The family that discovered America

The story of Leif Erikson, the Viking sailor that came to the American continent around 1000, almost five centuries before Columbus and his relatives, explorers protagonists of the "invasion of the West" in the waters of the North.
He was a great sailor from a colonizing family of desert lands. He decided to address the West, until he found himself in a land where no European had ever broken before: he had discovered a new continent, which again 500 years later would be rediscovered by another cruiser, Christopher Columbus. Europe's sailor was Leif Erikson and was a Viking explorer who historians today consider the first European to have broken the American continent. Here is the story of Leif and his adventurous family.

In the West

"Born in Iceland around 970, Leif came from a world populated by Scandinavian adventurers, traders and fighters, known as the Vikings," explains Francesco Surdich, a professor at the Genoa University. "With this name (coming from the Scandinavian word 'vik'), all those who were motivated by the desire to conquer internal conflicts or demographic pressures between the 8th and 11th centuries sailed from Scandinavia reaching the European shores then in the north-north African ones. " Leif Erikson's family was the real protagonist of the "invasion of the West," which culminated in reaching America. His father was Red Erika, who had managed to colonize Greenland, or part of America, since it is geographically part of this continent. After a murder, Erik had left Norway with his father and had fled to Iceland (where Leif was born). Shortly after, involved in a bloody battle, he headed to the sea and set to the north. Between 982 and 1985, he had explored an almost unexplored earth by others. He baptized this country with the name "greenland" "Greenland" (Greenland) to attract as many colonies as possible. Create two colonies and stay in one of them by creating his "property", Brattahlid. The Scandinavians stayed in Greenland until the 15th century when settlements were abandoned. He baptized this country with the name "greenland" "Greenland" (Greenland) to attract as many colonies as possible. Create two colonies and stay in one of them by creating his "property", Brattahlid. The Scandinavians stayed in Greenland until the 15th century when settlements were abandoned. He baptized this country with the name "greenland" "Greenland" (Greenland) to attract as many colonies as possible. Create two colonies and stay in one of them by creating his "property", Brattahlid. The Scandinavians stayed in Greenland until the 15th century when settlements were abandoned.

stories

Just as her father and Leif's son set out to search for new lands. The one who prompted it was the account of the merchant Bjarni Herjolfsson, descended to Brattahlid. The merchant surprised everyone by showing that he had seen unknown lands. As he sailed between Iceland and Greenland, he was suddenly diverted from the road due to fog and currents and, consequently, he was in front of a land filled with forests, then in front of an ice island and eventually hit the Greenland coast. You will ask what we know about the travels of Bjarn and Leif? "For all these scientists are well-informed thanks to a sage written by the Icelandic, called the 'Greenland Saga', although there are many other works that surround it as the 'Red Erik Saga'," Surdich explains. "These are the main sources for Viking explorations,

Leif, among others, converted into a Christian and had put this trust in Greenland, in exchange for Nordic paganism, bought Bjarn's ship and was prepared to commence its sailing (around 1000) along with 35 other men. According to the "Greenland Saga" at the head of the trip, he should have been father Eriku, but at the moment of arrival at the port he fell out of the horse and decided not to go. He turned to his son, saying, "This means that fate has not reserved me the discovery of new lands, like this where we are living now."

ice

From Greenland, Leif sailed to unfamiliar lands. Initially, he faced a desert and rocky land called Helluland "Stone Land", identified with the Baffin Island in Canada. Then he headed south and reached a wooded area "with large white beaches and a gentle sloping seafront." It was the eastern coast of Canada, baptized Markland, "the land of forests." Finally navigating for two other days to the south, arrived in a more comfortable territory. "Leif and his crew crossed into a strait, where their ships ran into the sand when they came to the whale. They managed to save the ship through the tide and bring it down in the middle of a river; then decided to spend the winter in those hinterlands, as there were good trees in the forests to build barracks. "

Florida

There was no ice in the place and the grass did not dry up, so Leif and his people decided to winter there, to return to Greenland later. They discovered that the area was rich in wild vine so they called Vinland, the "summer land" (or according to some "easter land" interpretations). Where was Vinland? "About the position of this territory is not absolute security, but most likely in the north of Terranova," explains Professor Surdich. This is proof of the arrival of the Vikings in America. "Here, in 1960, archaeologists found traces of eight buildings and many objects that lead to the Viking culture and dates back to the middle of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries." The presence of these iron and wood remains suggests that some buildings were used by carpenters and blacksmiths, while the discovery of sewing tools, such as the bushy needles, proved that women also lived in Vinland.