Freydis Eiriksdottir
The formidable Viking woman of the Vinland sagas
Last updated
Freydís Eiríksdóttir was an Icelandic woman born around 965 and said to be the daughter of Erik the Red.[1] She figured prominently in the Norse exploration of North America as an early colonist of Vinland.[1] Chapter 8 of the Saga of the Greenlanders recounts Freydís's time in Vinland and identifies her as the full sibling of Leif Erikson.[2]
Last updated 2026-10-05 from the source article.
Quick Facts
- Field
- Norse exploration
- Nationality
- Icelandic
Facts from the source article.
What happened
Freydis is also mentioned in the later Saga of Erik the Red, where she is portrayed a little better, if just as much of a maniac.[3] Never having seen weapons like these, the Vikings retreated, but were admonished by Freydis, who was eight months pregnant.[3] After she declined to kill five women present in their encampment, Freydís took an axe and killed all five herself.[3] The most well-known surviving narrative about Freydís is found in the Saga of the Greenlanders.[2]
What the cited sources add
The coin from Coin Shoppe, Pela Coins and the Mint of Poland depicts Freydis, gilded sword in hand, leaping from a Viking Longship to do battle.[3] The 2022 Netflix series Vikings: Valhalla featured Frida Gustavsson in the role of Freydís.[4]
References
- Wikipedia, "Freydís Eiríksdóttir" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Magill, "Great Events from History: 15,000 B.C.-1819", Salem Press, 1997, p. 19 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Freydís Eiríksdóttir" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The Sagas of Icelanders: A Selection", Penguin, 2001, p. 648–652 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Exclusive first look at Freydif Eiriksdottir, a superb silver coin starring the Viking daughter of Erik the Red", AgAuNEWS. facts only, no text reused. agaunews.com
- Wikipedia, "Freydís Eiríksdóttir" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Vikings: Valhalla (2022–2024) Full Cast & Crew. IMDB, Internet Movie Database. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11311302/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cl_sm retrieved 12 Jul (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Freydís Eiríksdóttir (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in The Viking Age
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Freydís Eiríksdóttir (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced