Vikings: Valhalla – 10 Things Only History Buffs Know About Leif Erikson

Vikings: Valhalla—the spinoff/sequel of the popular History Channel series, Vikings—has steered clear of the Lothbrok family tree so far and focussed on new and interesting characters. Chief among them is Leif Erikson, a voyager that’s eager to step out of his father’s shadow and prove himself as a great warrior.

Over the course of the 8-episode first season, fans get to learn a couple of things about the character, some of which have been fictionalized for dramatization purposes. However, there is a couple of additional historical information about Leif that can be found in the Saga Of The Greenlanders as well as many other old sources.

While many accounts credit Christopher Columbus as the first European to ever step on the soils of North America, some historians argue that it was Leif Eriksson. Leif is said to have entered America 500 years before Columbus did so. He named the land, Vinland because of its vine fields but the name never stuck. However, this would work against the end of the original Vikings, where it was suggested that Floki (and then Ubbe) were the first to reach the shores of North America.

So far, a number of parallels can be drawn between Leif and Ragnar. Both love to sail and to fight. But it’s when he truly discovers a new land like Ragnar did with Wessex that fans will truly see him as an equal. Though Leif never colonized the land in real-life, some liberties could be taken to make him get into more conflict in North America, thus adding to some of the best Vikings fights.

Leif’s Father Is The True Founder Of Greenland

Leif’s father, Erik The Red, is portrayed in Vikings as an outlaw who manipulates his way to becoming King of Kattegat. But in historical accounts, it’s he that discovered Greenland, not Ubbe and the Icelandic settlers as depicted in the original series.

Since Ubbe is a more important character on the show, giving him credit for the discovery of one of the most important Vikings locations, Greenland, makes more sense as opposed to Erik, who only shows up in the later stages. Ubbe also needed to have a bigger accomplishment like his brothers Ivar, and Bjor, who had both served as rulers of Kattegat.

His Two Sons

Leif only had two known sons. The first was Thorgils, who he had with noblewoman Thorgunna, and Thorkell, whose mother is unknown.

In Season 1, Leif is yet to have any children as he is busy focusing on the conflict with the Anglo-Saxons but since the original series heavily emphasized the importance of relationships and family, this is a real possibility. Leif’s sons could chart similar paths to those of Ragnar’s sons and go on to become rulers too.

He Was A Missionary

In 999 CE, Leif was sent by his father to Norway so that he could serve King Olaf Tryggvason as one of his enforcers. Since Tryggvason was a staunch Christian, Leif converted too and became a missionary. Leif was later able to convert many of the settlers in Greenland, including his mother.

Christianity is frowned upon by the Northmen but Leif’s conversion is not a shocker since characters like Ubbe and Hvitserk did it. Leif still strongly believes in Norse beliefs in Season 1 and at the moment, this appears unlikely to change since Olaf killed Liv, a woman Leif was deeply in love with. His desire for revenge is now stronger than his desire to work for Olaf.

He Quit Exploring After Becoming Greenland’s Chieftain

Soon after he succeeded his father, Erik The Red, as Chieftain of Greenland, Leif is reported to have retired as a voyager. His son Thorkell would later ascend to the throne.

As was the case during Ragnar’s era, the Vikings always sought a better place to settle away from Kattegat. Greenland proved to be the perfect place since there was no strong opposition in comparison to Wessex. Given how peaceful it was, it made sense that Leif saw no need to continue exploring new lands.

Vinland Is Probably Canada

The exact location of Vinland has been debated by historians for a long time. That’s until 1960 when archaeologists found a Viking-made settlement in Newfoundland. The site is now known as L’Anse aux Meadows.

A major reason why the name Vinland doesn’t stick is that the Vikings don’t have total control over it. Just as the Anglo-Saxons already existed in Wessex, the Indians already existed in Vinland. Several other explorers would arrive at the land too and try to rename it, leaving behind a major geographical puzzle.

He Was Acknowledged By A Former US President

While addressing a 100,000-large crowd during the 1925 Minnesota State Fair, Calvin Coolidge⁠—the 3oth POTUS⁠—acknowledged that Leif was indeed the first European to step on American soil. However, not everyone agreed with him.

Most other US Presidents haven’t touched on the topic of Leif Eriksen, hence his status as a pioneer has continued to be debated by Columbus fanatics. And since Columbus is way more famous than Leif, he is likely to continue getting credit for the discovery of North America for centuries to come.

His Sister Was Villainous

Leif’s sister, Freydis, is portrayed as a badass in the series but not exactly villainous. In real life, she has been seen as much less heroic figure, who manipulated her husband Thorvard into killing men she didn’t like and massacred innocent women at a settlement.

The real-life Freydis appears to be more similar to the one in the original series, who is undisputedly the best Vikings characters introduced after Ragnar’s death. Like the historical Freydis, Ivar’s wife never hesitates to manipulate him, even giving him the false impression that he is a god. She is happy to see innocent people get slain too. Most importantly, she betrays him.

His Exact Age Is A Mystery

Leif is reported to have been born between 970 CE and 980 CE. Nothing is mentioned about his death in the Viking sagas but he was last reported alive in 1019.

Leif’s age isn’t the only one that’s shrouded in mystery. Ragnar’s exact age was never revealed either and the fact that his looks mostly remained the same on the show didn’t help matters. The accurate recording of birth dates didn’t become a thing until recent centuries hence the lack of birthday information during the Viking Age is understandable.

He Was Raised By An Enslaved Man

Since Erik was mostly busy, an en slaved man named Tyrker did most of the work of raising Leif. As a result, Leif came to acknowledge him as his foster father.

The case of great rulers being bad or absentee fathers is common in the original series too. Ragnar unapologetically disappears for 10 years whereas King Ecbert sleeps with his son’s wife. Bjorn never seems to have an idea how his children are doing either and shows no remorse when they die.