The Vikings and Leif Eriksson

Pgs. 119-120, Wb. 15

Who were the Vikings?

• A culture originating in Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

• The Vikings were fierce conquerors, brave explorers, and skilled craftspeople; they invaded and settled countries throughout Western Europe.

• They were the first Europeans to discover America (in about AD 1000), almost 500 years before Columbus.

Stories of an Unknown Land

• For a very long time, people had told stories about an unknown land between Europe and Asia.

• No one knew for sure if stories of a New World could be true.

• These stories began a new era called the Age of Exploration.

Leif Eriksson – 975-1020

• Leif Eriksson was the son of Eric the Red, who started the first European settlement of Greenland in 985.

• He was born in Iceland around 975.

• Leif was a leader of Viking expeditions and may have been the first European to reach North America.

Two Versions of the Same Story

• In the year 1000, Leif sailed to Norway, which is where his family had originally come from.

• While he was there, he became a Christian and planned to return to Greenland to teach the Vikings about Christianity.

• As Leif sailed back to Greenland, he was blown off course and ended up in North America instead of Greenland.

Two Versions of the Same Story

• A second story says that another Viking had already been to North America.

• Leif wanted to retrace the route. So he sailed to North America, but not by mistake.

• He landed in a place he called Vinland. This was probably part of Canada now called Newfoundland.

A Viking Long Ship

• Viking long ships could travel rough, open seas. A long ship could be as long as 75 feet and could carry up to 35 people.