
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.
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. The Althing has historically had final say on electing queens though often 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.
Monarch | Portrait | Dates of Rule |
---|---|---|
Freydis I | ![]() |
(1021-1026) |
(1026-1039) Different speakers of the Althing, sometimes referred to as the 'Democratic Interegnum' leading towards the autocratic rule of Snorri Thorfinnsson.
Monarch | Portrait | Dates of Rule |
---|---|---|
St Hafdis I | ![]() |
(1039-1058) |
Sigrun | ![]() |
(1058-1064) |
Thorey I | ![]() |
(1064-1116) crowned 1082 |
Snaedis I | ![]() |
(1116-1131) |
Hafdis II | ![]() |
(1131-1142) |
Asdis I | ![]() |
(1142) |
Iofridr | ![]() |
(1142-1201) |
Thorey II | ![]() |
(1201-1206) |
Kristjana I | ![]() |
(1206-1230) |
Jakobina I | ![]() |
(1230-1231) |
Freydis II | ![]() |
(1231-1252) |
Thorey III | ![]() |
(1252-1261) |
Kristjana II | ![]() |
(1261-1280) |
Thyri | ![]() |
(1280-1287) |
Kristjana III | ![]() |
(1287-1301) |
Hafdis III | ![]() |
(1301-1320) |
Kristjana IV | ![]() |
(1320-1352) |
Geirfrithur | ![]() |
(1352-1355) |
Snaedis II | ![]() |
(1355-1390) |
Kristjana V | ![]() |
(1390-1405) |
Asdis II | ![]() |
(1405-1420) |
Hafdis IV | ![]() |
(1420-1453) |
Jakobina II | ![]() |
(1453-1502) |
Kristjana VI | ![]() |
(1502-1523) |
Thorey IV | ![]() |
(1523-1560) |
Asdis III | ![]() |
1560-1579 |
Snaedis III | ![]() |
1579-1603 |
Maídis | ![]() |
1603-1617 |
Thorey V | ![]() |
1617-1621 |
Freydis III | ![]() |
1621-1647 |
Greta I | ![]() |
1647-1681 |
Thorey VI | ![]() |
1681-1694 |
Thorey VII | ![]() |
1694-1712 |
Eyfinna I | ![]() |
1712-1733 |
Greta II | ![]() |
1733-1756 |
Eyfinna II | ![]() |
1756-1790 |
Lára | ![]() |
1790-1819 |
Svenný I | ![]() |
1819-1832 |
Svenný II | 1832-1857 | |
Kristjana VII | ![]() |
1857-1885 |
Svenný III | ![]() |
1885-1902 |
Thorey VIII | ![]() |
1902-1931 |
Sofía | ![]() |
1931-1960 |
Kristjana VIII | ![]() |
1960-1988 |
Kristjana IX | ![]() |
(1988-) |
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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