An kafa Vinland Saga a Ingila farawa a 1013 AD, shekarar da Danmark Dan Sarki Sweyn Forkbeard ya kame mafi yawanta. Yayin da Sarki Sweyn ke gab da mutuwa, ‘ya’yansa, Yarima Canute da Yarima Harald, suna takaddama kan maye gurbinsa. Labarin ya zana abubuwan daga rahotannin tarihi na Saga na Eric Red, Saga na Greenlanders da kuma tazara gami da Flateyjarbok.
Labarin ya fara ne daga farkon wata karamar kungiyar Viking wacce wani kwamanda ne mai suna Cheke da kuma Askeladd wani matashi dan gwagwarmaya mai suna Thorfinn. Samun damar rukuni a kan katafariyar masarautar Frankish kuma sun kulla yarjejeniya tare da duk sojojin da ke kai hare-hare don yin aiki don musayar rabin ganimar tare. Daga baya Askeladd ya hangosu, yayin da sojoji ke ci gaba da fatattakarsu ta kofar gida, tare da tserewa tare da mutanensa ta jirgin ruwa tare da dukiyar da take da karfi. Thorfinn yana da tsananin ƙiyayya da Askeladd lokacin da Thorfinn yake saurayi, yayin da Askeladd ya kashe mahaifin Thorfinn duk da cewa yana da ƙima a harkar. Matashin yana buƙatar duels tare da kwamandan sa a cikin ƙoƙarin dawo da biyan kuɗi, amma koyaushe yana asara.
Kamfanin Askeladd ya gano aiki a matsayin sojojin haya a mamayar da Danish ta yi wa Landan. A can suna fuskantar-gaba suna da ƙarfi mafi girma wanda Thorkell the Tall ke jagoranta, ɗan'uwan Viking. Thorfinn da Thorkell sun cika cikin rikici, kuma ƙungiyar Askeladd ta gudu daga abubuwan da suke gani a matsayin faɗa mara nasara. Forcesungiyoyin biyu sun sake haɗuwa daga baya, duk da haka, lokacin da kwamandojin biyu ke neman samarin Yariman Danish Canute. Askeladd ya sami nasarar samun yariman, amma an sake tilasta shi ya gudu daga babban sojojin Thorkell. Takesungiyar ta ɗauki matakai don lokacin sanyi a cikin arewacin arewacin Ingila mai sanyi a kusa da sansanin Danish a Gainsborough.
Canute, wanda ke kasancewa mai kwalliya a cikin ido, ba zai iya tasirin tasirin mai kula da shi Ragnar ba da magana a cikin wuraren jama'a. Wannan ya bata ran Askeladd, wanda ya sauya dabarunsa na farko na tallafawa yarima a matsayin sarki mai yuwuwar fanshe shi kai tsaye ga mahaifinsa, King Sweyn, zuwa wata dabara mai sauki. Wani mummunan hari da baturen Thorkell Askeladd ya yi don canza tunaninsa, kuma ya kashe Ragnar a cikin ƙoƙari na ƙarshe don tura Yarima don kada ya zama mai dogaro.
Shirin ya ci nasara, kuma an maye gurbin rashin kunya na gabanin Canute ta amfani da yanayin sarauta mai ƙarfi. Yariman ya dawo hedikwatar Denmark, kuma ya ba da ragowar sojojin Askeladd da kuma daidai Thorkell a ƙarƙashin umurninsa. A can ya fuskanci mahaifinsa, wanda ya ba da ikon maye ga ɗan'uwansa Yarima Harald kuma ya gama kashe Canute. Harald ya kasance magajin sarki kuma an kare rayuwarsa, kodayake mahaifinsa ya dace da Canute cikin rikici na wasiyya. Gaba ɗaya, Canute, Thorkell, da Askeladd sun tsara makirci don kashe sarki da kama kambin.
Abokan tafiyarsa da Canute suna samun masu sauraro tare da sarki duka. Askeladd da dama sun halarci taron kuma sun yi ta kai hare-hare, suna kashe sarki, lokacin da Sarki Sweyn ya ƙi kaucewa afka wa Wales. An dakatar da Askeladd ne kawai lokacin da ya bar Canute ya hallaka shi, don haka ya sami tsaron ƙasarsa ta asali, Wales da kuma matsayin Canute a matsayin sarki. Wannan ita ce dabarun, gabaɗaya na Askeladd. Haɗa kan kallon Askeladd wanda zai ƙare Thorfinn, yunƙurin lalata yanzu-Sarki Canute; Thorfinn kawai abin da yake nema shine ya lalata Askeladd kuma yana jin Canute na dama. Canute ya yanke shawarar keɓe rayuwarsa sakamakon fahimtar ra'ayin Thorfinn lokacin da aka dakatar da Thorfinn. Kamar yadda dokar al'ada ta buƙaci tashi daga Thorfinn, Canute ya nuna ƙwarewa ga Thorfinn: an ba shi rayuwar bauta.
