In Iceland, archaeologists have unearthed the remains of an ancient farm that they believe belonged to the mythical Viking woman, Gudrid Torbjornsdottir. She is believed to be the first European woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
According to SVT Play, this is a woman whose name is mentioned in ancient sagas. According to Icelandic genealogy, Gudrid Torbjornsdottir was one of the greatest navigators of the Middle Ages.
She has been compared to far more famous male Vikings such as Erik the Red and Leif Eriksson. Moreover, the sagas say that Goodrid managed to cross the Atlantic 500 years before Christopher Columbus, and later she made a pilgrimage to the Vatican. However, even in Iceland, it was partially forgotten.
However, interest in this historical character increased markedly after archaeologists announced their find. Together with colleagues from the United States, they surveyed the vast Skagafjordur region in the north of the country. One of the tasks of the researchers was to create a detailed map of the area.
It is believed that many Vikings lived there during the Middle Ages. In the course of this work, the remains of a large farm buried underground were discovered. There were two cemeteries not far from it. Both the house itself and the graveyards are dated back to 1000 AD.
Comparing the known facts with what they managed to find, Icelandic archaeologists came to the conclusion that the found farm belonged to the mythical Viking woman Gudrid Torbjornsdottir. According to archaeologist Douglas Bolender, the find was unexpected even for the research group itself.
“Goodrid came from a very simple family, her grandfather was generally a slave who was freed,” says historian Bo Eriksson. “Despite this, she managed to make several impressive journeys to the New World and become a great merchant, earning everyone’s respect.”
According to him, the legends of Goodrid have been very popular for several centuries. However, by the end of the XIII century people began to forget about her, her name was less and less encountered in “fairy tales”. Gradually, she was practically forgotten.
“I think it happened because the outstanding people, as we now know them, began to travel for new discoveries,” continues Bo Ericsson. “Europe was gradually turning into a global superpower, and Goodrid simply did not have a place in it, about it forgotten. Would the same thing have happened if she had been a man? Probably not. “
Tags
History
