Leif Erikson

Lore & Background

Leif's journey began with his service at the court of Norwegian King Olaf Tryggvesson, where he converted to Christianity. Tasked by the king to convert Greenland settlers, Leif set sail for Greenland but was blown off course during the voyage, leading him and his crew of thirty-five men to an unknown shore. In one account, they found wild grapes, self-sown wheat, and maple trees; in another, they named lands Helluland, Markland, and finally Vinland after discovering vines. According to the Greenlanders' Saga, Leif built a small settlement called Leifsbudir on this first voyage, though the Saga of Erik the Red attributes the settlement to Thorfinn Karlsefni later, and the sagas disagree on whether Leif built a lasting settlement. Unlike other explorers who returned repeatedly, Leif never went back to Vinland. His father, Erik the Red, initially reacted coldly to the new faith, though his mother Thjodhild built a church. Leif later became chief of Greenland following Erik's death, which the sagas do not date precisely—the year 1003 is a modern estimate, not a saga-given date.

In Their Own Story

According to the Saga of the Greenlanders, Leif purchased Bjarni Herjólfsson's ship and gathered thirty-five men to explore lands Bjarni had sighted years earlier. His father, Erik the Red, intended to join but fell from his horse, an incident seen as a bad omen that kept him behind. Leif followed Bjarni's route in reverse: first landing on rocky Helluland, then forested Markland, and finally reaching a verdant area with salmon and vines he named Vinland. He wintered there, sending out parties to explore while his crew built Leifsbudir. Tyrker, his trusted foster father from childhood, discovered the grapes that gave the land its name. On his spring return to Greenland, Leif rescued an Icelandic castaway and his crew, earning the nickname 'Leif the Lucky.' He carried a cargo of grapes and timber back home.

Reader's Guide

To understand Leif's historical footprint, focus on the specific accounts in the Saga of Erik the Red and the Saga of the Greenlanders. Note that while he is credited with discovering Vinland, Bjarni Herjólfsson actually sighted the coasts first without landing. Leif's expedition occurred roughly 15 years after Bjarni's sighting. Archaeological evidence from L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, carbon-dated to 990–1050 CE with tree-ring analysis pointing to 1021, supports these sagas. This site may be Leifsbudir or a waypoint for further voyages to areas like the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Leif had two known sons: Thorgils, born in the Hebrides during a stopover, and Thorkell, who succeeded him as chieftain by 1025. Leif was last mentioned alive in 1018; he likely died in Greenland between that year and 1025.

Did You Know?

• Leif earned the nickname 'Leif the Lucky' for rescuing shipwrecked sailors during his voyage back from Vinland.
• His father, Erik the Red, was banished from Iceland for manslaughter before the family moved to Greenland.
• Tree-ring analysis of the L'Anse aux Meadows site dates a specific piece of wood to the year 1021, not the entire occupation.
• Leif's foster father, Tyrker, was a trusted thrall who discovered the wild grapes that led to the naming of Vinland.
• Leif's brother Erik intended to join his expedition but stayed behind after falling from his horse, an event interpreted as a bad omen.