Viking, founder of the first settlement in Greenland.
“The elders at the popular meeting in Tursnes sentenced him to exile. Like a lousy dog, driven out of Iceland for three years. Him and those who were with him when, in a fit of anger, he crushed Ulfsson's skull with an ax. But the scoundrel dared to insult the memory of his father, to abuse the deceased. This is not forgiven! Just remembering this Eirik the Red clenched his fists. Who cares that his parent, Thorvald Asvaldsson, led a stormy life, that during some skirmish with neighbors he killed a man and, fearing retribution, secretly left Norway and was the first to come here, on the coast of Iceland.
In the 10th century, more than twenty thousand Normans left Norway, unable to endure the oppression of King Harald the Fair-Haired any longer. The king every year oppressed his subjects more and more, set one against the other, and when they began to rebel, he began to introduce more and more severe laws. The most daring fled from his oppression to a rocky island, still deserted at that time, forever shrouded in fog. They named it Iceland.
Following the first daredevils, others followed. Over time, the Vikings became too crowded here. There was not enough space on the rocky island for all the arriving settlers who, with their families and with all their belongings, left their oppressed homeland. The much-desired freedom was also lacking. Severe laws more and more limited freedom - and it was valued above all - caused protests, kindled quarrels and squabbles. And for murder, even if honor was defended, the perpetrators were expelled from Iceland. Exiled to no one knows where. Punishment is more ferocious than beheading.
It was to this exile that the elders of the people's assembly were sentenced Eirik the Red. No one even thought that the exile would survive these years.
Eirik sailed the sea, relying on the will of fate. He himself did not know where he was heading, to which shores the wave would wash him, the storm would drive him away - to the north, south, east or west? Or maybe ... to those distant shores, about which for ten years old Gunbjorn so willingly told everyone? Until the end of his life, the old man could not forgive himself that, driven by a storm, he did not land on them. He later tried to find these shores more than once, but to no avail.
Happiness accompanied the exile. With a handful of faithful friends, with a small supply of food, he finally managed, after long wanderings, to land on some unfamiliar shores that suddenly appeared through a veil of fog on the horizon.
Ancient Icelandic sagas of the 11th, 12th and early 13th centuries tell the story of Eirik the Red in detail, glorifying his courage and endurance. They also tell about unparalleled Viking navigators who tirelessly plied the waters of the northern seas on their nimble and fast boats - drakkars. They were the first Europeans to appear in these waters. The Vikings were fearless to the point of despair and unrestrained in their thirst for knowledge.
Eirik the Red did not die in a foreign land. Guided by the unmistakable instinct that led his ancestors through the stormy waters of the polar seas, he found on the southwestern tip of the land he had discovered a fjord protected from the wind, where it was warmer than in other areas of the coast. Eirik wasted no time. Together with his comrades, he wandered along an unfamiliar land, going far into the depths of countless bays and bays. Many seals and walruses lived here, and there were enough polar bears. The Vikings did not starve and did not freeze - they had plenty of meat and skins. They found no trees here, but the grass grew luxuriantly and it was only a little colder than in Iceland. And all around deserted, freedom ...
Three years passed unnoticed. The sentence has expired.
Leaving the coast he loved, Eirik the Red decided to go back there. This time
no longer an exile.
“That distant land overgrown with greenery is beautiful, its meadows are fertile, for livestock there is plenty of juicy grass and water in streams. There is no shortage of wild animals. I will take my family and all my property and return there. Where would I be better than there? I wouldn't be here for long now. Closely, people quarrel, intervene in each other's lives. Come with me, you won’t regret it,” he persuaded the neighbors. - We will be the first there, we will build estates where anyone likes it. Enough space for everyone. We will establish the laws ourselves, no one will rule over us.”
Convinced that everything would be so, Eirik the Red named the land to which he was heading, Gren-Land, that is, the Green Country, in contrast to the country of white ice he was leaving - Iceland. And since you always feel more confident surrounded by friends, he found over a thousand hunters who agreed to go with him.
