Erik the Red | The Viking Who Sold the World on Greenland

Who was Erik the Red?

Erik Thorvaldsson – better known as Erik the Red was born around 950 AD in Rogaland, Norway. His nickname came from his fiery red hair and beard, though his equally hot temper probably reinforced it. When Erik was ten, his father Thorvald Asvaldsson was exiled from Norway for manslaughter, forcing the family to flee to Iceland.

Erik grew into a skilled navigator and married Thjodhild Jorundardaughter in northern Iceland. They started a family that included Leif Eriksson, who'd eventually become the first Viking to reach North America – centuries before Christopher Columbus.

Around 980 AD, a dispute with a neighbour turned deadly. The neighbour killed Erik's servants after an accidental landslide damaged his property. Erik retaliated by killing the men responsible. Banished to Oxney, he soon found himself in another violent altercation resulting in two more deaths. Following his father's footsteps, Erik was exiled from Iceland for three years.

Rather than wait quietly, Erik decided to sail west. A century earlier, explorer Gunnbjörn Ulfsson had returned with stories of a massive landmass to the west. Erik the Red history would be written in those cold Atlantic waters.

How Erik the Red discovered Greenland

In 982 AD, Erik sailed from Iceland heading west into the North Atlantic. After a dangerous crossing, he reached southern Greenland's coast near modern-day Qaqortoq. Drift ice prevented immediate landing, so Erik's expedition rounded the southern tip and explored the western coastline.

Who discovered Greenland? While earlier Norse explorers may have sighted it, Erik the Red was the first to systematically explore and colonize the land. He spent winters on Eiriksey island and Eiriksholmar, using these bases to explore surrounding fjords. During summer, he ventured north to Snaefell, mapping settlement sites and evaluating resources.

When did Erik the Red discover Greenland?

Erik reached Greenland around 982 or 983 AD, spending three years exploring before returning to Iceland in 985 AD with recruitment plans. His timing was strategic – Iceland was crowded, and families sought new opportunities.

Erik's pitch emphasised the 'green land' he'd discovered. The name was brilliant marketing. While much of Greenland was ice-covered, southwestern fjords had grass-covered valleys in summer – enough truth to make it plausible, enough exaggeration to make it appealing.

Why did Erik the Red choose the name 'Greenland'?

Erik was selling a vision. The southwestern fjords where he planned settlements genuinely turned green during brief summers. Compared to Iceland's volcanic landscape, these valleys looked remarkably fertile. An appealing name would attract settlers, and he was right.

Even during Erik's time, Greenland wasn't particularly green. The interior ice sheet dominated then as now. But coastal valleys provided enough grazing land and marine resources to sustain communities. Erik focused on what the land could offer rather than what it lacked.

How did Erik the Red die?

Erik's death remains uncertain. The most accepted theory suggests he died around 1003 AD during a winter epidemic that swept through the colonies. Disease outbreaks were devastating in isolated communities with no immunity to pathogens brought by European ships.

Another account claims Erik died falling from his horse, though this version is less widely accepted. The Saga of Erik the Red suggests he was alive when Thorfinn Karlsefni sailed to Vinland (North America) in the early 11th century.

What's certain is Erik lived long enough to see his settlement succeed and his son Leif return from discovering North America. His legacy was secure – he'd established the first permanent European presence in Greenland.

Where Erik the Red settled: Qassiarsuk today

Walking through Qassiarsuk today, you can visit a reconstruction of Thjodhild's Church – Greenland's first Christian church, built by Erik's wife after Leif brought missionaries around 1000 AD. You're retracing Viking footsteps in the same fjord where Erik first landed.

This quiet fjord landscape was once Brattahlíð, Erik’s estate and the centre of the Eastern Settlement. Sheltered waters, seasonal pasture, and access to marine resources made it one of the few places in Greenland where Norse farming communities could survive.