List of Queens of Vinland (The Kalmar Union)

The Queens of Vinland are normally dated from the rule of Freydis. However, the actual title of 'Queen' was not used until 1082 when Thorey I was crowned by the newly installed bishop of Vinland. Until that point they had owed their position to merely being speakers of the Vinlandic Althing.

Why are Vinland and Álengiamark's crowns passed matralineally? The answer lies in the role of women in founding the original colony (especially Freydis and Gudrid), and also of the the autocratic rule of Snorri Thorfinnsson who abused his position as speaker to create a monopoly for himself. Once Snorri was overthrown, the Althing preferred a female speaker who in theory would not be able to wield the same level of power.

As childbirth was a major killer of women right up to modern times the line of descent often did not follow mother to daughter, as ruling queens avoided pregnancy.

(1026-1039) Different speakers of the Althing, sometimes referred to as the 'Democratic Interegnum' leading towards the autocratic rule of Snorri Thorfinnsson.