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“. . . Leif was a very tall man and vigorous, a man most valiant to see, a wise man and very moderate in all regards.”
Leif the LuckyLeif Eriksson. The name is familiar to many. But few know much about him. Some may be able to tell you that he was a Viking (technically a misnomer - a Viking was a Norseman who partook in the infamous raids and there is no evidence that Leif ever did so). Others would say that he discovered Vinland, a fact that is equally wrong. His voyage of discovery was not the first by a Norseman. In fact, it came 15 years after the first 'recorded' voyage that sighted North America. Why then do we remember Leif? The reason is simple - he sought out the North American continent purely for the sake of exploration. He came to explore, to expand knowledge, and possibly with an eye to colonize. Leif was bold man born into a family oft mired in controversy thanks, in part, to his father. The family patriarch was none other than the famed Erik the Red. More than once Erik's feuding with his neighbors had forced the family to move. The last of these moves brought them to the rather bleak shores of Greenland where they settled in 985. Just prior to this, Erik the Red had spent a three-year period of outlawry exploring vast stretches of the inhospitable, but unsettled island's coast. He named his find Greenland because he felt the name would help attract settlers. This fact, gleaned from the saga account, has often been used to brand Erik a bit of a liar. In turn, Leif has been accused by some of overstating Vinland's attributes for promotional purposes. But, on closer examination, Erik the Red's name was not so far from the mark. In 985 the climate was milder in that region than it is today. Within the sheltered valleys of the fjords, expansive green meadows abounded, and though stark by our standards, this new land offered prospects to a hardy Norseman. Hence, Erik's name was not so much a false statement as a reference to one of the island's legitimate attributes. Leif, eldest of Erik's children, was born at Ericstad near Vatnshorn in Iceland. His growing years saw some of his father's various quarrels that led the family to move again and again. He grew up in a household rocked by the fiery nature of the family patriarch. His father was powerful, a leader, and a man who made his own way regardless of those around him. Circa 999 Leif set out on a trading voyage to Norway. En route he paused in the Hebrides to await a fair wind. The voyage from Greenland to the Hebrides was the longest recorded open ocean trek made by a Norse mariner at that time. The point being - Leif was no slouch when it came to navigational skill. While in the Hebrides he took notice of a fair lady who "knew more than a little" named Thorgunna. She was of good family and captured his heart, so it should perhaps not come as much of a surprise to learn that Leif failed to find a fair wind for most of the sailing season. When at length he decided that he would have to move on to complete his voyage to Norway, Leif wanted to take her along, but not against the wishes of her powerful family. The saga notes that he considered the fewness of men with him. Thorgunna persisted and revealed that she was with child. She predicted that it was a son, and though he was abandoning them, she would rear the boy (Custom dictated that the unwanted child would be left to die of exposure). She went on to say that she and the boy would journey to Greenland one day. Perhaps somewhat humbled by these things, Leif gave her a finger ring of gold and various other gifts before finding that long elusive fair wind for Norway. Arriving in Norway in 999 he found a warm welcome at the Nidaros court of King Olaf Tryggvason. The young king was athletic, tall, and handsome. He was also a powerful advocate of a new faith that was spreading into the Northlands - Christianity. During the long winter months the king convinced Leif that this new religion was far more powerful than that of Thor and Odin, Christ was the ultimate God. Given Tryggvason's record of expounding his faith with zeal and veiled threats, Leif may have embraced the new faith more out of prudence, than true conversion. Regardless, he and his crew were baptized. The king then charged Leif with the task of spreading the faith in Greenland. Towards that end he sent priests with the bold Greenlander on the return voyage the following Spring. (More data about Leif to come as time allows! Thanks for your patience!)
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