The Vinland Sagas
• Two short Icelandic sagas discuss the settlement
of Greenland and the Norse voyages to the New
World:
– Saga of the Greenlanders (Grænlendinga saga)
– Eirik the Red’s Saga (Eiríks saga rauða)
• Both sagas refer to events from 970-1030, and
both were composed much later, 1220-1280 CE.
• The sagas were written independently and record
oral history – unlike Njal’s saga, there was little
if any literary reworking, reshaping or editing.
The Vinland Sagas
• Both sagas contain many of the same details,
though the elements are recast into a different
sequence or placed into a different context.
• Fanciful and legendary elements in the sagas
caused them to be rejected by historians until
Helge Ingstad and Anne Stine located the
remains of Viking settlements at L’Anse aux
Meadows in Newfoundland in 1960.
• Artifacts from excavations there proved that
Norsemen had reached Canada c. 1000 CE.
The Vinland Sagas
• Both sagas deal with other events as well,
especially with the settlement of Greenland and
with the conflict between the Heathen and
Christian religions.
• The settlement on Vinland was short-lived, lasting
only a few years. Conflicts with the natives
(Skraelings) possibly hastened its demise.
• The settlements on Greenland lasted from 985 to
1350 (Western Settlement) and to c. 1480 (Eastern
Settlement). Cause of abandonment is unclear.
The Vinland Sagas
• The Greenland settlement was not entirely selfsufficient. There was marginal land for raising
cattle and sheep during the medieval warm climate.
• The real attraction of Greenland was the hunting,
especially for arctic specialties of furs, walrus
(ivory), polar bear, and gyrfalcons, which were
prized luxury items on the continent.
• Some trade with the natives apparently existed,
though the Greenlanders never established the
same relationship they had with Sámi, for example.
Greenland Norse
Prof. Patricia
Sutherland excavated
archaeological sites on
Baffin Island, and she
believes she has found
evidence of Norse
interactions with the
people of the Dorset
Culture or the Thule
Inuit who inhabited the
region at different times.
In a National Geographic article from November 2012,
Sutherland argues that special stone sharpeners and
Norse-style wool cordage are evidence of trade contacts.
Norse Ruins in Greenland
Norse Greenland
Brattahlid, Eastern Settlement, Greenland
When Eirik the Red explored Greenland, the verdant landscape inspired him
to call it Greenland. He chose this farmstead for himself, and the fjord on
which it lays is still called "Eirik's Fjord."
Norse Greenland
Reconstruction of Brattahlid in Greenland
The Vinland Sagas
Adventurer and writer Helge Ingstad
(1899-2001) unearthed the ruins of an
ancient Norse village near L’Anse aux
Meadows on the north coast of
Newfoundland, conclusively proving
that the Vikings has established a
settlement in North America 1000 years
previously. Ingstad published several
books about his exploration, including
Landet under Leidarstjernen (1959;
Land Under the Pole Star, 1965) and
Vestervej til Vinland (1965, Westward
to Vinland, 1969).
The Vinland Sagas
The Vinland Sagas
The Vinland Sagas
Two views of contemporary
reconstructions at L’anse aux
Meadows
The Vinland Sagas
The Vinland Sagas
The Vinland Sagas
The Vinland Sagas
The Vinland Sagas
The Vinland Sagas
Saga of the Greenlanders 1-2
• Saga of the Greenlanders begins with the voyage
of Bjarni Herjolfson, who loses his way and finds
a forested land to the west. He does not land.
• Leif Eiriksson of Brattahlid in Greenland was
eager to explore the new land; he purchased
Bjarni’s boat and persuaded his father to lead the
expedition.
• Eirik’s horse slipped as he was leaving his farm
and threw Eirik – he took this as an omen and
stayed behind in Greenland.
Saga of the Greenlanders 2-3
• Leif sets sail, discovers a barren land of glaciers,
which he names Helluland (Stone-slab land),
probably Baffin Island.
• Leif sails farther south, discovers a flat, forested
land which he names Markland (Forest land),
probably Labrador.
• He sails south for two more days and finds a good
island with much grass and fine salmon; they build
shelters and spend the winter there (639).
• Leif’s foster-father Tyrkir discovers grapes.
Saga of the Greenlanders 3-4
• They cut timber for treeless Greenland and collect
wine berries – Leif names the land Vinland (Wine
land), possibly Newfoundland or New England.
• While returning to Greenland, Leif rescues men on
a skerry – earns the name “Leif the Lucky.”
• Leif’s brother Thorvald returns to Vinland with 30
men, spend two peaceful summers there.
• A conflict ensues with men in hide-covered boats
(642), they kill most but one man escapes –
probably men of the Dorset culture in Canada.
Dorset Culture
Saga of the Greenlanders 4-5
• A second battle ensues, Thorvald takes an arrow
under his armpit and dies; he is buried at his
favorite site, called Krossaness (cross point).
• Thorstein Eiriksson now wants to travel to
Vinland to retrieve his brother’s body; he takes 25
men and his wife Gudrid. They are lost at sea
before returning to Greenland for the winter.
