Coat of Arms of Vinland
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 matrilinealy? 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.
Though the crown has mostly passed in a hereditary manner the Althing has historically had final say on electing queens, occasionally choosing a different candidate or forcing reigning queens to name a successor. In modern times the right to succeed is secured, as soon as a new heir is born, by an official act.
The family name is officially 'Eiriksdottír' but is also written Eriksdottir or Ericsdottir.
| Portrait | Name | Rule from | Rule Until | Relationship with predessor |
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Freydis I | c.1021 | August, 1026 | n/a |
(1026-1039) Different speakers of the Althing, sometimes referred to as the 'Democratic Interegnum' leading towards the autocratic rule of Snorri Thorfinnsson.
| Portrait | Name | Rule from | Rule Until | Relationship with predessor |
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St Hafdis I | May?, 1039 | April, 1058 |
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Sigrun | April, 1058 | January, 1064 |
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Thorey I | Jan, 1064 crowned 1082 | May 3rd, 1116 |
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Snaedis I | May 3rd, 1116 | July 30th, 1131 |
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Hafdis II | July 30th, 1131 | May 3rd, 1142 |
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Asdis I | May 3rd, 1142 | October 12th, 1142 |
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Iofridr | October 12th, 1142 | November 1st, 1201 |
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Thorey II | November 1st, 1201 | June 3rd, 1206 |
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Kristjana I | June 3rd, 1206 | April 16th, 1230 |
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Jakobina I | April 16th, 1230 | November 14th, 1231 |
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Freydis II | November 14th, 1231 | May 6th, 1252 |
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Thorey III | May 6th, 1252 | May 16th, 1261 |
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Kristjana II | May 16th, 1261 | September 17th, 1280 |
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Thyri | September 17th, 1280 | November 14th, 1287 |
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Kristjana III | November 14th, 1287 | December 1st, 1301 |
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Hafdis III | December 1st, 1301 | June 4th, 1320 |
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Kristjana IV | June 4th, 1320 | December 3rd, 1352 |
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Geirfrithur | December 3rd, 1352 | February 1st, 1355 |
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Snaedis II | February 1st, 1355 | October 4th, 1390 |
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Kristjana V | October 4th, 1390 | Deposed December 1405 |
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Asdis II | Elected 1395
Assumed throne December, 1405 |
September 3rd, 1420 |
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Hafdis IV | September 3rd, 1420 | May 31st, 1453 |
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Jakobina II | May 31st, 1453 | January 15th, 1503) |
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Kristjana VI | January 15th, 1502 | May 26th, 1523 |
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Thorey IV | May 26th, 1523 | November 17th, 1560 |
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Asdis III | November 17th, 1560 | November 14th, 1579 |
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Snaedis III | November 14th, 1579 | May 8th, 1603 |
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Maídis | May 8th, 1603 | October 21st, 1617 |
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Thorey V | October 21st, 1617 | April 5th, 1621 |
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Freydis III | April 5th, 1621 | December 1st, 1647 |
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Greta I | December 1st, 1647 | June 3rd, 1681 |
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Thorey VI | June 3rd, 1681 | March 27th, 1694 |
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Thorey VII | March 27th, 1694 | June 18th, 1712 |
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Eyfinna I | June 18th, 1712 | February 16th, 1733 |
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Greta II | February 16th, 1733 | December 2nd, 1756 |
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Eyfinna II | December 2nd, 1756 | March 3rd, 1790 |
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Lára | March 3rd, 1790 | September 7th, 1819 |
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Svenný I | September 7th, 1819 | April 24th, 1832 |
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Svenný II | April 24th, 1832 | October 15th, 1857 |
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Kristjana VII | October 15th, 1857 | 8th September, 1885 |
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Svenný III | 8th September, 1885 | 1902 |
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Thorey VIII | 1902 | 1931 |
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Sofía | 1931 | 1960 | |
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Kristjana VIII | 1960 | 1988 | |
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Kristjana IX | January 2nd, 1988 |
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Eiriksson/Eiriksdottír Family Tree[]
A simplified family tree of the main line of descent of the Vinlandic queens.
| Thorvald Asvaldsson | Unknown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eirik 'the Red' Thorvaldsson | Thjorhild? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leif Eiriksson | Thorvald Eiriksson | Thorstein Eiriksson | Gudrid Thorbjarnars- dottír | Thorfinn Karlsefni | Thorir? | Freydis I Eiriksdottír | Ulf Bjornsson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 Sons Earls of Greenland | Snorri Thorfinnsson | Thorbjorn Thorfinnsson | Hjorlefiur Ulfsson | St. Hafdis I Thorirsdottír | Sigrun Ulfsdottír | Jón Arasson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stymir Hjorlefiurs- son | Halfdan Hjorlefiurs- son | Thorgerd Dufthakrs- dottír | Thorey I Hjorlefiurs- dottír | Snorri Jónsson | Kolbeinn Jónsson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eirik Halfdansson | Gudrid Halfdansdottír | Gunnar Grimrsson | Ulfljótr Halfdansson | Egil Halfdansson | Earls of Markland | Earls of Eikland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thorgeir Gunnarsson | Snaedis I Gunnarsdottír | Osvífr Bjornsson | Earls of Kyreyja | Earls of Ingolfursey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Earls of Vinland | Hafdis II Osvífrsdottír | Kári Einarsson | Elisiv Osvífrsdottír (Queen of Álengiamark) | Grimhild Osvífrsdottír | Thorlákur Throddsson | Asdis I Osvífrsdottír | Jón Osvífrsson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iofridr Kárisdottír | Ulf Jokullsson | Thorvald Kárisson | Birkir Thorlákursson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 Sons Eythor Hákon Tryggvi Athalsteinn Skuli | Eydis Ulfsdottír  (Queen of Álengiamark) | Thorey II Ulfsdottír  | Kristjana Ulfsdottír | Sturla Gissurarsson | Jakobina I Ulfsdottír | Hrafn Kárasson | Gunn Birkirsson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Freydis II Hrafnsdottír | Pjetur Jorundursson | Gudmundur Hrafnsson | 1 Other Son 1 Other Daughter | Hlynor Guthnisson | Thorey III Gunnsdottír | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Invar Gudmund- ursson | Hafsteinn Ingolfursson | Kristjana II Hlynursdottír | Gardar Ivarsson | Eythor Hlynorsson | Valdemar Hlynursson | Adalheidur Hlynursdottír | Vilhjálmur Hlynursson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thyri Invarsdottír | Olaf Skulisson | Orn Gardarsson | Snaedis Gardarsdottír | Kári Olafsson | Áslaug Gardarsdottír | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kristjana III Olafsdottír | Sigurthur Asgeirsson | Eric III Of Denmark | Halfdan Eythorsson | Hafdis III Kárisdottír | Elvar Elvarsson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Otto Ericsson (Otto of Denmark) | Kristjana IV Halfdansdottír | Ari Tállsson | Geirfrithur Elvarsdottír | Vilhjálmur Magnusson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Runólf Arisson | Thordis Jónsdottír | Svend Arisson | Oláf Valdemarsson | Snaedis II Vilhjálmursdottír | Bjarki Vilhjálmursson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birgir Magnusson | Asdis II Svendsdottír | Bjarni Oláfsson | Otto Oláfsson | Kristjana V Oláfsdottír | Steinar Hannesson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Snaedis Birgirsdottír | Jón Birgirsson | Hafdis IV Birgirsdottír | Kristian Hákonsson | Elisabet Birgirsdottír | Johánn Birgirsson | Birgir Birgirsson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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