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Leif Eriksson: Leif the Luck
This article is from
Jim Cornish's Website:
http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/v_drakkar.htm
Leif's Early Year
Leif Eriksson was born in Iceland sometime around 960 A.D..
His father, Erik the Red, moved to Iceland when Leif's
grandfather, Thorvald, was expelled from Norway for killing a
man during a dispute.
Like many Viking boys, Leif spent some of his childhood years
away from his family. At the age of eight, he lived with a man
named Thyrker, a German his father had captured as a slave in
a raid. Thyrker was well educated and taught Leif how to read
and write runes and how to speak the languages of Ireland and
Russia. He taught Leif how to be a good trader. Leif also
learned the old Viking sagas, how to recognize valuable plants
and how to be a skilled warrior. Leif's love of the sea was
probably learned early too. He would often watch the ships
come into the harbour of his Iceland home and listen to the
sailors' tales of adventure and of far-off lands Leif had not
yet seen.
Erik Banished From Iceland
When Leif was 12, he returned to his home in Iceland. In the
spring of the following year, his father Erik was asked to
appear at the Thingvellir, the lawmaking body of the Vikings.
Erik took Leif with him. While there, Erik met a man with whom
he had once quarreled. A fight started and Erik, known for his
quick temper, murdered the man. The Thing Council banished
Erik from Iceland for three years.
Unable to return to Norway from which his father had been
exiled, and now banished from Iceland himself, Erik the Red
decided to sail westward to investigate the rumors of a new
land over the western horizon. In 986, with Leif and the rest
of his family, some slaves and plenty of supplies, Erik sailed
towards the setting sun. After a couple of days, they reached
this new land. Erik the Red called it Greenland. Although the
heads of the fjords and inland valleys were filled with
glaciers, areas near the sea were lush with green grasses. He
hoped the name would bring other settlers. It was during this
voyage Leif learned about sailing the open ocean.
Erik Settles Greenland
Erik the Red spent three years in Greenland. From his
settlement called Ericholm, he explored Greenlands rugged
coastline and taught his son how to be a great sailor. When
Erik was able to return to Iceland, he talked of Greenland and
its bountiful riches of reindeer, seal and walrus. He
encouraged others to return with him to settle this new land.
Because of the famine in Europe, the depletion of the scarce
forests of Iceland and the promise of a better life elsewhere,
many Icelanders decided to follow Erik. In the spring of 985,
he set out with twenty-five ships loaded with supplies,
settlers and livestock. It was a disastrous voyage. Towering
waves and strong winds battered the ships. Some were forced to
turn back, others disappeared into the waves and were never
seen again. Only 350 colonists in fourteen ships set foot on
Greenland The survivors created two settlements. In time, they
would be the home of over 3000 Vikings and would be occupied
for over 400 years.
Leif's First Voyage
Leif's first voyage without his father was a trip to Norway to
bring gifts to a great Viking, King Olaf. It was a trip that
would bring many changes to Leif's life. It was 984 and he was
just 24 years old.
With his mentor Thyrker and a crew of fourteen, Leif slowly
sailed eastward to Iceland and then on to Norway. Difficult
sailing conditions pushed him south to the Hebrides off
Scotland. While there, the daughter of the island's lord gave
birth to Leif's son. They would both join Leif in Greenland
some years later.
When Leif finally arrived in Norway, he met King Olaf who was
very impressed by the young Viking. While playing chess with
Leif, King Olaf told him of how he had once worshipped the
Viking gods. He also told him of how a plague had struck
Norway and how many people had died. When he began to worship
the God of the Christians and was baptized along with
thousands of other Norwegians, the plague stopped. Leif became
very interested in Christianity. He agreed to be baptized and
accepted this new faith. On his return voyage to Iceland and
Greenland, he brought along a priest to spread the Christian
message.
Bjarni Herjolfsson's Arrival
In 986, a ship belonging to a merchant named Bjarni
Herjolfsson sailed into the harbour of Leif's Greenland home.
Bjarni explained that on the voyage from Iceland he had lost
sight of the north star and had sailed in a storm for many
days without being able to navigate. After the weather
settled, he spotted land. But it wasn't Greenland, where he
had been heading. Instead of seeing glaciers and fiords,
Bjarni saw a hilly coastline green with trees. Bjarni also
explained that he did not stop to explore this land, but
immediately set sail for Greenland.
This mysterious land to the west interested Leif. He spent
many hours learning about it from Bjarni and his crew. Little
did he realize that this interest would secure his place in
history.
