Leif Ericson
Leif Ericson was a Norse explorer who sailed from Greenland to North America around 1000 CE, roughly five centuries before Columbus.
He established a short-lived settlement at Vinland, likely in present-day Newfoundland.
Leif Ericson Day is observed on October 11 in the United States.
Also spelled Leif Erikson or Eriksson.
Medieval Nordic raider
- longshipSlender Norse rowing vessel
- NorseAncient Scandinavian civilization
- ScandinaviaNordic countries collectively
- Erik the RedNorse Greenland colonizer
Greenland · Iceland · chieftain · Norsemen · fjord · mead · runes · Thing
One who investigates unfamiliar regions
- discoveryAct of finding something
- voyageJourney by sea
- expeditionOrganized exploratory journey
- navigatorRoute-directing crew member
seafarer · Atlantic crossing · westward · uncharted · landfall · coastal exploration · pathfinder · maritime
Viking site in Newfoundland
- VinlandNorse term for America
- NewfoundlandCanadian Atlantic island province
- sod housesTurf-walled prairie shelters
- archaeologyStudy of physical remnants
North America · indigenous peoples · pre-Columbian · wild grapes · butternut
Three-dimensional sculpted likeness
- commemorationAct of honoring memory
- pioneerEarly explorer or settler
- trailblazerFirst to forge ahead
- national holidayOfficial day of observance
Medieval Norse prose narratives
- skaldNorse heroic poet
- oral traditionCulture passed by speech
- chronicleOrdered historical record
- legendUnverified traditional tale
Snorri Sturluson · lore · medieval manuscript · scribe · vellum
Viking
Medieval Nordic raider
- longshipSlender Norse rowing vessel
- NorseAncient Scandinavian civilization
- ScandinaviaNordic countries collectively
Erik the Red · Greenland · Iceland · chieftain · Norsemen · fjord · mead · runes · Thing · jarl
explorer
One who investigates unfamiliar regions
- discoveryAct of finding something
- voyageJourney by sea
- expeditionOrganized exploratory journey
navigator · seafarer · Atlantic crossing · westward · uncharted · landfall · coastal exploration · pathfinder · maritime · sailing
L'Anse aux Meadows
Viking site in Newfoundland
- VinlandNorse term for America
- NewfoundlandCanadian Atlantic island province
- sod housesTurf-walled prairie shelters
archaeology · North America · indigenous peoples · pre-Columbian · wild grapes · butternut
statue
Three-dimensional sculpted likeness
- commemorationAct of honoring memory
- pioneerEarly explorer or settler
- trailblazerFirst to forge ahead
Icelandic sagas
Medieval Norse prose narratives
- skaldNorse heroic poet
- oral traditionCulture passed by speech
- chronicleOrdered historical record
Snorri Sturluson · legend · lore · medieval manuscript · scribe · vellum
Leif EricsonChristopher Columbus
Navigator who found the Americas
Hernán Cortés · conquistadors · Amerigo Vespucci · Vasco da Gama · Ferdinand Magellan