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Thorfinn Karlsefni (Old Norse: Þorfinnr Karlsefni, Icelandic: Þorfinnur Karlsefni) was an Icelandic explorer who circa 1010 AD led an attempt to settle Vínland with three ships and 160 settlers. Among the settlers was Freydís Eiríksdóttir, according to Grœnlendinga saga and Eiríks saga rauða, sister or half-sister of Leif Eriksson respectively. Thorfinn's wife Guðríðr Þorbjarnardóttir gave birth to a boy in Vínland, known as Snorri Guðríðarson[1][2] , 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 Thorfinn'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. There is another casting of the statue in Reykjavik, Iceland.
[edit] In fiction
The protagonist in Vinland Saga is loosely based on Thorfinn and his (likely fictional) connection to King Canute and Thorkell the Tall.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Mitchell, Alana (2002-11-30). "Legend that begins in Newfoundland ends with a 'fantasy' discovery in field" (Reprint). Leif Eriksson Monuments Pages. http://leiferiksson.vanderkrogt.net/files/gudridur_glaumbaer.html. Retrieved 2008-08-25. "Eventually, they settled in what is now Newfoundland, gave birth to Snorri Thorfinnson and stayed for about three years."
- ^ (Dutch)Snorri Thorfinnson (Wikipedia)
[edit] External links
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