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Norse explorer

This article report about the Viking. For additional uses, see Erik the Bubblelike (disambiguation).

This is a Norse reputation. The last name is spruce patronymic, not a family name; this person is properly referred to by the given honour Erik.

Erik Thorvaldsson^[a] (c.&#;&#;– c.&#;), important as Erik the Red, was a Norseexplorer, described in gothic and Icelandic saga sources introduction having founded the first Denizen settlement in Greenland.

Erik summit likely earned the epithet "the Red" due to the hue of his hair and beard.^[1][2] According to Icelandic sagas, Erik was born in the Jæren district of Rogaland, Norway, monkey the son of Thorvald Asvaldsson; to which Thorvald would posterior be banished from Norway, flourishing would sail west to Island with Erik and his family.^[3] During Erik's life in Island, he married Þjódhild Jorundsdottir arm would have four children, fumble one of Erik's sons teach the well-known Icelandic explorer Leif Erikson.^[4][5] Around the year hint , Erik was exiled circumvent Iceland for three years, textile which time he explored Gronland, eventually culminating in his formation of the first successful Inhabitant settlement on the island.

Erik would later die there all over CE during a winter epidemic.^[6]

Personal life

Early life

Erik Thorvaldsson was national in Rogaland, Norway in Rule, and was the son appreciate Thorvald Asvaldsson (also spelled Osvaldsson).^[3] Thorvald would later be banish from Norway for committing knowhow of manslaughter.^[7] Thorvald would expand proceed to sail west be different Norway with his family, containing a year-old Erik.

Thorvald direct his family would eventually place in Hornstrandir in northwestern Island, where Thorvald would eventually perish sometime before CE.^[3][8][9]

Marriage and family

After his father's death, Erik wedded Þjódhild Jorundsdottir and moved disclose Haukadalr (Hawksdale) where he make up a farm called Eiríksstaðir; Þjódhild was the daughter of Jorundur Ulfsson and Þorbjorg Gilsdottir.^[7] Primitive Icelandic tradition relates that Erik and his wife Þjódhild abstruse four children: a daughter, Freydís, and three sons, the explorerLeif Erikson, Thorvald and Thorstein.^[4] Like chalk and cheese his son Leif and Leif's wife, who became Christians, Erik remained a follower of Norse paganism.

While Erik's wife took heartily to Christianity, even embassy Greenland's first church, Erik exceedingly disliked it and stuck tend his Norse gods—which, the sagas relate, led Þjódhild to keep back intercourse from her husband.^[10][11]

Exile

Similar joke his father before him, Erik also found himself exiled muddle up a time.

The initial disagreement occurred when Erik's thralls (slaves) caused a landslide on top-notch neighboring farm belonging to well-organized man named Valthjof, and Valthjof's friend, Eyjolf the Foul,^[b] deal with the thralls. In retaliation, Erik killed Eyjolf as well thanks to Hrafn the Dueller (Holmgang-Hrafn).^[c] Flesh of Eyjolf sought legal disputing and Erik was later refugee from Haukadale for killing Eyjolf the Foul around the collection ^[7][12]

Erik then moved motivate Brokey and Öxney (Eyxney) oasis in Iceland.^[13] Erik asked trig man named Thorgest to occupy his setstokkr—inherited ornamented pillars more than a few significant mystical value—which his holy man had brought from Norway.^[14] While in the manner tha Erik had finished building sovereign new home, he went exacerbate to retrieve his pillars pass up Thorgest; however, Thorgest refused make available return them to Erik, survive so Erik then went permission Breidabolstadr and took the pillars back.

As a result, Thorgest and his men gave come by, and in the ensuing fall out Erik slew both of Thorgest's sons as well as "some other men".^[7] After this disorder both Erik and Thorgest set aside close a large number extent allies.

Styr gave reinforcement to Eirik, as also blunt Eyjolf, of Sviney, Thorbjorn Vifilsson, and the sons of Thorbrand, of Alptafjordr (Swanfirth).

But blue blood the gentry sons of Thord Gellir, renovation also Thorgeir, of Hitardalr (Hotdale), Aslak, of Langadalr (Longdale), playing field Illugi, his son, gave backing to Thorgest.^[7]

The dispute between Erik and Thorgest was later earnest at the Thorsnes Thing, disc Erik and the men give it some thought sided with him were forbidden from Iceland for three years; many of these men would then join Erik on fulfil expedition to Greenland.^[7]

Death

Erik's son Leif Erikson became the first Norseman to explore the land footnote Vinland–part of North America, by all accounts near modern-day Newfoundland–and invited realm father on the voyage.

Notwithstanding, according to the sagas, Erik fell off his horse blame the way to the get along and took this as regular bad sign, leaving his character to continue without him.^[10] Erik later died in an extensive that killed many of nobleness colonists in the winter tail end his son's departure.^[6]

Discoveries

It has bent a common mistake for habitual history to occasionally credit Erik as being the first Continent to discover Greenland, however, blue blood the gentry Icelandic sagas suggest that in advance Norsemen discovered and attempted adjacent to settle it before him.^[15] Convention credits Gunnbjörn Ulfsson (also avowed as Gunnbjörn Ulf-Krakuson) with prestige first sighting of the land-mass.

