Leif Ericsson: A Norse Viking Explorer

By: Daniella Gelman, Maria Tokarska, Sophia Kryloff, Elvin Migrov, Sara Beardsley, Michelle Levitsky, and Melissa Gallo

"Viking trade is back as Hanseatic League!"

Who were the Vikings?

• The Vikings were known for being explorers and for their adventures that they had done by sea.

• The Vikings were mostly from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

• Some of them were pirates, but most of them were really farmers, fishermen, craftsmen, and traders.

How do we know that the Vikings existed?

• The Vikings had left some writings called the "Sagas", which is a Norse word for tales. There are about 40 sagas which had included descriptions of historical events such as:

-Historical events in Iceland

-Voyages from Norway to the North Atlantic.

-These sagas also have records of Erik the red who had founded Greenland, and his son Leif Ericsson.

-Many non-Viking people in Europe left stories of contact with the Vikings.

Who was Leif Ericsson?

• Leif Ericsson was a Norse explorer who was known as the first European to land in North America nearly five hundred years before Christopher Columbus.

• Leif Ericsson was born in 970 CE in Iceland.

What important traits did the Vikings and Leif Ericsson have in common?

• Leif Ericsson was a viking.

• They were aggressive, and invaded people.

• Iceland (home of Ericsson) was settled by the Vikings in 874 CE.

• They explored North America & Greenland.

• They invaded areas which were members of the Hanseatic League.

The Hanseatic League (13th to 17th century)

• The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and the merchant guilds that had dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe.

• It stretched from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea. Included cities along the river in Poland,Northern Germany, and Scandinavia.

• Formed around the 12th century

• Traded in furs, fish, grains, timber, and pitch.

Why is the Hanseatic League important?

- Major European rivers like the Rhine and the Danube linked trade with the Mediterranean. This caused cultural diffusion between Northern Europe and the Mediterranean as well as a growth in trade.

Main Trading Routes of the Hanseatic League

Viking Expansion

Question No. 1

The vikings were mostly people who were:

a) Farmers, fishermen, pirates

b) Pirates, fishermen, traders

c) Pirates, farmers, traders

d) Farmers, traders, fishermen

e) Pirates, traders, craftsmen

d) Farmers, traders, fishermen

Question No. 2

In which country was Leif Ericsson born, and during which year?

a) Iceland, 980 CE b) Greenland, 975 CE

c) Iceland, 970 CE d) Greenland, 960 CE

e) ALL OF THE ABOVE

c) Iceland, 970 CE

Question No. 3

Which of the following was NOT a member of the Hanseatic League?

a) Hungarian Empire b) Poland-Lithuania

c) Scandinavia d) Germany

e) Prussia

a) Hungarian Empire

Question No. 4

"The Vikings had left some writings called the '"Sagas"', which is a Norse word for tales. There are about __ sagas..."

How many sagas were there?

a) 35 b) 40 c) 30 d) 50

b) 40

Question No. 5

Which item was traded along the routes of the Hanseatic League?

a) Slaves b) Cattle c) Grains

d) Spices

c) Grains

Question No. 6

What is Group 6's Viking/Leif Erikson/Hanseatic League slogan?

a)" Viking trade is back as Hanseatic League! "

b) " A hinga dinga durgen. "

c) " This HANSEATIC stuff is out of this LEAGUE."

d) " Signe och Maria som katter. <3 "

a)"Viking trade is back as Hanseatic League!"

Vikings Video! c:

As you watch this video,

ask yourself these questions:

-What MAJOR places were colonized by the Vikings, and in what order?

-Who's family was exiled from where? Name le family members.