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Who Was Erik the Red?
Erik the Red, a notable Viking explorer and settler, is best known for founding the first Norse colonies in Greenland. Born in 950 in Rogaland, Norway, Erik’s early life was marked by conflict and exile. After being banished from Iceland, he embarked on an exploration of the land to the west, eventually leading him to Greenland, where he established the settlements that would become the cornerstone of Norse presence in the New World.
Early Life
Erik Thorvaldsson, later known as Erik the Red, was born around 950 in Rogaland, Norway. At the age of 10, his father, Thorvald Asvaldsson, was exiled for manslaughter, a fate that would tragically echo in Erik’s own life. Thorvald moved the family to Iceland, where Erik grew up in the northern region of Hornstrandir. Erik’s brazen nature, paired with his striking red hair and beard, earned him the nickname “Erik the Red.” After the death of his father, Erik married Thjodhild Jörundsdóttir and relocated to Haukadale, where he established a settlement called Eriksstead.
A Life of Conflict
Erik’s early years in Iceland were marked by conflict. Around 980, an accident involving his thralls triggered a landslide that destroyed the house of his neighbor, Valthjof. The ensuing feud led to the killing of Erik’s thralls, followed by Erik’s retaliation against the murderer, Eyiolf the Foul, and Holmgang-Hrafn, an enforcer for the rival clan. This violent retribution resulted in Erik being exiled from his settlement in Haukadale, prompting him to move his family to the island of Oxney in Breiðafjörður.
In 982, further violence erupted when Erik sought to reclaim sacred Viking symbols (setstokkr) from a fellow settler, Thorgest, leading to a deadly brawl in which two of Thorgest’s sons were killed. Once again, Erik was sentenced to exile for manslaughter, this time for three years.
Sailing to Greenland
After being exiled once again, Erik turned his attention to a mysterious land to the west, previously discovered by Norwegian sailor Gunnbjörn Ulfsson nearly a century earlier. Erik embarked on a perilous journey across 900 nautical miles of open ocean, utilizing the advanced Viking ships and his navigational skills to guide him safely. By 982 or 983, Erik reached Greenland, navigating past the southernmost tip and arriving at the fjord now known as Tunulliarfik. Over the next two years, Erik explored the region, naming several places after himself and deeming the land suitable for livestock farming. He named it Greenland, hoping the attractive name would entice future settlers.
Establishing Continuous Settlements
Upon returning to Iceland in 985, Erik persuaded several hundred people of the potential of Greenland and led an expedition with 25 ships and over 400 settlers. While some ships turned back or were lost, 14 ships successfully reached Greenland, where the settlers established two colonies: the Eastern Settlement (Eystribyggð) and the Western Settlement (Vestribyggð). Erik, now a leader of the colony, lived with his wife, Thjodhild, and their four children: sons Leif, Thorvald, and Thorstein, and daughter Freydis. The colonies, though initially successful, never grew beyond 2,500 to 5,000 people and eventually dwindled, likely due to a combination of environmental and social factors, before ultimately disappearing around the time of Columbus.
Death
Erik the Red is believed to have died shortly after the turn of the millennium, possibly due to complications from injuries sustained in a fall from a horse. Despite his death, his legacy as a daring explorer and the founder of Greenland’s Norse colonies endures in Viking history.