In the summer of 986 CE, an Icelandic merchant named Bjarni Herjólfsson set sail from Iceland to join his father in the new Greenland colony. But a fierce storm engulfed his ship, pushing it far off course. For days, lost in thick fog and driven by harsh north winds, Bjarni and his crew had no idea where they were. When the sky finally cleared, they saw a coastline they did not recognize: a wooded land with low hills. His crew urged him to go ashore and explore, but Bjarni refused, intent only on reaching Greenland. He sighted two more unknown lands before finding his way. His report of these mysterious western shores circulated for years, sparking little interest until one man decided to find them.
The Vinland Voyages
Around 1000 CE Norse Greenlanders sailed to North America. This is the story of the saga voyages to Vinland, the camp found at L'Anse aux Meadows, and the tree rings that date it to 1021.
Chapter 1
An Accidental Glimpse
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the first European to see North America?
The first European known to have sighted mainland North America was an Icelandic merchant named Bjarni Herjólfsson. In 986 CE, his ship was blown off course by a storm while sailing to Greenland. He saw three new lands but did not go ashore.
Why did the Norse settlements in America fail?
The primary reason the Norse colonization of Vinland failed was due to violent conflict with the Indigenous population, whom the sagas call 'Skraelings'. The Norse were vastly outnumbered and realized they could not sustain a settlement against a large and hostile local population, forcing them to abandon their efforts.
How do we know the exact year the Vikings were at L'Anse aux Meadows?
In 2021, scientists dated wood artifacts from the site to exactly 1021 CE. They used a known cosmic radiation event from 993 CE that left a unique signature in tree rings worldwide. By counting the rings from that signature to the bark, they could pinpoint the year the trees were felled.
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