In 985, as the heroic epic "The Saga of the Greenlanders" says, Eirik the Red went to the Green Country for the second time. Entire families sailed on twenty-four drakkars: women, old people, children. Here, herded into a heap, tied and bolted to the masts, there were also animals: cattle, pigs, sheep, horses; agricultural implements were not forgotten either. The settlers took with them timber for the construction of estates, sacks of barley, oats and fodder for livestock.
However, the stormy northern ocean was not equally favorable to everyone. A storm came up, scattered the boats, destroyed part of the stocks and livestock. Only fourteen drakkars managed to reach the shores of the Green Country, the rest were missing or returned to Iceland after long wanderings.
For centuries, the Vikings, the undivided rulers of the northern seas, did not know either the compass or astronomical or navigational instruments, and yet somehow managed without them. When the sky was cloudless, they navigated by the sun, moon, and stars. But after all, the northern seas are sometimes covered with a brown veil of fog for whole weeks, and if there is no fog, then storms rage. How then to swim? Apparently, these fearless sailors were perfectly oriented and chose their direction, sensitively reacting to the slightest changes in wind, air humidity and water color. Sometimes they resorted to the help of ravens. This is how the old sagas remember them: “... they released the first one, he turned back and returned. The second took off up, but then fell to the deck. The third soared up above the stem and flew further - in this direction it was necessary to swim, they usually found land there.
Later, in their voyages, the Vikings determined the direction to the north with the help of a “magnetic” stone, which, as the sagas say, was stored in a wooden box filled with water. But in their first wanderings they did not even have this. They were perfectly helped to navigate by the eternal routes of whales, as well as icebergs drifting with sea currents. And, of course, that sixth sense - later it will be called a sailor's instinct - which unmistakably led the daredevils through the stormy waters of the Far North.
Humanity today is proud of the expedition of the Viking exile, the unparalleled courage and scope of the pioneers of the Green Country. Only many centuries later, the Far North will witness equally bold and numerous expeditions.
Those who arrived safely with Eirik the Red on unfamiliar land liked the new lands. They settled on the shores of the fjords, sheltered from the cold winds blowing from the interior of the ice-bound land.
Tsentkevich A., Tsentkevich Ch., Besieged by eternal cold, L., Gidrometeoizdat, 1975, p. 32-34.
The end of the 10th century in history was marked not only by major military and political conflicts, but also by the colonization of Greenland by Scandinavian settlers. The "Green Country" owes its discovery to the Norwegian Eric the Red (950-1003), who went in search of new lands, as he was expelled from Iceland for his violent temper.
Eric Rauda (Redhead): family, first difficulties
Not much information has been preserved about the childhood and youth of the discoverer. It is known that Eric the Red was born in Norway, not far from Stavanger, on the Jerene farm. His bright sunny hair color did not go unnoticed, and soon the nickname Red was assigned to him. As a teenager, he and his family were forced to leave their homeland due to a blood quarrel between his father and neighbors. They sailed west and settled on the Hornstrandir peninsula. At this time, the migration to Iceland had already ended, so they got far from the best lands on a rocky coast.
When Eric the Red matured, he tried to escape from poverty and constant need. After the death of his father, by hook or by crook he moves to the south of Iceland and marries a girl from a wealthy family in the Haukadal district. It seemed that things were going uphill: with his wife's dowry, Eric was able to purchase a plot and equip a farm. However, problems were not long in coming.
Hot blood
It should be noted that in fiction, Eric the Red, like other Vikings, has a somewhat ennobled image, but in fact his real life was a series of endless skirmishes, including bloodshed and robbery.
Barely having time to get married, the future navigator was involved in a feud with a neighbor whose estate was robbed by Eric's slaves. The conflict escalated when one of the relatives of the affected neighbor, unable to bear the resentment for the damage caused, killed Eric's people. But the young warrior did not remain in debt. He committed lynching and killed this relative and his friend. As a result of these actions, he was expelled from the Haukadal district.
