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"Adventure is worthwhile in itself."--Amelia Earhart "I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be a challenge to others."--Amelia Earhart |
By D.A. Watson
Called “the greatest female explorer of all time” by the president of Iceland, the story of Gudridur Thorbjarnardottir is amazing. She explored the New World, gave birth there to the first child of European descent, returned to Europe, then walked to Rome to give the Vatican a first-person account of her journeys. And she accomplished all this some 500 years before Columbus made his voyage.
Gudridur Thorbjarnarsdottir, born at Laugarbrekka at Hellnar during the last quarter of the 10th century, was the daughter of Thorbjarnar Vífilsson and Hallveig Einarsdóttir. Vífill, Gudridur’s paternal grandfather, had come to Iceland with “Aud the Deep-Minded” as her slave, but later he gained his freedom.
Gudridur was also the foster-daughter of Orm and Halldís of Arnastapi, Iceland. While staying with her foster parents, Gudridur became enamored of a young man. He was a slave’s son, but had been very successful in his own life. He wanted to marry Gudridur, but Thorbjarnar would not allow his daughter to marry a slave’s son. Rather ironic, given that Gudridur’s own family history.
Instead, Gudridur’s father decided to take his family to Greenland. This was about ten years after Erik the Red, a friend of Thorbjarnar, had led a settlement group to the same area. Gudridur’s foster-parents and many others went with them on the voyage. It was a difficult journey with terrible weather and many deaths, including Gudridur’s foster parents.
Erik presented Thorbjarnar some land near his own, and Gudridur eventually met and married Erik’s son Thorsteinn, considered one of the most promising men in Greenland at that time. Thorsteinn and Gudridur went to Vinland after Thorsteinn’s brother Thorvaldur had been killed there by the natives. It was another difficult journey, taking an entire summer, many died of disease, including Thorsteinn. Gudridur was now a widow.
Life went on, however, and Gudridur met and married Thorfinnur Karlsefni, a wealthy merchant of royal descent who came to Greenland from Iceland. Following their marriage, the couple set out to lead an expedition to explore and settle in Vinland. According to the ‘Saga of Greenlanders,’ there were sixty men and five women on Thorfinnur’s ship, including Gudridur. The settlers took all sorts of livestock with them, as well.
Thorfinnur got Leif’s permission to use the houses Leif had built in Vinland during his expedition there. In the year 1004, during the first autumn in Leif’s house in Vinland, Snorri, the son of Thorfinnur and Gudridur was born. He is the first European recorded in history as being born on the American continent.
After three years in Vinland, during which time scholars believe the group traveled as far south as Manhattan if not further, relations with the native populations had become untenable, and the group made plans to return to Greenland.
Tragedy struck Gudridur once again, as the “Skaelings” (as the natives were called) killed Thorfinnur. Heartbroken, Gudridur returned to her native home of Iceland. It was during this time that the pagan religions were slowly, but steadily, being replaced by Christianity. Gudridur became a convert to Christianity. She fully immersed herself in this new religion, eventually becoming a nun.
At a time when women did not travel alone, Gudridur undertook a pilgrimage to visit the Pope in Rome. She crossed Europe by foot, met with Pope and provided him with a report on Christian life in both Iceland and in Greenland.
A true explorer and pre-eminent female adventurer of her time, Gudridur’s saga is in every way more intriguing than that of even Leif Eiriksson!
Tributes to Gudridur
On June 25, 200, a statue in the memory of Gudridur was unveiled at Laugarbrekka, Iceland, by Iceland's president Mr. Grimsson.
Icelandic author and instructor Brynja Benediktsdóttir was inspired to write the play "The Saga of Gudridur". The play had its first performance in 1998, and has since been played in several countries.
Verold vid, published in 1998, is an historical novel about the life of Gudridur Thorbjarnardottir, described in the subtitle as the "most traveled woman of the Middle Ages".
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