Leif Eirkson (c.970-c.1020) voyaged around 1000 AD in the first attempt of Europeans to settle the coast of “Vineland,” generally accepted to be Newfoundland in North America. Sailing Viking longboats, Leif, and later his brothers, Thorvald and Thorstein, and sister Freydis, all children of Eric the Red, explored and built a temporary settlement there, which included a church, but conflict with natives led to its abandonment, Thorvald being killed by an arrow.
The Saga of Erik the Red contains the account of Norse exploration of North America. Thought to have been written in the 13th century, the Saga is preserved in two slightly different manuscripts, The Hauksbók (14th century) and The Skálholtsbók (15th century).
According to the Hauksbók and the Flatey Book (the Icelandic version) of “The Saga of Erik the Red” and “The Saga of the Greenlanders,” Erik the Red was responsible for some killings and was banished around 982 AD, resulting in him sailing to Greenland, becoming the first European to fully explore that land.
In 985, while sailing hundreds of settlers to Greenland from Iceland, a merchant named Biarni Herjólfsson was blown off course and after three days sighted land west of the fleet, most likely Newfoundland.
Biarni eventually found Greenland, where he provided a description of his discovery to Leif Ericson, who 15 years later explored the area and planted a small settlement.
Following currents, winds and landmarks described by Bjarni, Leif sailed 1,800 miles to the New World with a crew of 35 to a land “level and wooded, with broad white beaches wherever they went and a gently sloping shoreline.”
The Saga describes Leif exploring three areas: “land of the flat stones” called Helluland (possibly Baffin Island); “the land of forests” called Markland (possibly Labrador or New England); and “the land of wine” or “meadowland” called Vinland (possibly L’Anse aux Meadows).
In 1001, Leif wintered on the northern tip of Newfoundland, probably at Cape Bauld. Leif spent another winter at “Leifsbodarna,” then sailed back to Greenland.
In 1004, Leif’s brother Thorvald Ericson sailed with 30 men to Newfoundland, but was killed by Indians.
In 1009, Thorfinn Karlsefni sailed with three ships, livestock and 160 men and women and traded with natives, whom the Norse called Skrælings.
Norsemen occasionally voyaged to Vinland to forage timber and trade. A Norwegian coin from King Olaf Kyrre’s reign (1066-1080) was reportedly found in a Native American archaeological site.
A writer around 1075 AD, Adam of Bremen, used the term Vinland to refer to North America.
The Harvard Classics, American Historical Documents, 1000-1904 (New York: P.F. Collier, vol. 43, 1910), contains The Modern History Sourcebook: The Discovery of North America by Leif Ericsson, c.1000, from “The Saga of Eric the Red” (translated by A.M. Reeves from the Saga in the Flateyar-bok, compiled by Jon Thordharson, c.1387):
<Leif the Lucky Baptized. After the sixteen winters had lapsed, from the time when Eric the Red went to colonize Greenland, Leif, Eric's son, sailed out from Greenland to Norway.
He arrived in Drontheim in the autumn, when King Olaf Tryggvason was come down from the North, out of Halagoland.
Leif put into Nidaros with his ship, and set out at once to visit the king. King Olaf expounded the faith to him, as he did to other heathen men who came to visit him.
It proved easy for the king to persuade Leif, and he was accordingly baptized, together with all of his shipmates. Leif remained throughout the winter with the king, by whom he was well entertained.
Biarni Goes in Quest of Greenland…Biarni was a most promising man. He formed an inclination for voyaging while he was still young, and he prospered both in property and public esteem. It was his custom to pass his winters alternately abroad and with his father, Heriulf.
Biarni soon became the owner of a trading-ship; and during the last winter that he spent in Norway, Heriulf determined to accompany Eric on his voyage to Greenland, and made his preparations to give up his farm.
Upon the ship with Heriulf was a Christian man from the Hebrides; he it was who composed the Sea-Roller’s Song, which contains this stave: “Mine adventure to the Meek One, Monk-heart-searcher, I commit now; He, who heaven’s halls doth govern, Hold the hawk’s-seat ever o’er me!”
Heriulf settled at Heriulfsness, and was a most distinguished man. Eric the Red dwelt at Brattahlid, where he was held in the highest esteem, and all men paid him homage.
These were Eric’s children: Leif, Thorvald, and Thorstein, and a daughter whose name was Freydis; she was wedded to a man named Thorvard, and they dwelt at Gardar, where the episcopal seat now is…
Biarni…intended…to…winter with his father; “and I will take the ship to Greenland, if you will bear me company.”