After the verdict, leaving the estate in a big hurry, Eric the Red forgot to grab the carved ancestral pillars, which were a sacred value for every family. Thorgest (the owner of another nearby farm) appropriated someone else's property, which subsequently served as the beginning of new troubles.
Exile
The following winter, the young Viking wandered with his family through the islets of the Breidafjord region, enduring all the hardships of life as exiles. With the onset of spring, he decides to return to Haukadal to collect his family pillars and other property that he hastily left behind. But the dishonest neighbor categorically refused to give them away. Eric and his friends were forced to hide in the nearby forest, waiting for the time when he would go somewhere on business or to hunt. Having seized the moment, they made their way to the estate and returned the pillars, believing that the story would end there. However, in those harsh times, nothing was for nothing. An attempt to return their property turned into another bloodshed. Thorgest, discovering the disappearance of the pillars, rushed in pursuit of Eric. In the resulting brawl, he lost his sons and followers.
New deaths stirred eminent families. They forced the heads of the districts of Haukadal and Breidafjord to officially declare Erik Thorvaldson (Red) outlawed. Numerous supporters of Thorgest in the spring of 981 took military action against the restless Norwegian. As a result, despite the support and friends, Eric was proclaimed an exile for a period of three years.
Land search
Sources tell very little about the most epochal discovery of the Scandinavian navigator Eric the Red. It is known that, while executing the sentence, he says goodbye to his friends and decides to go in search of the land previously discovered by the Norwegian Gunnbjorn, when his ship was driven west by a storm. Taking the same course from the coast of Iceland, Eric moves between 65-66 ° north latitude, successfully using a fair wind. After four days of travel, he and his people found themselves off the east coast of an unknown land.
After a series of unsuccessful attempts to break through the ice to the shore, the sailors moved along the coastline to the southwest. Contemplating the lifeless ice deserts and mountainous landscape, they approached the southern fjords, and from there through the strait headed for the western coast. Here the ice cover began to gradually recede. Weary travelers landed on a small island, where they spent the winter.
Expedition of 982
In the summer of 982, Eric the Red, with a small team, set off on a reconnaissance expedition and discovered a coast to the west, indented with many deep fjords. He enthusiastically marked the sites for future farms. Further (according to the modern Canadian prose writer F. Mowat), on some coastal peak, the discoverer noticed high mountains in a westerly direction. It is noteworthy that on fine days beyond the Davis Strait it is quite possible to see the icy peaks of Baffin Island.
Having crossed the strait, the Vikings reached the Cumberland Peninsula, where they were able to explore the highlands of the entire east coast. There they spent most of the summer engaged in fishing: they hunted walruses, prepared fat, collected walrus bones and tusks of narwhals. In the future, it is the discovery of Vestr Obyugdir (“Western Desert Regions”) that will play a significant role in the difficult life of the Greenland colonists.
Southwest coast of Greenland
Based on sources, in the summer of 983, Eric the Red headed from the Arctic Circle to the north, where he discovered the island and Disko Bay, the Nugssuak and Svartenhoek peninsulas. He was able to get to Melville Bay (76 ° north latitude), thus examining another 1200 km of the western coast of Greenland. This region filled with beauty impressed the Norwegian with an abundance of living creatures: polar bears, reindeer, arctic foxes, whales, walruses, eiders, gyrfalcons.
After persistent research, Eric found several suitable flat places in the southwest, relatively sheltered from the harsh winds of the north and having dense green vegetation in the summer. The contrast created between the icy desert and this area was so impressive that the red-haired navigator called the coast "Green Land" (Greenland). Of course, this name did not correspond to a large island, in which only 15% of the territory is free from ice cover. Some chronicles claim that Eric intended to attract his compatriots with a beautiful word in order to persuade them to move. However, the beautiful name was originally related only to the picturesque areas of the southwestern coast, and only in the 15th century did it spread to the entire island.
