Leif's Voyage West
About 999AD, Leif sailed to Iceland and then to Norway, where he became a Christian. He returned to Greenland the following year and preached Christianity in his father’s pagan settlement.
Around the year 1000AD Leif heard about a land that had been sighted to the West of Greenland and decided to go and look for it.
According to the stories (called Saga’s) Leif took 35 men and landed at a place he named Helluland (Flat Rock Land). From here he sailed south to an area with lots of trees that he named Markland (Forestland). He then continued south going ashore at a place where he found grapes growing. This he named Vinland (Wineland). Grapes are not known to grow in this area however and some historians believe he may have mistaken cranberries or gooseberries for grapes. Others believe he travelled much further south and did indeed find grapes.
Leif and his men spent the winter in Vinland. They built a large house and a shed to protect their ship. They cut logs to bring back to Greenland, where trees were scarce. This cargo helped Leif to become very rich. Soon after he arrived back in Greenland his father, Erik the Red died leaving him in charge.
Around the year 1000AD Leif heard about a land that had been sighted to the West of Greenland and decided to go and look for it.
According to the stories (called Saga’s) Leif took 35 men and landed at a place he named Helluland (Flat Rock Land). From here he sailed south to an area with lots of trees that he named Markland (Forestland). He then continued south going ashore at a place where he found grapes growing. This he named Vinland (Wineland). Grapes are not known to grow in this area however and some historians believe he may have mistaken cranberries or gooseberries for grapes. Others believe he travelled much further south and did indeed find grapes.
Leif and his men spent the winter in Vinland. They built a large house and a shed to protect their ship. They cut logs to bring back to Greenland, where trees were scarce. This cargo helped Leif to become very rich. Soon after he arrived back in Greenland his father, Erik the Red died leaving him in charge.