A Journey Beyond the Known World
Around the year 1000, Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir embarked on an extraordinary voyage with her husband, Thorfinn Karlsefni, and a small crew. Their destination was Vinland, the Viking name for a part of North America now believed to be Newfoundland, Canada. Gudrid spent three years there, exploring and living in the New World, and gave birth to her son, Snorri—the first known European child born in the Americas.
Crossing Oceans and Continents
Gudrid’s travels did not stop there. She made a total of eight crossings of the North Atlantic and even journeyed on foot to Rome later in life. Her name appears in two Viking sagas—The Saga of the Greenlanders and The Saga of Erik the Red—which recount her adventures and resilience in a harsh and uncharted world.
Proof of a Viking Woman in Vinland
Archaeologists have found evidence supporting parts of Gudrid’s story. At L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, a spindle whorl—used for spinning thread—was discovered, suggesting that Viking women, possibly Gudrid, lived and worked there.
A Viking Legend Confirmed?
Though the sagas mix history with legend, Gudrid’s story aligns with archaeological finds. Whether or not all the details are true, her voyages highlight the extraordinary reach of Viking exploration.
Around the year 1000, Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir sailed with her husband, Thorfinn Karlsefni, to Vinland, part of modern-day Newfoundland, Canada. For three years, she lived there, exploring and giving birth to her son, Snorri, the first known European child born in the Americas. pic.twitter.com/LdAew7Jfhs
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