The first settlers of the "Green Land"
At the end of the established period of exile, Eric the Red returned safely to Iceland (984) and began to convince the local Scandinavians to move to a "fertile paradise". It should be noted that in those days Iceland was full of discontented people, many of whom were emigrants of the last streams. Such families readily responded to the navigator's call to go to the "Green Land".
In June 985, according to the sagas of Erik the Red, 25 ships with settlers on board set sail from the coast of Iceland, but only 14 of them managed to reach South Greenland. Ships were caught in a terrible storm, and some part, unable to cope with the elements, drowned in the sea or was thrown back to Iceland by a storm.
On the western coast of the island in the previously noted fjords, Eric and his compatriots formed two settlements - Eastern and Western. The reliability of the chronicles is confirmed by the results of archaeological finds that were discovered at the site of the organization of the estate of Eric the Red (now Kassiarsuk).
Life in a harsh land
The colonists settled in a narrow strip along the sea; it was pointless for them to move deeper into the island. Under the leadership of Eric, they settled in new places, mainly engaged in fishing and hunting. Their lands also had excellent pastures for livestock brought from Iceland. In the summer season, when the settled weather favored travel, a call was made among the male population to hunt in Disko Bay, beyond the Arctic Circle.
The Greenlanders did not break ties with their homeland, because their life depended on this communication. They sent furs, blubber and walrus tusks there, and in return they received iron, fabrics, bread and timber. It was because of the last resource that great difficulties arose on the island. The forest was sorely lacking. It was available in abundance on Labrador, located near Greenland, but sailing for it in a harsh climate was almost impossible.
Family, faith and the last journey
The biography of Eric the Red does not give a detailed picture of his family life. There is an assumption that in marriage he had three sons and a daughter. The first-born Leif took over his father's craving for sea travel. He became the first Viking to visit the land of Vinland in North America, not far from what is now Newfoundland. Other sons also took an active part in various expeditions.
It is known that, having a difficult character, Eric often reproached his wife and his children for bringing a priest to the island, who managed to baptize most of the adult population. The navigator himself remained faithful to the pagan gods to the end, he treated Christianity with frank skepticism.
The last years of his life the discoverer of Greenland spent on the island. The sons called their father to sail, but shortly before the ship was sent, he fell off his horse and saw this as a bad sign. Without tempting fate, Erik Thorvaldson remained on land and died in the winter of 1003. Legends say that from all over the island people flocked to Cape Geriulva to pay him last honors. The funeral procession went down to the sea, and on the Viking ship the ashes of Eric the Red were burnt, he made his last journey.
Erik Thorvaldson/Red Erik (Erik Thorvaldsson/Erik the Red) was born in 950, died around 1003. Medieval Icelandic Viking who is believed to have founded the first Norse settlement in Greenland.
According to Icelandic tradition, Erik Thorvaldson was born in Rogaland, Norway (Rogaland, Norway), and was the son of Thorvald Asvaldsson (Thorvald Asvaldsson). Most likely, he earned the nickname "Red Eric" for the color of his hair. His father was kicked out of Norway for murder; he sailed west with his family and settled on the Hornstrandir peninsula in northwest Iceland (Iceland).
Eric was later sentenced to exile by the Icelanders because of a "streak of murders" he committed around 982. After Thorvaldson found a wife and built a farm, problems began with his slaves. His slaves were killed by a friend of the owner of a neighboring farm, and Eric, longing for revenge, sent the killer and another person to the next world. Relatives of one of the dead demanded the expulsion of Red Eric. After another bloody incident, when Thorvaldson dealt with the two sons of a certain Thorgest (Thorgest) and "several other men" on the Bull Island (Öxney), a meeting was called. Eric was outlawed for a period of three years.
