The ancient rulers of Greenland were called paramount chieftains.
Among the island nation's chieftains were:
- Erik the Red, or Eirikr Thorvaldsson, the nation's first chieftain and its first settler, began rule in 985.
- Leif Ericsson, likely the first European to set foot in North America
- Thorkell Ericsson succeeded his father, Leif, sometime after 1018.
