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[[Image:Lief Ericson.jpg|300px|right|thumb]]

[[Image:Lief Ericson.jpg|300px|right|thumb]]

'''Leif Erikson''' (or Leifur Eiríksson) was born in [[Iceland]] in 970 and died in 1020. He was son of [[Eric the Red]] who lived on the West Coast of Greenland and was an outlaw from [[Norway]]. Leif's friend, Lars Almvig, told a saga of a land far to the west that had been seen through a mist by a Viking band led by Bjarni Herjulfsson in 986 that had been blown off course.  Encouraged by the constant need of land to farm, Leif organized a voyage and bought Bjarni's ship and headed west in about 990 AD. He followed Bjarni's route in reverse, making three landfalls after about 4 1/2 days. The first of these he named Helluland or Flat-Stone Land which is now Labrador.  The second was Markland, or Wood Land, possibly Newfoundland.  The exact location of the third, which was named Vinland could have been as far north as northern Newfoundland or as far south as Cape Cod or even beyond this. Erikson was a [[Christian]] convert, and spread his new religion to his colonies.

'''Leif Erikson''' (or Leifur Eiríksson) was born in [[Iceland]] in 970 and died in 1020. He was son of [[Eric the Red]] who lived on the West Coast of Greenland and was an outlaw from [[Norway]]. Leif's friend, Lars Almvig, told a saga of a land far to the west that had been seen through a mist by a Viking band led by Bjarni Herjulfsson in 986 that had been blown off course.  Encouraged by the constant need of land to farm, Leif organized a voyage and bought Bjarni's ship and headed west in about A.D. 990. He followed Bjarni's route in reverse, making three landfalls after about 4 1/2 days.  

 

The first of these he named Helluland or Flat-Stone Land which is now Labrador.

 

There is no evidence that he settled in North America.  "People have been looking hard for hundreds of years and there is no archeological evidence in this part — it's certainly possible, the Vikings were incredible boat handlers — but there is no evidence," observed Jeff Bolster, a University of New Hampshire professor of history.<ref>http://farshores.org/a04viki.htm</ref> But folklore is that his second landfall was Markland, or Wood Land, possibly Newfoundland.  The exact location of the third, which was named Vinland could have been as far north as northern Newfoundland or as far south as Cape Cod or even beyond this.  

 

According to some sources, Erikson was a [[Christian]] convert, and spread his new religion to his colonies.

 

Leif returned to Greenland in 1001.  Leif never returned and attempts at settlement of Vinland were unsuccessful due to the native North Americans.

Leif returned to Greenland in 1001.  Leif never returned and attempts at settlement of Vinland were unsuccessful due to the native North Americans.

(Excerpted for "Norwegian Explorers on the ODIN website, produced for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.)

(Excerpted for "Norwegian Explorers on the ODIN website, produced for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.)

Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia, 1995 ed. "Leif Ericson."

Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia, 1995 ed. "Leif Ericson."

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