Some of the 11th-century versions shown in the Bayeux tapestry have their
masts supported by shrouds, implying that their square sails could be
manipulated enough to sail with the wind abeam.
The introduction of the stern rudder in about 1200 led to the differentiation
of bow and stern and the transformation of the longship.
LEIF ERIKSSON - THE LUCKY
Leif Eriksson The Lucky, fl. 11th century Eriksson also spelled ERICSON, OR
ERIKSON, Norwegian LEIV ERIKSSON DEN HEPNE, Norse explorer widely held to have
been the first European to reach the shores of North America.
Leif Erikson was probably the first European to set foot in the New World,
opening a new land rich with resources for the Vikings to explore. But for some
unknown reason, the Vikings only made a few voyages to the New World after Leif.
Unfortunately, this caused his discovery to remain unknown to nearly all of
Europe, which was in the midst of the Crusades.
Leif was born in Iceland in about 960 AD, son of Eric the Red. As was
tradition with the Vikings, Leif did not grow up with his family. Instead, when
he was eight he moved in with a man named Thyrker. Thyrker was from Germany
where Eric the Red had captured him, had taken him to Iceland, but had not
enslaved him. Thyrker taught Leif everything he needed to know, including
reading and writing runes, the Celtic and Russian tongue, and the ways of trade.
Leif was also taught the old sagas, plant studies, and the use of weapons. When
Leif was not learning he and his friends would watch the ships come into the
harbor; then he would listen to the tales of the sailors.
At 12, Leif was considered a man and traveled back to his father's house.
Eric's house had grown since Leif had left. The herds had multiplied and there
were new houses and more slaves. The spring after Leif arrived, Eric was
summoned to Reykjavik or lawmaking assembly. Eric took Leif along with him to
the Thing. The next day, among the crowds, Eric met a man with whom he was
feuding. They started to fight and Eric killed the other man. Because of this,
the Thing council banished Eric from Iceland for three years.
Eric, not being able to go to Norway (he had previously banished from there
too) decided to investigate rumors of lands to the west. So, Eric took his wife
and kids, some slaves, and ample supplies and traveled west. A few days later
they landed on a new land, which he named Greenland and started to build a camp.
It was on this voyage that Leif is believed to have learned how to be a good
For the years Eric spent on Greenland during his banishment, he explored the
new land and taught Leif many things. After three years, Eric traveled back to
Iceland and told the people about Greenland. Many people decided to return to
Greenland with Eric and his family because times had not been good in Iceland.
There had been a famine, the lands were overgrazed, and there were almost no
Leif was probably 15 to 17 when he was out and saw a young polar bear on an
ice flow. He decided to capture the bear but there was a strong current between
the ice flow and land. So using his knowledge of the sea, he went "upstream"
from the polar bear and let the current carry his boat into the ice flow. After
capturing the bear he used the same tactic to get back to land, impressing the
people on shore.
One day, when Leif was watching the boats, he saw an old tattered ship rowing
very slowly. Leif became very exited because he recognized this ship as
belonging to Bjarni Hergelfson, who had been gone over a year. After the ship
landed, Leif followed Bjarni into a hall where Bjarni told the story of how mist
had covered the North Star so they couldn't navigate. They sailed for many days
and finally spotted land, but it wasn't Greenland, where they had been heading.
Glaciers did not cover the coast they had seen, but instead it was green with
They did not go ashore though, because they wanted to get to Greenland. They
kept sailing and found another land. This one was flat and forest covered, but
they did not land there either. They had to get back to Greenland.
At the age of 24, Leif was asked to captain his first voyage. This was to
bring gifts to King Olaf in Norway. Many preparations were made and Leif was
very excited. Leif took along a crew of 14 and Thyrker.
The wind Leif was sailing on was fair at the beginning, but after their first
day it slowed only to a gentle breeze. It was five days before they sighted
Iceland. Most voyages make it in two. The crew wanted to go ashore but Leif
would not let them, so they kept sailing. They sailed for many days and Leif
thought they would run out of food. Finally they sighted some small islands, the
Hebrides, they realized they had sailed farther south than they had intended.
The day they arrived, a storm came in and didn't allow them to leave for a
month. During this time Leif stayed in the house of the lord of the island.
There lived the lord's daughter who was named Thorgunna. She was known to
embroider tapestries and was believed to be learned in witchcraft.
Before Leif left for Norway, Thorgunna told him she was going to have his
baby and she foresaw that it would be a boy. She had her child and named him
Thorgils. Later he traveled to Greenland and Leif accepted him as his son. This
is the only child known to be Leif's.
When the storm had cleared, Leif set off for Norway. The wind was good and
they got there in a few days.