Leif Erikson
This undated postcard from Gallagher’s Studio of Photography shows two Duluth relics. The bronze Leif Erikson statue was placed in 1956 and remains on display at Leif Erikson Park. The 42-foot Leif Erikson Viking Ship Replica was built in Norway in 1926 and sailed to Duluth, arriving on June 23, 1927. It was displayed in Leif Erikson Park until 2013, when it was placed in a warehouse until funds are raised to build a display structure to protect it from weather.
The bronze Leif Erikson statue in Duluth was placed in 1956. It was designed by John Carl Daniels and sponsored by the Norwegian-American League. Erikson was a Norse explorer from Iceland and is considered the first known European to discover continental North America. …
If you scroll through this slideshow displaying statues of Leif Erikson you will notice Duluth’s statue has something most of the other statues don’t have. Go ahead, I’ll wait …
So, did you notice? If you read the headline you already know what it is: horns. What’s more, if you read this article by UMD journalist Madiha Mirza, you will learn that Duluthian Stefan Guttormsson, president-elect of the Icelandic American Association of Minnesota, believes our statue should not have horns.
Of course, if that’s true, does it also mean the Minnesota Vikings’ logo is, um, wrong?