Discovering the New World
Leif became restless in his Greenland home. He decided to find
the land to the west of which Bjarni had spoken. Leif asked
his father, Erik the Red, to head the expedition. His father's
courage and seamanship would be important especially if the
new land could not be found and the crew grew anxious. But
Erik refused, believing he was now too old for such a voyage.
After much pleading, Erik finally agreed and Leif prepared the
knarr, the Viking cargo ship, he had purchased from Bjarni. On
his way to the dock, Erik fell from his horse and sprained his
ankle. Being superstitious, this fall was considered a bad
omen. Erik lost his desire to lead the voyage. Leif was now on
his own.
Leif Eriksson set sail with a crew of 34 men from Greenland in
the year 1000 A.D.. As was the Viking way, he steered his ship
by the sun during the day and the stars at night and hoped
Bjarni's land would soon appear.
Before long, off to the west, Leif and his crew spotted land.
They went ashore but weren't impressed by what they saw. The
flat stone-covered beach gave way to huge glaciers and barren
land. It was not the land of timber and meadows Bjarni had
described. Leif named the land Helluland, after the flat
stones. Today, we call this land Baffin Island.
Disappointed, Leif and his men sailed south and west and
within days spotted a wooded shoreline that rose gently from
the sea. Again, Leif named the land according to its nature
and called it Markland, meaning "land covered with wood".
Today, this land is called Labrador.
Leif Discovers Vinland
Still uncertain that he had reached his destination, Leif set
sail once again. The strong northeast winds took his ship
southward along the coast of Labrador. Two days later, more
land was sighted. This time, it was a small grass-covered
island. In the distance was more land. Leif sailed on, through
a channel, past a cape and into a bay of shallow water. Leif
and his crew went ashore and explored a stream that glistened
with salmon. They found a forest filled with spruce trees and
a meadows covered with thick grasses. Leif realized this land
had everything necessary for a permanent settlement. The
salmon would feed them, the forest would provide timber for
their boats and homes and the grasses would feed their
livestock.
As winter approached, Leif and his crew decided to build a
camp and to continue to explore this new land. One of his
crewmen found vines filled with grapes. Since grapes did not
grow in Greenland, this was a very important find and would
bring them much profit upon his return. Leif named this new
land Vinland or Wineland. Some historians argue that the term
Vinland refers not to the wild grapes but to the grasses that
were so important to feeding their livestock.
When spring came, Leif and his crew set sail from Vinland with
the hold of their ship filled with the riches of this new
land. Because he had travelled such a great distance and found
such great wealth without any troubles, Leif became known as
"Leif the Lucky".
We now know that Vinland was North America and that the exact
location of Leif's permanent settlement was at L'Anse Aux
Meadows on the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula of island
of Newfoundland in Canada.
Vinland Settled
For a few more years, other Vikings returned and attempted to
settle Vinland. The L'Anse aux Meadows settlement was used as
a base from which the Vikings explored the land around the
shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Some historians believe
the Vikings explored the coastline of eastern North America as
far south as Florida. It is supported by what some believe are
rune stones in New England and a Viking coin found in an
Indian grave. Both have proven to be fakes.
Unfriendly and sometimes violent encounters with the
skraelings (the Vikings word for natives) and more profitable
trade with Europe made the effort to settle Vinland unworthy.
After just three years, the settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows
was abandoned. Shortly after its discovery by archaeologists
in 1960, its importance in human history was recognized. In
1976, it was declared an Historic Site in Canada. Two years
later in 1978 its was declared a World Heritage Site by the
United Nations. This recognition has attracted visitors from
around the world.
Leif's Final Years
Very little is known about Leif's later life. He became an
important person in Greenland after the death of his father.
It is not known when Leif died, but his son Thorkell became
the master of a settlement in about 1025, so it is assumed he
died sometime before then.
Millennium Anniversary of the Visit of Leif Erikkson to North
America
Leif Eriksson was famous a century ago, then forgotten until
historians became interested in Viking exploration and the
stories in the Icelandic sagas. Leif the Lucky is now famous
once again. The year 2000 marked the 1000th anniversary of
Leif's exploration of North America. Celebrations of this
accomplishment were held in North America and in Scandinavia.
Newfoundland had special celebrations planned throughout the
summer. Tourists and historians from around the world visited
the Viking World Heritage Site at L'Anse Aux Meadows. Since it
is only a five to six hour drive from most places in
Newfoundland, maybe you and your family will visit too.
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