Thjodhild Jorundardaughter (Þióðhildr Iorunðardóttir)

Wife of Eirik the Red, Thjodhild was the mother of Thorsten and Leif. Thjodhild was the daughter of Jorund Atlason and Thorbjörg Ship-Breast. Her mother was later married to the wealthy Thorbjörn from Haukadal. Thjodhild is said to have converted to Christianity when Leif returned from Norway around the year 1000, bringing with him a priest sent to Greenland by the Norwegian king. She supposedly built a church on Eirik’s estate, the first church in Greenland. According to the sagas, Eirik did not approve of the new religion. It is not known when Thjodhild died.

Chapters in Books

• Keneva Kunz, trans., [Thjodhild Jorundardaughter in] Eirik the Red's Saga, The Sagas of Icelanders: A Selection, preface by Jane Smiley, introduction by Robert Kellogg, 2000