HEADLINE: Erikson, Sagas, and Vinland Location BOOK TITLE: American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America AUTHOR: Martyn Whittock 100 WORD SUMMARY: The source focuses on the westward journey from Greenland, established b

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HEADLINE: Erikson, Sagas, and Vinland Location BOOK TITLE: American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America AUTHOR: Martyn Whittock 100 WORD SUMMARY: The source focuses on the westward journey from Greenland, established by Erik the Red, to lands sighted by storm-driven sailors. His son, Leif Erikson, led expeditions around 1000 AD to Helluland (Baffin Island) and Markland (Labrador). This history is recorded in the Saga of Erik the Red (13th century) and the Saga of the Greenlanders (14th century). They reached a land they called Vinland, described as having wild grapes and wheat, suggesting a mild climate and abundant timber. The small population in Greenland ultimately hindered sustained settlement. Based on where wild grapes (like the fox grape) and wheat grow, Vinland must have been located significantly further south than Newfoundland, possibly reaching New Brunswick or New England.