After the exile, Thorvaldson decided, together with his supporters, to get to the mysterious and little-known lands. He rounded the lower tip of the island (Cape Farewell) and swam up the west coast. Eric discovered the western land, mostly free of ice, and, according to legend, studied the expanses he found for three years. When his sentence expired, Thorvaldson returned to Iceland with an incredible story about the land he discovered, Greenland (Greenland).
Scholars speculate that Greenland's climate was milder at the time, but most likely Red Eric simply coined the name ("Green Land") to make the island more attractive to would-be settlers. He managed to convince many, especially among the "Vikings living in the poor Icelandic lands" and those who suffered from the last famine, that they would live in a new land in a new way.
In 985, Thorvaldson returned to Greenland with a large group of colonists. Two colonies were founded on the southwest coast. During the summer, when the weather allowed travelling, men were called from every locality to hunt in Disko Bay above the Arctic Circle. Thus, the Greenlanders received food and other valuable goods, including walrus tusks and whale bones for trade with Europe.
In the Eastern Settlement (Eystribyggð/Eastern Settlement) Eric rebuilt the estate, near present-day Narsarsuaq, and as a leader was highly respected among the settlers. In total, together with Thorvaldson, 25 ships headed for the lands of Greenland, of which only 14 successfully reached. Some ships turned back, and some disappeared into the sea without a trace. In 1002, a group of new immigrants brought an epidemic to the island with them. In a prosperous colony of about 5,000 people, many people died from the disease, including those who made a significant contribution to development. The disease crippled Red Eric himself.
According to legend, Thorvaldson and his wife had four children: daughter Freydis (Freydís) and sons Leif Eriksson (Leif Eiríksson), Thorvald and Thorstein (Thorstein). Erik was a supporter of Norwegian paganism until the end of his days, while his wife and son Leif converted to Christianity.
Leif Eiriksson inherited his father's passion for travel, and became the first Viking to explore the land of Vinland, part of North America, probably not far from modern Newfoundland. They say that Leif, now known in history as Leif the Happy, called his father to sail with him, but Eric fell off his horse on the way to the ship - and took it as a bad sign. Thorvaldson remained on land, sending his son alone, and died in the winter of 1003 after Leif's departure.
Eirik the Red is a famous Scandinavian navigator. He is considered the person who founded the first settlement in Greenland, as well as the discoverer. He got his nickname "red" for the distinctive color of his beard and hair. His son Leif was the first to set foot on the coast of America, and he is considered its main pre-Columbian discoverer.
Scandinavian biography
It is authentically known that Eirik the Red was born in Norway. At that time, a king by name ruled, and Thorvald Asvaldson was his own father. Torvald did not hold back his emotions well, so one day he decided to kill. For this crime, he and his family were expelled from the country. The Asvaldsons had to settle in Iceland.
But even in a new place, a violent temper prevented him from getting along with others. In addition, his son Eirik the Red also adopted excessive emotionality. Around 980, he himself was already sentenced to three years of exile for two murders. First, he took the life of a neighbor who did not give back a borrowed boat, and then avenged his slaves, who were killed by another Viking.
In obedience to the verdict, Eirik decided to sail west to reach the land, which was visible in clear weather from the mountain peaks in the west of Iceland. As it turned out, she was about three hundred kilometers from the coast. Sagas have been preserved in Norwegian folklore, according to which, about a century ago, another famous Norwegian Viking, whose name was Gunbjorn, sailed there.
Eirik's Journey
Eirik Ryzhik set sail in 982. He took with him the whole family, as well as cattle and servants. At first, floating ice prevented him from landing for a long time. Therefore, he had to go around the island from the south and go ashore in the area of \u200b\u200bthe modern Greenlandic town of Qaqortoq. It was Greenland.
The hero of our article spent three years on the island without meeting a single person during this time. Although he repeatedly made attempts to find someone. He explored almost the entire coastline, even going on his boat to Disko Island, which is located in the northwest of the southern tip of Greenland.
