The Legacy of Erik the Red

The Viking explorer, Erik rauði Þorvaldsson, was primarily known as Erik the Red due to his fiery red hair and beard. Yet legends abound that his nickname was derived from the explosive temper that got him banished from Norway and Iceland, forcing him to traverse unchartered lands. It was this exploration that led to him founding the first European settlement on Greenland. 

Much of what we know about Erik the Red comes from the “Saga of Erik the Red” and the “Saga of the Greenlanders,” which are thought to have been written in the 13th Century. From both of these accounts, Erik the Red’s influence continued westwards beyond Greenland - even if he didn’t bring it there himself. 

Who was Erik the Red?

Born in Norway in approximately 950 AD, Erik the Red - also known as Erik Rauð, Eiríkur Rauði, and Erik Thorvaldsson - originally left his native country for Iceland at the tender age of ten because his father was exiled for committing manslaughter.

Although typical banishments in Norway at that time were limited to approximately three years, there is no evidence to suggest that either Erik or his father returned to settle in Norway. Thus, it was in Iceland that Erik married his wife, Tjodhilde. However, the apple seemingly didn’t fall far from the tree and following in his father’s footsteps, Erik was similarly ostracised from Iceland for murder. Thus, he was forced to explore the land to the west of the country. 

Although many believe that Erik the Red discovered Greenland, this is not, in fact, the case. Another Norwegian found the uncharted land approximately one hundred years before Erik landed there. However, although he may not have been the first to come across Greenland, he is certainly the first to colonize it successfully.

The founding of Greenland 

Accompanied by a small group of followers, Erik the Red departed from the most westerly point of Iceland in approximately 982 AD. The group landed on an island at the southern tip of an icy new land and ventured north from there.

To Erik’s delight, this new country had an abundance of resources as well as a striking landscape and fertile valleys. Erik and his group explored the novel terrain for two years, naming places according to their whims. In a similar vein, Erik the Red called the country Greenland in the hopes that such an attractive name would draw settlers.

Soon after his settlement in Iceland, Erik the Red decided to return to Iceland in 985 with the intention of coaxing people into following him back to Greenland. He evidently possessed the skill of persuasion, as approximately 500 people decided to set sail with the purpose of settling in the new country. However, although Erik’s mission was relatively successful, many of the boats containing new settlers never reached the eastern settlement. 

Despite the low numbers, Erik the Red took the position of Chieftain in southern Greenland and created an estate known as Brattahlið - a place now known as Qassiarsuk - at the inner point of Eriksfjord. Brattahlið means “steep slope” and is located approximately 60 miles north of the ocean, in a fjord sheltered from the harsh ocean climate. 

However, despite the new colony’s low numbers, some of its settlers decided to venture further north. These two colonies became known as the east and west settlements. Unfortunately, the new communities never flourished, and their numbers didn’t rise above a couple of thousand. 

Eventually, the colonies died out in the mid 15th century. The exact reason for the population decline is relatively unknown, but it was likely due to cooling temperatures, soil erosion, and a political climate in which trade became increasingly difficult. Yet, despite the fall of his colony,  Erik the Red’s legacy didn’t die with him. 

Erik the Red’s son - Leif Erikson  

In approximately 1000 AD, Leif the Fortunate - son of Erik the Red - having been converted to Christianity by the King of Norway, left Norway and brought the first Christian missionaries with him to Greenland.

Promptly after his return to Greenland, Leif ordered the establishment of the first Christian church on the continent of North America in Brattahlið; Tjodhilde’s Church - named for his mother and Erik the Red’s wife. The reason why Tjodhilde was the church’s namesake was likely because she had become a Christian despite Erik’s devout Paganism. Thus, the church was built on separate grounds from their farmland. 

According to the “Saga of the Greenlanders,” contained in the “The Book of the Flat Islands,” Leif the Fortunate decided to venture west in search of new lands shortly after 1000 AD. Apparently, this adventure was based on stories that he had heard from an Icelander - Bjarni Herjólfsson - who had been diverted to this new country by a ferocious storm many years previously. However, according to the “Saga of Erik the Red,” Leif discovered North Coastal America - or Vinyard - when he, himself, was diverted from Greenland by a storm. Nevertheless, upon discovering coastal North America, Leif the Fortunate named the areas after their physical qualities. 

Conclusion

Due to its sheltered location, Brattahlíð still has some of the more premium farmland that Greenland has to offer.

Many of its buildings - such as a farmhouse with an insulating turf bank and flagstone floor - were still standing in 1953. However, more recently they are just indentations in the earth. What modern-day visitors to Brattahlíð - Qassiarsuk - can expect though, is simplicity and arctic beauty, with a replica of Tjodhilde’s Church, a small store, and a youth hostel for those wishing to explore the terrain. 

 

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