Gunnbjörn Ulfsson
Encyclopedia
Gunnbjørn Ulfsson name also given as Gunnbjørn Ulf-Krakuson, was the first European to sight North America
.
Gunnbjørn was blown off course while sailing from Norway
to Iceland
. He and his crew sighted islands (Gunnbjörn's skerries
) lying close off the coast of Greenland
, and reported this find. Gunnbjørn did not land.
Greenland is physically and culturally part of North America; it is separated from Ellesmere Island
by only a narrow strait, so this constitutes the first definitively established European contact with North America.
The exact date of this event is not recorded in the sagas. Various sources cite dates ranging from 876 to 932, but these must remain little more than guesses; but the early 10th century is probably more likely than earlier.
The first purposeful visit to Gunnbjørn's islands was by Snæbjörn Galti around 978, followed soon after by Eric the Red who also explored the main island of Greenland, and soon established a settlement. But neither Snaebjørn nor Eric were sailing blind; they knew well of the location reported by Gunnbjørn Ulfsson.
A number of modern placenames in Greenland commemorates Gunnbjørn, most notably Gunnbjørn Fjeld (3,694 m a.s.l.).
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Gunnbjørn was blown off course while sailing from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. He and his crew sighted islands (Gunnbjörn's skerries
Gunnbjörn's skerries
Gunnbjörn's skerries were a group of small skerries lying close between Iceland and Greenland, discovered by Gunnbjörn Ulfsson in the 9th century. They became a popular stopover for ships traveling to Greenland and a brief attempt to set up a colony was made about 970. Snaebjörn Galti visited...
) lying close off the coast of Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, and reported this find. Gunnbjørn did not land.
Greenland is physically and culturally part of North America; it is separated from Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Lying within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, with Cape Columbia being the most northerly point of land in Canada...
by only a narrow strait, so this constitutes the first definitively established European contact with North America.
The exact date of this event is not recorded in the sagas. Various sources cite dates ranging from 876 to 932, but these must remain little more than guesses; but the early 10th century is probably more likely than earlier.
The first purposeful visit to Gunnbjørn's islands was by Snæbjörn Galti around 978, followed soon after by Eric the Red who also explored the main island of Greenland, and soon established a settlement. But neither Snaebjørn nor Eric were sailing blind; they knew well of the location reported by Gunnbjørn Ulfsson.
A number of modern placenames in Greenland commemorates Gunnbjørn, most notably Gunnbjørn Fjeld (3,694 m a.s.l.).