Erik the Red
Who was Erik the Red?
Explorer and founder of the first viking settlement in Greenland
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Erik the Red (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Erik Thorvaldsson, better known as Erik the Red, was born around 950 CE in the Jæren district of Rogaland, Norway. His nickname likely came from his red hair and beard, which made him stand out. His father, Thorvald Asvaldsson, was exiled from Norway, pushing the family to move to Iceland, a path of forced moves that would shape much of Erik's life.
In Iceland, Erik married Þjódhild Jorundsdottir, with whom he had four children, including Leif Erikson, a noted Norse explorer who reached North America. Erik's time in Iceland was turbulent. He got into violent disputes with neighbors, leading to his exile from Iceland for three years around 982 CE. Instead of doing nothing, Erik used this time to explore the largely unknown land to the west, previously seen by Norse sailors but not settled.
During his exile, Erik explored Greenland's coastlines, finding areas fit for farming and living, especially on the island's milder southwestern coast. When his exile ended and he returned to Iceland, he worked to attract settlers to this new land, naming it Greenland to make it sound appealing. Around 985 or 986 CE, ships left Iceland for Greenland with settlers who set up the Eastern Settlement, known as Eystribyggð, with Erik's estate at Brattahlíð as its central hub.
Erik the Red led as the main chieftain of the Greenland settlement for the rest of his life. His home at Brattahlíð became the political center of Norse Greenland. When his wife Þjódhild converted to Christianity around 1000, she built a small church near their home, which Erik reportedly refused to attend, staying true to the Norse religion. The settlement Erik started lasted for centuries after his death, with Norse Greenlanders trading with Europe into the fifteenth century.
Erik the Red died around 1003 CE at Brattahlíð during a winter epidemic. His death came after a tough time when many ships trying to join his son Leif's western voyages faced losses. He didn't live to see the full impact of his family's explorations, but the community he established in Greenland remained the farthest-reaching permanent European presence in the North Atlantic for many generations.
Before Fame
Erik Thorvaldsson grew up in Norway during the late Viking Age, a time when Scandinavian sailors were spreading out across the North Atlantic. His early life was marked by instability; his father, Thorvald Asvaldsson, was kicked out of Norway for manslaughter, forcing the family to move to Iceland with the growing Norse population there. This move put young Erik in a frontier community where land disputes, blood feuds, and personal honor were part of everyday life.
In Iceland, Erik showed himself to be capable but combative. He gained land and married into a respected family, but frequent violent clashes with neighbors, including killings over property disputes, led Icelandic authorities to declare him an outlaw. This second exile, imposed around 982 CE, redirected his focus from settlement to exploration, ultimately setting him on the path he is known for today.
Key Achievements
- Founded the first successful European settlement in Greenland, around 985-986 CE
- Conducted the first systematic exploration of the Greenlandic coastline during his exile from Iceland (982-985 CE)
- Established and led the Eastern Settlement at Brattahlíð, which persisted for several centuries
- Organized and led the colonization fleet from Iceland to Greenland, one of the largest Norse migration voyages in the North Atlantic
- Fathered Leif Erikson, whose own westward voyages extended Norse exploration to the shores of North America
Did You Know?
- 01.Erik reportedly chose the name 'Greenland' as a deliberate marketing strategy to make the harsh island sound appealing to potential settlers from Iceland.
- 02.Of the roughly twenty-five ships that set out from Iceland to colonize Greenland around 985-986 CE, only fourteen are said to have completed the journey, with the rest turning back or being lost at sea.
- 03.His wife Þjódhild became a Christian convert around the year 1000 CE and built one of the earliest known Christian churches in the Western Hemisphere near their home at Brattahlíð, which Erik refused to enter.
- 04.Erik's son Leif Erikson is widely credited with reaching North America, making the family of Erik the Red responsible for two of the most significant Norse exploratory achievements in the Atlantic.
- 05.Archaeological excavations at Brattahlíð in modern Qassiarsuk, Greenland, have uncovered remains consistent with the descriptions in the Icelandic sagas, including evidence of the small church built by Þjódhild.