Unveiling the Ancient Secret: The Norse Landing in Newfoundland

Cheering the Canadian Women’s Eight Rowing team to a silver metal and watching their celebration was exhilarating! The strength, the determination, the absolute coordination it takes to row a boat as a team of eight is so very inspiring. Have you ever tried paddling with your four kids in a canoe on a glacier lake? Chaos is most definitely a word that can be used! Then each finds their rhythm and we coordinate somewhat to moving in a forward direction.

Imagine rowing a large open ship offering no protection from the elements across the Atlantic Ocean through unnavigated waters. Around 1000 AD, the Norse explorer Leif Erikson, son of Erik the Red, embarked on a journey from Greenland to explore new lands. According to the Icelandic Sagas, medieval texts that chronicle the Vikings' adventures, Leif and his crew sailed westward across the Atlantic, reaching Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland), a land they called "Vinland." I can only imagine the perseverance that must have taken.

In the 1960s, Norwegian explorer Helge Ingstad and his wife, archaeologist Anne Stine Ingstad discovered the very spot Leif and his friends landed and settled on for a brief time. The remains of their Norse settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows is located on the northernmost tip of Newfoundland. The site, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, features the ruins of eight Norse buildings, including a blacksmith shop, a carpenter's workshop, and several dwellings.

The Norse landing in Newfoundland over 500 years before Christopher Columbus is a testament to the ingenuity and courage of the Viking explorers. As we continue to uncover the secrets of our shared past, we honor the legacy of Leif Erikson and his crew, who dared to venture into the unknown and left an indelible mark on the Americas.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post! Let me know if you have any questions or if you'd like me to expand on any of the topics.

Connie Thompson

Owner of Søle Nordic Wellness Spa