History knows many women who defied the stereotypes of their era, but few evoke such intense emotions as Freydís Eiríksdóttir. Born around 965, the daughter of the legendary Greenland explorer appears as radically different characters in two medieval sagas. In one, she is a ruthless murderer; in the other, a courageous warrior. Who was this extraordinary woman of the North really?
Daughter of an Explorer and Sister of a Pioneer
Freydís was born at a time when Vikings roamed the oceans and founded settlements in places unknown to the rest of Europe. Her father, Erik the Red, established the first permanent colony in Greenland, and her brother, Leif Erikson, made history as the first European to set foot on the American continent. This family shaped the destiny of the entire North Atlantic region.
Freydís’s social status remains a topic of debate among historians. One saga presents her as a legitimate daughter of Erik, while another suggests she was the child of a concubine or slave.
This difference is fundamental to understanding her later actions, as heritage determined an individual’s opportunities in Norse society.
Archaeological excavations at L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland during the 1960s provided material evidence of Viking presence in America around the year 1000. Among the finds were spindle whorls and other textile tools, clearly confirming women’s participation in these distant journeys.
Ruthless Intrigue of Freydís
The Saga of the Greenlanders depicts Freydís as a woman consumed by a thirst for wealth and prestige. Her marriage to Thorvard, owner of one of Greenland’s richest estates, testified to her high social status. Still, she wanted more and decided to organize her own expedition to the legendary Vinland.
She made a pact with two Icelandic brothers, Helgi and Finnbogi, for a joint journey and equal profit sharing. From the very beginning, however, she acted in bad faith, secretly bringing more people onto her ship than agreed. Upon arrival, she forcefully drove the brothers out of the houses built earlier by her brother Leif.
Tensions between the camps grew all winter. The culmination came when Freydís accused the brothers before her husband of beating her and threatened divorce unless he avenged her honor. Thorvard and his men murdered the rival camp’s sleeping men. When no one wanted to harm the five surviving women, Freydís herself took up arms and committed a cruel crime.
Warrior in the Face of Deadly Danger
A completely different image of the same woman emerges in the Saga of Erik the Red. Freydís joined Þorfinn Karlsefni’s expedition to Vinland while heavily pregnant. One night the camp was attacked by indigenous people, whom the Vikings called Skrælingjar. Armed with slings, the attackers spread panic among the Norse warriors.
Unable to flee as quickly as the others, the pregnant Freydís did not seek shelter; instead, she chose to fight. She sharply rebuked the fleeing men, suggesting they could easily defeat the attackers. She then picked up the sword of a fallen comrade and charged herself.
Surrounded by enemies, she performed a gesture that became legend: she exposed her breast and struck it with the sword’s blade. This unexpected sight so frightened the assailants that they retreated to their boats and fled. The surviving Vikings praised her extraordinary bravery, and the scene became one of the most memorable images in Old Norse literature.
Between History and Legend
Both sagas were written in the 13th century, more than two hundred years after the events they describe. This time gap makes it almost impossible to separate fact from fiction. Scholar Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir notes that Freydís may not have existed as a historical figure, instead being a literary construct serving specific narrative purposes.
The negative depiction in The Saga of the Greenlanders is interpreted by some scholars as Christian propaganda against Scandinavia’s pagan past. A ruthless woman defying all social norms could have served as a warning to readers, much like the biblical Jezebel in Judeo-Christian tradition.
No matter which version is closer to the truth, both portray a woman of indomitable character. In a man’s world, Freydís demanded respect or inspired fear. Her appearance in the Netflix series revitalized interest in her among modern audiences seeking strong historical heroines.
Freydís Eiríksdóttir remains an enigma we will probably never solve. Her story, however, reminds us that Norse medieval women could be as complex, ambitious, and determined as men. Was she a villain or a hero? Perhaps she was simply a person of her times, ready to use whatever means necessary to survive and succeed in the harsh world of the Vikings.
Marcus Renfell
Marcus Renfell is a historian driven by curiosity and passion. He refuses to accept the “safe,” polished versions of the past. Instead, he brings forgotten, overlooked, and distorted stories back to life. His work blends scholarly precision with the art of storytelling, turning historical narratives into vivid, page-turning experiences.
His mission is simple: to prove that history can be gripping, alive, and deeply personal.
His debut book: Women of Science. Stories You Were Never Told
In his first publication, Marcus Renfell shines a light on the remarkable women who shaped the world of science — both the pioneers whose names we know and the brilliant minds history forgot. It’s an inspiring journey through untold stories, groundbreaking achievements, and the resilience of women who changed our understanding of the world.
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