VIKINGS, HO! First Europeans to Set Foot on North American Land

ERIK THE RED (950? – 1003/4?)  born in Norway, but his family settled in western Iceland, after his father, Thorvald Asvaldsson, was banished for murdering a man. Eric later killed two men in Iceland and was banished from Iceland for three years.  After hearing of the discovery of some islands that lay west of Iceland, Eric decided to sail to these islands during his banishment. He spent the two following winters at the southern tip of Greenland, exploring the area.  In 985, Eric's banishment from Iceland was over, so he returned to Iceland. He called this new land Greenland (even though it was covered with ice) to make it sound nicer than it was and encourage settlement (Eric was feuding with many people on Iceland and wanted to start a new settlement without his enemies). Eric and 400 to 500 settlers in 14 ships arrived to settle Greenland in 986. After doing well for a while, the settlements experienced unusually cold weather. Some of the settlers returned to Iceland (the last recorded voyage between Iceland and Greenland was in 1410), but the rest of the settlers disappeared. It is thought that either the Inuit people attacked the settlers or they died from epidemics and starvation.

BJARNI HERJULFSSON  According to the sagas, a merchant-shipowner named Bjarni was making his way from Iceland to Greenland in 986 when he was blown off course by a severe storm. When the storm ended, he found himself off an unfamiliar shore (probably Nova Scotia). He recognized that this was not his intended landfall. The land was too forested, and he was too far south. Bjarni therefore headed north, arriving in Greenland about a week later. He told people about the new land when he arrived.  This had not been an intentional voyage of discovery, nor was Bjarni interested in following through on his discovery. As a merchant, he was interested in trading with established communities, not investing in risky efforts to establish new ones. Others weren’t interested right away either because they had just settled Greenland.

LEIF “THE LUCKY” ERICSSON (980? – 1020?)  Leif, Eric the Red’s son, sailed north from the southern tip of Greenland, then went south along the coast of Baffin Island down to Labrador, and then landed in what is now called Newfoundland (which he called Vinland). Ericsson sailed around the year

LEIF BECOMES LUCKY  Leif retraced Bjarni's route in reverse. He passed a land of rock and ice, which he called Helluland - probably Baffin Island - and then a country that was flat and wooded, which he called Markland This was probably part of southern Labrador. He eventually reached a land which the sagas describe as a land of grassy meadows, with rivers full of salmon, and enough other resources to encourage over-wintering. Leif gave this land the name "Vinland." The men proceeded to build houses in typical Greenland Norse fashion, with sod-walls and peaked roofs of timber and sod. When Leif and his crew returned to Greenland, their reports of this new land aroused interest in further exploration.

VIKING ROUTES

THE OTHER BROTHERS  One such expedition was led by Leif's brother, Thorvald, who was able to locate Leif's wintering place. Thorvald was eventually killed in a skirmish with local natives that the Greenlanders called "Skraelings.” Another brother, Thorstein, attempted to sail to Vinland but spent much of the summer fighting contrary winds and seas before giving up and returning to Greenland. The most ambitious effort was led by Thorfinn, and included women and livestock. This expedition apparently remained in Vinland for two or three years, but eventually abandoned the effort after hostilities broke out with the natives. Thus, the discovery of Vinland was not followed by successful settlement and exploitation of the New World.

WHY DIDN’T IT WORK OUT?  How was it that they could survive in Greenland for 500 years, but could not establish themselves in Vinland, with its richer resources and better climate?  Remote – dangerous journey  Resistance from First Nations groups with no technological advantage  Greenlanders were few in numbers and not much wealth to support new colony

SO, DID THEY ‘DISCOVER’ NORTH AMERICA?  Although they were probably the first Europeans to live in North America, however briefly, we cannot really say that they "discovered" America. As Daniel Boorstin explains, "What they did in America did not change their own or anybody else's view of the world....There was practically no feedback from the Vinland voyages. What is most remarkable is not that the Vikings actually reached America, but that they reached America and even settled there for a while, without discovering America."