In 986, his exile from Iceland expired. He returned and began to convince the locals to move to new lands. Now you know which island Eirik the Red discovered. Moreover, he also gave it a name. Literally translated from Norwegian, Greenland means "Green Land".
The debate about how appropriate this name is has not subsided so far. Some scientists put forward hypotheses based on the fact that in the Middle Ages the climate in these places was milder. Therefore, the coastal areas located in the southwest of the island could indeed be covered with dense green grassy vegetation. Others are convinced that such a name was some kind of publicity stunt by a Scandinavian navigator. Thus, he simply tried to attract as many settlers as possible.
If you believe the sagas that can be found in Norwegian folklore, 30 ships that sailed from Iceland set off on the path for the hero of our article. The fate of most of them was not as successful as Eric Thorvaldson himself. Only 14 ships reached the shore, on which there were 350 settlers. Together with him, Eirik founded the first settlement in Greenland. It was called the Eastern Settlement.
Archaeological finds subjected to radiocarbon analysis suggest that the residence of Eirik the Red himself was located near the modern city of Narssarssuak. The discovered objects date back to around 1000.
Family of the discoverer
When Eirik himself had already retired, his sons continued his work. He infected them with a passion for exploration. As a result, it was (Eirik's son) who discovered Vinland around the year 1000. This is the area where North America is located today. Long-distance expeditions to another continent were also made by other sons of the hero of our article - Thorstein and Thorvald.
In addition, it is known that Leif Eriksson delivered a priest directly from Norway who baptized Greenland. But in the biography of Eirik the Red there is no mention of the fact that he converted to Christianity. Most likely, he remained a pagan, unlike his wife and sons. It was reported that he was extremely skeptical about the new religion of his fellow tribesmen.
Greenland
Today Greenland is the largest island in the world. The rights to it belong to Denmark, it is its autonomous unit.
It is known from the history of this island that before its discovery by the Vikings, Arctic peoples inhabited Greenland. But long before the arrival of the Norwegians, the island was finally empty. The ancestors of modern Inuit began to settle here only in the XIII century.
The Danes began to colonize it in the 18th century. Only during the Second World War did Greenland manage to separate from the Danish kingdom, drawing closer to Canada and the United States. But after the victory over fascism, the Danes again regained control of Greenland. The largest island on Earth was proclaimed an integral part of the kingdom.
In 1979, Greenland received wide autonomy. Now she even has her own football team, which plays in tournaments under the auspices of FIFA and UEFA.
Viking campaigns
In the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries, Eirik the Red became one of the first who was drawn to distant unexplored places.
In which covered the IX-XI centuries, the Scandinavians actively traveled in different directions. They sailed to Ireland and to Russia. Usually along the way they were engaged in hunting, trade and robberies. It is known that Iceland was discovered around 860, and a number of colonies were founded there. At the same time, the Vikings often sailed precisely to the West. Therefore, in modern science it is believed that they were the first of the Europeans to reach the shores of America. It was then that the first genetic contact with the indigenous inhabitants of North America took place.
First trip to America
It is believed that the Norwegian Viking Gunnbjorn was the first to reach the shores of Novaya Zemlya around the year 900. During the voyage, he lost his course, the travelers were saved only by the fact that they noticed Greenland on the horizon. This discovery inspired other of his fellow tribesmen to new expeditions and discoveries.
So Eirik the Red used the link to open new lands and expand horizons. The climate of Greenland, to which he sailed, was very harsh, but he still convinced some of his fellow tribesmen to go after him and establish a settlement in a new place almost from scratch.
Eirik's sons in America
Officially, the first of the Vikings to set foot on the American coast was Eirik's son named Leif. The land of the Valans, as Helluland was called, he visited around 1000. He also discovered Markland ("forest country"), Vinland ("wine country", presumably Newfoundland or New England). His expedition spent the whole winter there and then returned to Greenland.
