Markland" and
"Helluland." Both were named based upon the terrain there.
Because Ericson and his men arrived in Vinland just before winter had settled in, so he and his men
stayed there for the winter and sailed back to Greenland in the spring. After Leif sailed back to
Greenland, he never set foot back on Vinland.
Reprinted from College History
http://www.collegehistory.info/early/manuscripts/03-ericson.html
Last updated on 15 March 2015
Photo Caption: Christian Krohg's Leiv Eiriksson Discovers America (1893)
1
Legacy
After Ericson left the new land, his brother Thorvald attempted to settle where Ericson had landed.
Unfortunately, Thorvald's attempts at settling down were interrupted by the natives, skraelinjar, living
nearby, causing Thorvald to lose his life when a fight broke out between the natives and the Vikings.
Ericson eventually faded from the people's minds, only kept alive by the sagas written centuries after he
had died. It comes as no surprise that other nations and people have also claimed to finding the "New
World." Gavin Menzies claims the Chinese, under the leadership of the renowned admiral Zheng He
from the Ming Dynasty, found the western shores of the North American continent in 1421. As of late
2014, the Turkish president stated that the Muslims found the North American continent in the year
1178. The most famous of all to have said that they discovered the North American continent was, or
course, Christopher Columbus.
Where in the World is Vinland?
Since historians and anthropologists have known about Ericson's discovery of the North American
continent, many tried to search for the fabled "Vinland." Using the sagas written long ago, speculations
on where Vinland was began popped up. It was known that Vinland was somewhere along the eastern
coast of the North American continent in an area ranging from Cape Cod to New York. No one could
figure out where Vinland was; all that was known was that it was an area with an abundance of grapes.
Fortunately, in 1961, Helge Ingstad and his wife Anne Stine Ingstad discovered Viking ruins on the
northern tip of New Foundland near the community of L'Anse aux Meadows. Some believe that L'Anse
aux Meadows is the location of Vinland, but the problem that most people bring up is that there are no
grapes in the area.
Works Consulted
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Fossum, Andrew. The Norse Discovery of America. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1918.
Print.
Hewitt, Nancy A., Lawson, Steven F. Exploring American Histories. St. Martins, New York: 2013. Print.
Reprinted from College History
http://www.collegehistory.info/early/manuscripts/03-ericson.html
Last updated on 15 March 2015
Photo Caption: Christian Krohg's Leiv Eiriksson Discovers America (1893)
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Hirst, K. Kris. "Vinland — The Viking Homeland in America." About Education, 2015. Web. 27 Feb.
2015.
History Channel. "Leif Ericson." A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.
Holand, Hjalmar R. Explorations in America Before Columbus. New York City: Twayne Publisher, Inc.,
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Jakobsson, Sverrir. "Vínland and Wishful Thinking: Medieval and Modern Fantasies." Canadian
Journal of History, 47. 3 (2012): p493-514. Database. 1 Feb, 2015.
MEMRITVVideos. "Turkish President Erdogan: Muslims Discovered America Three Centuries Before
Columbus." Online video. YouTube. YouTube, 17 Nov. 2014. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
Ryne, Linn. "Leif Ericson." Great Norwegians, 1995 . Web. 27 Jan. 2015.
Salamon, Milt. "Today Marks 1,000 Anniversary." Florida Today (9 Oct. 2000). News, 8. Gannett
Newsstand. 9 Feb. 2015.
Wireless to THE NEW YORK TIMES. "Says America was Discovered by Chinese, Who Came in 458 A.D.,
Naming it 'Fou Chang'. " New York Times (1923-Current file): 1. 9 Aug 1925. ProQuest. Web. 9
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Reprinted from College History
http://www.collegehistory.info/early/manuscripts/03-ericson.html
Last updated on 15 March 2015
Photo Caption: Christian Krohg's Leiv Eiriksson Discovers America (1893)
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