Historical-legal interpretation of the expeditions of Thorfinn Karlsefni and Leif Eriksson to Vinland

Norse expeditions to Vinland, led by Leif Eriksson and Thorfinn Karlsefni around 1000 A.D., were not limited by a lack of legal framework for colonization but faced challenges in cross-cultural interactions with indigenous populations. The study reveals that Norse society had a well-developed system of customary law (lǫg) and that land settlement (landnám) held significant legal and sacred importance. While Leif Eriksson's expedition was exploratory, Karlsefni's mission attempted full colonization, as evidenced by emerging property relations at L'Anse aux Meadows. The research combines historical-legal analysis with archaeological data from the site and scholarly works on medieval Scandinavian law to demonstrate that the short-term Norse presence in Vinland was due to external factors, particularly difficulties in regulating conflicts with indigenous peoples and logistical constraints.

Brazovskaya, Y. E., & Avdysh, D. M. (2025). Historical-legal interpretation of the expeditions of Thorfinn Karlsefni and Leif Eriksson to Vinland. Proceedings of Southwest State University. Series: History and Law, 15(5), 42–54. https://doi.org/10.21869/10.21869/2223-1501-2025-15-5-42-54