Thorfinn Karlsefni

Thorfinn Karlsefni (Thorfinnr Thordarson), (Old Norse: Þorfinnr Karlsefni, Icelandic: Þorfinnur Karlsefni) was an Icelandic explorer who circa 1010 AD led an attempt to settle Vinland with three ships and 160 settlers. Among the settlers was Freydís Eiríksdóttir, half-sister (but according to Grœnlendinga saga she was a full sister) of Leif Eriksson. Karlsefni's wife gave birth to a boy in Vinland, known as Snorri Guðriðsson [cite news |first= Alana |last= Mitchell |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title= Legend that begins in Newfoundland ends with a 'fantasy' discovery in field |url= http://leiferiksson.vanderkrogt.net/files/gudridur_glaumbaer.html |format= Reprint |work= Leif Eriksson Monuments Pages |publisher= |pages= |page= |date= 2002-11-30 |accessdate= 2008-08-25 |quote= Eventually, they settled in what is now Newfoundland, gave birth to Snorri Thorfinnson and stayed for about three years. |archiveurl= |archivedate= ] [nl icon [http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snorri_Thorfinnson Snorri Thorfinnson (Wikipedia)] ] (as Guðrið outlived Thorfinn), the first child of European descent known to have been born in the New World and to whom many Icelanders can trace their roots. The exact location of Karlsefni's colony is unknown but is believed to potentially be the excavated Norse camp at L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland.

In the early twentieth century, Einar Jónsson, an Icelandic sculptor, created a statue of Thorfinn Karlsefni which was placed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

ee also

* Erik the Red
* Flateyjarbók
* Hauksbók
* Vikings
* Snorri
* Bjarni Herjólfsson
* Spirit Pond runestones
*Saga of Eric the Red
*Grœnlendinga saga
*Helgi and Finnbogi

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=558 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]