• Thorstein spends the winter with Thorstein the
Black, whose wife Grimhild dies of sickness, then
Thorstein Eiriksson dies as well.
Saga of the Greenlanders 5-6
• Thorstein Eiriksson returns from the dead to give
his wife Gudrid a prophesy: a long and happy
Christian life in Iceland and abroad (cite 645).
• Thorfinn Karlsefni arrives and marries Gudrid; he
gathers 60 men and 5 women and travels to
Vinland. They feast on a stranded whale.
• Native Americans arrive, frightened by a bull, but
trade with Greenlanders for food.
• Gudrid gives birth to a boy, Snorri (647).
• A battle with natives ends with bloodshed (648).
Saga of the Greenlanders 6-7
• Karlsefni and Gudrid return to Greenland with a
valuable cargo – wealth and renown.
• Freydis Eiriksdottir makes arrangements with
Icelanders Helgi and Finnbogi to sail to Vinland.
• Two boats travel with 30 men each – Freydis takes
5 extra men and ousts brothers from Leif’s house.
• Freydis quarrels with the brothers, has her
husband avenge a non-existent insult, and they kill
half the party–Freydis axes the 5 women (650)!
• Freydis threatens anyone who reports her sins.
Saga of the Greenlanders 8
• Freydis escapes punishment when she returns, but
people expect nothing but evil from her after that.
• Gudrid and Karlsefni travel to Norway, earn a
great deal of wealth, travel to Iceland and settle
down.
• They have many descendents – Gudrid later makes
a pilgrimage to Rome: she is called “the WellTraveled” and probably had seen more of the
world than any other woman (or man) of her age.
• Gudrid paralleled by Freydis – two central figures.
Eirik the Red’s Saga 1-2
• This saga recounts many of the same tales as the
saga of the Greenlanders, and dates from the same
period, though there are slight differences.
• Eirik’s father leaves Norway because of a slaying;
they settle in Iceland, but Eirik becomes involved
in a number of homicides (654) and Eirik is
sentenced to (Lesser) Outlawry.
• Eirik seeks the land sighted earlier by Gunnbjorn,
Ulf Crowsson – he spends 3 years exploring
Greenland (655) – probably from 981 to 984.
Eirik the Red’s Saga 3-5
• Eirik names the island “Greenland” because he
believes people will be attracted by the good name.
• People emigrate to Greenland (985 AD), but the first
years are difficult. Thorbjorn and Gudrid go also.
• The “Little Prophetess” tells the future of Gudrid
(who sings ward songs despite being a Christian).
• Description of seeress is best account in Norse
literature (658f.)! Heathen shamanism in Greenland.
• Leif goes to Norway and is made a missionary to
Greenland by King Olaf Tryggvason (661).
Eirik the Red’s Saga 5-6
• Leif gets lost on his voyage, sees land “where he
had not expected any to be found.” He also rescues
men and earns nickname “the Lucky” (661).
• Leif converts his mother Thjodhild but not his
father – she builds a chapel and refuses to sleep
with Eirik the Pagan (661f.)!
• Thorstein & Eirik (who falls, but continues) sail
that summer for Vinland, but do not find it (662).
• Gudrid marries Thorstein – sickness that winter,
Thorstein dies, then speaks to Gudrid (663f.).
Eirik the Red’s Saga 6-8
• Thorfinn Karlsefni arrives and marries widow
Gudrid; they and a large party (140 men, Freydis
too) plan a trip to Vinland the next summer.
• They find and name Helluland and Markland.
• Karlsefni sends out two foreigners (Scotsmen) to
explore an island; they return with wild grapes.
• Thorhall the Pagan prays for food: Thor sends
him a beached whale–they eat and get sick (667f.).
• The others put their trust in Christ; the fishing is
suddenly good and they have plenty of supplies.
Eirik the Red’s Saga 9-12
• Thorhall takes one ship, explores to the north,
becomes lost in a storm, shipwrecked on Ireland,
enslaved – and Thorhall the Pagan dies (668f.).
• Karlsefni heads south, explores the bountiful land,
has contact with natives; they trade goods until a
bull frightens the Skraelings away (670).
• The natives attack; the men flee in panic until
Freydis beats her bare breast with a sword—which
causes the natives to flee in fright (?? – 671).
• Thorvald Eiriksson is killed by an arrow (672).
Eirik the Red’s Saga 12-14
• Karlsefni’s son Snorri was three years old when
they decided to leave Vinland.
• They capture a few natives and take them back to
Greenland.
• One ship under Bjarni fails to return – only half the
men survive in a small boat.
• Karlsefni and Gudrid return to Greenland, travel
on to Iceland, where their descendents become
some of the first Bishops in Iceland.
Nancy Brown retraces the life
of Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir,
from Iceland to Greenland, to
North America, and on to
Europe and back to her
nunnery in Viking-age
Iceland. It is a fascinating
blend of saga, history,
archaeology, and travel. Her
story has also been told in
historical novels by Margaret
Elphinstone and Heather Day
Gilbert.