Vinland Article

Vinland summary

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Vinland, Wooded land in North America visited and named by Leif Eriksson the Lucky c. ad 1000. It was probably located along the Atlantic coast of what is now eastern or northeastern Canada. The Vikings’ visits to Vinland (named “wine land” for its wild grapes) are recorded in the Norse sagas. Leif Eriksson is said to have led the first expedition, and his brother Thorvald a second one c. 1003. A colonizing expedition of 130 Vikings c. 1004 was abandoned after warfare with the native Indians. The final expedition was led c. 1013 by Erik the Red’s daughter Freydis. In 1963 the remains of a Norse settlement were discovered at L’Anse aux Meadows, at the northernmost tip of Newfoundland.