Thorfinnr Thordarson

Thorfinnr Thordarson was the first European to attempt to found a settlement on the American mainland. He was a wealthy Icelandic merchant who had made many merchant voyages before going to Greenland shortly after the year 1000 A.D.

He married in Greenland, and some time between the years 1003 and 1015 Thorfinnr led an expedition to colonize Vinland, the area of coastal North America. His venture is found in the Saga of Eric the Red, but it is vague enough to have given rise to the most varied views. He left the Eastern Settlement of Greenland with about 160 people and sailed first to the Western Settlement. After two days they reached Helluland (Baffin Island), and after another two days they reached Markland (northern Labrador). After that they headed southward. After some time they settled and wintered in on an island in the bay they named Straumfjord (Bay of Strong Currents, possibly Baie des Sept-Îles).

After the winter part of the expedition now left to return to Greenland, while Thorfinnr and the rest proceeded southward to find Vinland. They settled in a landlocked bay, which they called Hop, probably Cape Cod. It is not clear whether they spent two months or one year there, although the latter is more probable. At Hop they met aborigines of the country, whom they called Skrælingjar. At first the relations were friendly the Icelanders bartered gaudy cloth for skins to their great profit. Later, the natives became hostile and Thorfinnr decided to return to Straumfjord. After that the group sailed northward, explored the country and finly decided to winter at Straumfjord. In the spring the whole expedition returned to Greenland, ending the first and what proved to be the only attempt of the Icelanders in Greenland to settle on the North American continent. Thorfinnr, with his wife and son, who was born at Straumfjord, soon returned to Iceland and resumed residence there.