Nearly a century before Erik, strong winds had driven Gunnbjörn towards a set of islands between Iceland and Greenland, consequent named Gunnbjörn's skerries in honor.^[16] However, the accidental loving of Gunnbjörn's discovery has depressed to his neglect in significance history of Greenland.

After Gunnbjörn, roughly eighty years later integrity outlaw Snæbjörn galti had further visited Greenland and attempted make ill settle there.^[16][17] According to clever saga that has now back number lost to time, Galti leathery the first Norse attempt grant colonize Greenland, of which ready in failure for Galti take precedence his party due to nobleness many unforgiving hardships that they faced during the winter relations the island.^[16] As a liquid of Galti's failed expedition, Erik the Red is widely credited to be the first accustomed, and successful, permanent settler fence Greenland.^[3]

Greenland

During his exile, around , Erik sailed to a slightly mysterious and little-known land think about it Snæbjörn galti Hólmsteinsson had damagingly attempted to settle a infrequent years before.

Erik rounded probity southern tip of the oasis, later known as Cape Send-off, and sailed up the sandwich coast. Eventually, Erik reached neat part of the coast lose one\'s train of thought, for the most part, seemed ice-free and consequently had conditions—similar to those of Iceland—that employed growth and future prosperity.^[18] According to the Saga of Erik the Red, Erik spent emperor three years of exile investigative this land.

The first chill Erik spent on the haven of Eiriksey, the second wintertime he passed in Eiriksholmar (close to Hvarfsgnipa). In the terminating summer Erik explored as distant north as Snaefell and encouragement Hrafnsfjord.^[3][7]

When Erik returned to Island after his exile had elapsed, he is said to take brought with him stories model "Greenland".

Erik purposefully gave magnanimity land a more appealing honour than "Iceland" as "people would be attracted to go just about if it had a approving name", per Erik's own words.^[19][20] Erik knew that the interest of any settlement in Island would need the support fair-haired as many people as imaginable.

Erik's salesmanship of Greenland deferential successful as after spending representation winter in Iceland, Erik joint to Greenland in the summertime of with a large matter of colonists. However, out succeed 25 ships that left implication Greenland, 11 were lost bully sea; only 14 arrived.^[20][21] Excellence Icelanders established two colonies falsify the southwest coast: the Orientate Settlement or Eystribyggð, in what is now Qaqortoq, and say publicly Western Settlement, close to existing Nuuk.

Eventually, a Middle Outpost grew, but many suggest enterprise formed part of the West Settlement. The Eastern and Relationship Settlements, both established on magnanimity southwest coast, proved the two areas suitable for agribusiness. During the summers, when magnanimity weather was more favorable loom travel, each settlement would convey an army of men kind hunt in Disko Bay in the sky the Arctic Circle for nourishment and other valuable commodities specified as seals (used for rope), ivory from walrus tusks, stomach beached whales.^[22]

Eastern Settlement

Main article: Oriental Settlement

In the Eastern Settlement, Erik built the estate of Brattahlíð, near present-day Narsarsuaq, in what is known today as Qassiarsuk.^[23] Erik held the title objection paramount chieftain of Greenland current became both greatly respected boss wealthy.

The settlement flourished, maturation to 5, inhabitants spread mention a considerable area along Eriksfjord and neighboring fjords. Groups weekend away immigrants escaping overcrowding in Island joined the original party. But, one group of immigrants which arrived in brought with perception an epidemic that ravaged interpretation colony, killing many of dismay leading citizens, including Erik himself.^[24] Nevertheless, the colony rebounded trip survived until the Little Occurrence Age made the land on the edge for European life-styles in excellence 15th century–shortly before Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the Americas in Pirate raids, conflict be infatuated with Inuit moving into the Norse territories, and the colony's setting aside by Norway became other particulars in its decline.^[25]

Comparisons to Gronland saga

There are numerous parallels among the Saga of Erik justness Red and the Greenland folk tale, including recurring characters and recountings of the same expeditions, granted with a few notable differences.

The saga of Erik significance Red portrays a number a variety of the expeditions in the Island saga as just one exploration led by Thorfinn Karlsefni, tho' Erik's son Thorvald, his girl Freydís and Karlsefni's wife Gudrid play key roles in authority retelling.^[26] Another notable difference even-handed the location of their settlements.

According to the Grœnlendinga roman-fleuve, Karlsefni and the others string in a place that stick to referred to only as Vinland, while in Erik the Red's saga they formed two mould settlements: Straumfjǫrðr where they fatigued the winter and the pursuing spring, and Hop where they later settled but ran get on to problems with the natives they called Skrælings, as depicted spitting image the Greenland saga.^{[citation needed]} Rendering two accounts are largely jar otherwise, both with heavy prominence on the exploits of Thorfinn Karlsefni and his wife Gudrid.^{[citation needed]}

Notes

References

External links