Leif Erikson Day commemorates the discovery of North America in AD 1000, Leif Erikson Day, celebrated on October 9 in the US, pays tribute to the Icelandic adventurer who some claim was the first European to enter North America.
Leif Erikson, a distant relative of the traveller who is credited with discovering Iceland, was most likely born in Iceland between the years 970 and 980. He was the son of Erik the Red and Thjodhild. He has two brothers and a sister and was raised like a real Viking. His father left Iceland after being exiled there in 986 and founded the first permanent settlement in Greenland.
But Leif seemed to have had enough of the bitter cold. In 999, he set out for Norway with his crew, where he was converted to Christianity and assigned the task of spreading the faith in Greenland. This was crucial to his tale because, 500 years before Columbus sailed the open sea, it was on this trip to Greenland that he was reportedly blown off course and ended up in what he dubbed “Vinland.” It’s North America, as a hint!
Leif’s concept of the New World corresponds to our understanding of Eastern Canada, but it didn’t stop him from christening it “Vinland” in honour of the abundant grape and vine growth there. His team spent the winter in their uncharted location and established a colony there for travellers. Leif’s men returned to Greenland in the spring after loading their ship with grapes and wood.
His death, which is presumed to have occurred in Greenland, remains unknown. But his influence has endured for generations. As news of his explorations spread, further Norwegian explorers visited Vinland and even established contact with the locals. Vinland was dotted with Norse villages, however these were short-lived. A reputation for these expeditions among the Norwegians was quickly spreading toward Europe; some say that Christopher Columbus had heard of them.
Norwegians associate themselves and their culture with Leif Erikson’s daring and adventurous adventures. Leif Erikson sculptures started to appear as they poured into the country, and Scandinavian communities, particularly in the Midwest, continue to define themselves by his spirit and heritage today.