His brother Thorwald founded the first Viking settlement in America in 1002. But they didn't last long there. Soon the Norwegians were attacked by local Indians, who were called Screlings. Thorvald was killed in battle, his companions returned home.
The descendants of Eirik the Red made two more attempts to colonize America. One of them involved his daughter-in-law named Gudrid. In America, she even managed to establish trade with the local Indians, but still did not stay long.
The daughter of Eirik Freydis took part in another voyage. She failed to establish contact with the Indians, the Vikings had to retreat. In total, the Norwegian settlement in Vinland lasted several decades.
Evidence of the discovery of America by the Vikings
It is interesting that the hypothesis about the discovery of America by the Vikings existed for many years, but it did not find clear evidence. Although a map of the northeast coast of America was found among the Norwegians, it was considered a fake. Only in 1960, the remains of a Norwegian settlement were discovered on the territory of Canadian Newfoundland.
(0950 )Erik the Red (950-1003), also known as: Eirik Rauda, Eirik the Red, Eirik Thorvaldson(dr. Scandinavian Eiríkr rauði Þorvaldsson) - Scandinavian navigator and discoverer who founded the first settlement in Greenland. The nickname "red" was due to the color of his hair and beard. Leif's father and Ericsson, the pre-Columbian discoverers of the Americas.
Biography [ | ]
Troubles due to violent temper continued in the new place. Around 980, Eirik was sentenced to a three-year exile from Iceland for two murders. In one case, he killed a neighbor who did not want to return a borrowed boat, in another, he avenged his slaves killed by another Viking.
Executing the sentence, Eirik decided to sail west and reach the land, which in clear weather can be seen from the tops of the mountains of western Iceland. She lay at a distance of 280 km from the Icelandic coast; according to the sagas, earlier in the 900s, the Norwegian Gunbjorn sailed there. Eirik sailed west in 982 with his family, servants and cattle. Floating ice prevented him from landing; he was forced to go around the southern tip of the island and landed at a place near Julianshob (Kakortoq). During the three years of his exile, Eirik did not meet a single person on the island, although during his travels along the coast he reached Disko Island, far northwest of the southern tip of Greenland.
At the end of his exile, Eirik the Red returned to Iceland in 986 and began to convince the locals to move to new lands. He named the island Greenland (Norwegian Grønland), which literally means "Green Land". There is still controversy surrounding the appropriateness of this name. Some scientists believe that in those days the climate in these places was mild due to the medieval climatic optimum, and the coastal regions of the south-west of the island were indeed covered with dense grassy vegetation. Others believe that such a name was chosen for the "advertising" purpose - to attract more settlers to the island.
According to the sagas, Eirik the Red sailed from Iceland with 30 ships, of which only 14 with 350 settlers reached Greenland, and founded the first European settlement Eystribyggd (Eastern Settlement) on the island. The evidence of the sagas is confirmed by the results of radiocarbon analysis of archaeological finds that were found at the site of the former Brattalid (now Kassiarsuk), the residence of Eirik the Red near modern Narssarssuak, and date back to about 1000.
Although Eirik himself retired, his sons continued their research. Around the year 1000, Leif Eriksson discovered the land he named Vinland - the territory of modern North America. Eirik's other sons, Thorvald and Thorstein, also made expeditions there.
Leif Eriksson also brought a priest from Norway who baptized Greenland. Unlike his wife and sons, Eirik never converted to Christianity and remained a pagan until the end of his life, and was skeptical about Christianity.
In popular culture[ | ]
In fiction[ | ]
- Eric the Red is one of the main characters in Kirsten A. Seaver's novel The Gudrid Saga.
- Eric the Red is a character in Charles Clancy's book The Saga of Leiva the Happy, America's Discoverer.
In cinema [ | ]
Feature Film[ | ]
Documentary film[ | ]
- Secrets of antiquity. Barbarians. Part 1. Vikings.