They all replied that they would abide by his decision. Then said Biarni, “Our voyage must be regarded as foolhardy, seeing that no one of us has ever been in the Greenland Sea.”
Nevertheless, they put out to sea when they were equipped for the voyage, and sailed for three days, until the land was hidden by the water, and then the fair wind died out, and north winds arose, and fogs, and they knew not whither they were drifting, and thus it lasted for many “doegr.” Then they saw the sun again, and were able to determine the quarters of the heavens; they hoisted sail, and sailed that “doegr” through before they saw land.
They discussed among themselves what land it could be, and Biarni said that he did not believe that it could be Greenland. They asked whether he wished to sail to this land or not. “It is my counsel” [said he] “to sail close to the land.” They did so, and soon saw that the land was level, and covered with woods, and that there were small hillocks upon it. They left the land on their larboard, and let the sheet turn toward the land. They sailed for two “doegr” before they saw another land. They asked whether Biarni thought this was Greenland yet.
He replied that he did not think this any more like Greenland than the former, “because in Greenland there are said to be many great ice mountains.” They soon approached this land, and saw that it was a flat and wooded country. The fair wind failed them then, and the crew took counsel together, and concluded that it would be wise to land there, but Biarni would not consent to this. They alleged that they were in need of both wood and water. “Ye have no lack of either of these,” says Biarni¬a course, forsooth, which won him blame among his shipmates.
He bade them hoist sail, which they did, and turning the prow from the land they sailed out upon the high seas, with south-westerly gales, for three “doegr,” when they saw the third land; this land was high and mountainous, with ice mountains upon it.
They asked Biarni then whether he would land there, and he replied that he was not disposed to do so, “because this land does not appear to me to offer any attractions.”
Nor did they lower their sail, but held their course off the land, and saw that it was an island. They left this land astern, and held out to sea with the same fair wind. The wind waxed amain, and Biarni directed them to reef, and not to sail at a speed unbefitting their ship and rigging. They sailed now for four “doegr,” when they saw the fourth land. Again they asked Biarni whether he thought this could be Greenland or not.
Biarni answers, “This is likest Greenland, according to that which has been reported to me concerning it, and here we will steer to the land.” They directed their course thither, and landed in the evening, below a cape upon which there was a boat, and there, upon this cape, dwelt Heriulf, Biarni’s father, whence the cape took its name, and was afterward called Heriulfsness. Biarni now went to his father, gave up his voyaging, and remained with his father while Heriulf lived, and continued to live there after his father.
Here Begins the Brief History of the Greenlanders. Next to this is now to be told how Biarni Heriulfsson came out from Greenland on a visit to Earl Eric, by whom he was well received. Biarni gave an account of his travels [upon the occasion] when he saw the lands, and the people though that he had been lacking in enterprise, since he had no report to give concerning these countries; and the fact brought him reproach. Biarni was appointed one of the Earl’s men, and went out to Greenland the following summer. There was now much talk about voyages of discovery.
Leif, the son of Eric the Red, of Brattahlid, visited Biarni Heriulfsson and bought a ship of him, and collected a crew, until they formed altogether a company of thirty-five men.
Leif invited his father, Eric, to become the leader of the expedition, but Eric declined, saying that he was then stricken in years, and adding that he was less able to endure the exposure of sea life than he had been.
Leif replied that he would nevertheless be the one who would be most apt to bring good luck and Eric yielded to Leif’s solicitation, and rode from home when they were ready to sail.
When he was but a short distance from the ship, the horse which Eric was riding stumbled, and he was thrown from his back and wounded his foot, whereupon he exclaimed, “It is not designed for me to discover more lands than the one in which we are now living, nor can we now continue longer together.”
Eric returned home to Brattahlid, and Leif pursued his way to the ship with his companions, thirty-five men. One of the company was a German, named Tyrker. They put the ship in order; and, when they were ready, they sailed out to sea, and found first that land which Biarni and his shipmates found last. They sailed up to the land, and cast anchor, and launched a boat, and went ashore, and saw no grass there.
Great ice mountains lay inland back from the sea, and it was as a [tableland of] flat rock all the way from the sea to the ice mountains; and the country seemed to them to be entirely devoid of good qualities. Then said, Leif “It has not come to pass with us in regard to this land as with Biarni, that we have not gone upon it. To this country I will now give a name, and call it Helluland.”
