A mighty Viking explorer rose from humble origins to become the most intrepid traveller of the Medieval world.

Some 500 years before Columbus, Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir, the granddaughter of a slave in Scotland, crossed the Atlantic eight times. She gave birth to the first European child in North America, and even made a pilgrimage to the Vatican.

An Taistealaiche / The Far Traveller retraces Guðríður’s brave steps from Greenland to Newfoundland and beyond. Weaving together exclusive interviews, vivid reenactments and cutting-edge technology, the documentary brings the world of Viking women to life in vivid detail.

Inspired by the latest archaeological discoveries—and supported by ancient manuscripts known as the Icelandic Sagas— this co-production between MacTV and Profilm Iceland is a largely unknown story from more than 1000 years ago, during the Vikings’ first encounters with faraway civilisations.

Producer

Joanna Young

Director

Anna Dís Ólafsdóttir