Viking Discoveries Terms

Eric the Red (b. ca. 950 - d. ca. 1001)
A Norse chieftain who discovered Greenland in 982 and led a group of colonists there in 986 A.D. The colony lasted four or five centuries.

Leifr Eiriksson (b. ca. 980 - d. ca. 1020)
Norse discoverer of America. Son of Eric the Red. May have been blown off course and landed in present-day Newfoundland or New England in 1000 A.D.

Heriolf
One of the settlers who joined Eric the Red to colonize Greenland in 986 A.D.

Biarni Heriolfsson
Heriolf's son who was blown off course on his way to join his father in Greenland. He discovered an unknown land (possibly the eastern coast of Canada). He told Leif Ericsson how he found the new land. Ericsson backtracked on his course to find present-day Newfoundland.

William the Conquerer (b. 1027? - d. 1087)
One of the greatest monarchs and a pivotal figure in history. William was the illegitimate son of Robert I, duke of Normandy. During a visit to England in 1051, his cousin Edward the Confessor most likely named William to be his successor. He was promised support by Harold Godwinsson. In 1066, Harold crowed himself king. William raised an army and defeated and killed Harold at the Battle of Hastings. He reigned from 1066 until his death.

Gunwale
The top rail of the side of a boat or ship.

Keel
The backbone of a ship. The lowest and principle timber of a wooden ship and to which the stempost, sternpost, and ribs are attached.

Draft
The depth of water required to float a vessel.

Clinker
The edges of the planks are overlapped to form an irregular exterior, much like siding on a house. Also called lapstrake.

Yacht
Name given to any boat used for pleasure cruises or racing.

Cog
A twelfth-century Northern European trading vessel that was clinker-built and square-rigged.

Bow
The front of a vessel.

Stern
The back of a vessel.

Masthead
The top of a lower mast to which a topmast is attached.

Carvel
The planks are laid close together on their edges, attached to the ribs to form a smooth exterior.

Compass
An instrument whose magnetized metal needle aligns itself with the magnetic fields of the earth. This causes one end of the needle to point north. Mariners used this information to navigate the ship. The Chinese are said to have invented the first compass over 2000 years ago. See Lodestone.

North Star
A second magnitude star found at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper and almost at the north celestial pole. Also called the Pole Star or Polaris.

Latitude
Imaginary lines running east to west on the surface of the earth. The latitude determines location north or south on the globe.

Bearing Dial
A navigational device used to determine the position of the sun and moon when the Pole Star was not visible, especially during the constant daylight of summer. It was reputed to have been used by the Vikings.