They returned to the ship, put out to sea, and found a second land. They sailed again to the land, and came to anchor, and launched the boat, and went ashore. This was a level wooded land; and there were broad stretches of white sand where they went, and the land was level by the sea.
Then said Leif, “This land shall have a name after its nature; and we will call it Markland.” They returned to the ship forthwith, and sailed away upon the main with north-east winds, and were out two “doegr” before they sighted land. They sailed toward this land, and came to an island which lay to the northward off the land.
There they went ashore and looked about them, the weather being fine, and they observed that there was dew upon the grass, and it so happened that they touched the dew with their hands, and touched their hands to their mouths, and it seemed to them that they had never before tasted anything so sweet as this.
They went aboard their ship again and sailed into a certain sound, which lay between the island and a cape, which jutted out from the land on the north, and they stood in westering past the cape. At ebb-tide, there were broad reaches of shallow water there, and they ran their ship aground there, and it was a long distance from the ship to the ocean; yet were they so anxious to go ashore that they could not wait until the tide should rise under their ship, but hastened to the land, where a certain river flows out from a lake.
As soon as the tide rose beneath their ship, however, they took the boat and rowed to the ship, which they conveyed up the river, and so into the lake, where they cast anchor and carried their hammocks ashore from the ship, and built themselves booths there. They afterward determined to establish themselves there for the winter, and they accordingly built a large house. There was no lack of salmon there either in the river or in the lake, and larger salmon than they had ever seen before.
The country thereabouts seemed to be possessed of such good qualities that cattle would need no fodder there during the winters. There was no frost there in the winters, and the grass withered but little. The days and nights there were of more nearly equal length than in Greenland or Iceland. On the shortest day of winter, the sun was up between “eykarstad” and “dagmalastad.”
When they had completed their house, Leif said to his companions, “I propose now to divide our company into two groups, and to set about an exploration of the country. One-half of our party shall remain at home at the house, while the other half shall investigate the land; and they must not go beyond a point from which they can return home the same evening, and are not to separate [from each other]. Thus they did for a time.
Leif, himself, by turns joined the exploring party, or remained behind at the house. Leif was a large a powerful man, and of a most imposing bearing¬a man of sagacity, and a very just man in all things.
Leif the Lucky Finds Men Upon a Skerry at Sea. It was discovered one evening that one of their company was missing; and this proved to be Tyrker, the German. Leif was sorely troubled by this, for Tyrker had lived with Leif and his father for a long time, and had been very devoted to Leif when he was a child. Leif severely reprimanded his companions, and prepared to go in search of him, taking twelve men with him.
They had proceeded but a short distance from the house, when they were met by Tyrker, whom they received most cordially. Leif observed at once that his foster-father was in lively spirits. Tyrker had a prominent forehead, restless eyes, small features, was diminutive in stature, and rather a sorry-looking individual withal, but was, nevertheless, a most capable handicraftsman. Leif addressed him, and asked, “Wherefore art thou so belated, foster-father mine, and astray from the others?”
In the beginning Tyrker spoke for some time in German, rolling his eyes and grinning, and they could not understand him; but after a time he addressed them in the Northern tongue:
“I did not go much further [than you], and yet I have something of novelty to relate. I have found vines and grapes.” “Is this indeed true, foster-father?” said Leif. “Of a certainty it is true,” quoth he, “for I was born where there is no lack of either grapes or vines.” They slept the night through, and on the morrow Leif said to his shipmates, “We will now divide our labors, and each day will either gather grapes or cut vines and fell trees, so as to obtain a cargo of these for my ship.”
They acted upon this advice, and it is said that their after-boat was filled with grapes. A cargo sufficient for the ship was cut, and when the spring came they made their ship ready, and sailed away; and from its products Leif gave the land a name, and called it Vineland.> 0970LE001
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American Quotations by William J. Federer, 2024, All Rights Reserved, Permission granted to use with acknowledgement.
Endnotes:
0970LE001. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). The Harvard Classics, American Historical Documents, 1000-1904 (New York: P.F. Collier, vol. 43, 1910), contains The Modern History Sourcebook: The Discovery of North America by Leif Ericsson, c.1000, from “The Saga of Eric the Red” (translated by A.M. Reeves from the Saga in the Flateyar-bok, compiled by Jon Thordharson, c.1387). Matthew 5:5-19 cf. the Westminster Confession of Faith 19:5.
This post originally appeared at https://americanminute.com/blogs/todays-american-minute/leif-eirkson-c-970-c-1021