The Viking replicas on our site are detailed reproductions of the weapons of an ancient and intriguing culture. Today I thought I’d take a look at one of my favorite stories from middle school social studies class: Leif Ericson, the famous Viking explorer. Ericson’s story is one for the history books, and it’s not surprising that school children still know his name and his famous Viking helmet. He was the first known European to cross the Atlantic and make land in North America, approximately 490 years before Columbus made his famous voyage.
Leif Ericson was born in Iceland around 970 AD. His father was Erik the Red, who discovered and settled Greenland after being exiled from Iceland when he killed two of his neighbors in a dispute. It was probably a good thing he left; after being exiled, anyone in the Iceland colony was legally allowed to kill him. When he returned three years later, he convinced hundreds of Vikings to resettle with him in the newly discovered land.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
