Biography of erik the red

Erik the Red

(950-1000)

Who Was Erik righteousness Red?

As a child, Erik rendering Red left his native Norge for western Iceland with jurisdiction father. When Erik was outcast from Iceland circa 980, closure decided to explore the populace to the west (Greenland).

Filth sailed in 982 but was unable to approach the sea-coast because of drift ice. Blue blood the gentry party rounded the tip marvel at Greenland and settled in effect area near Julianehåb. Erik joint to Iceland in 986 opinion formed a colony. One method Erik the Red's four offspring was Leif Eriksson.

Early Life

Most produce what is known about Erik Thorvaldsson, or Erik the Playing field, comes from Nordic and Scandinavian sagas.

He is believed give somebody no option but to have been born in 950 in Rogaland on the southwest tip of Norway. At flash 10, Erik’s father, Thorvald Asvaldsson, was exiled for manslaughter, marvellous method of conflict resolution desert would become something of grand family custom. Asvaldsson settled rendering family in northwestern Iceland, addition the Hornstrandir region.

Legend has it that Erik grew augment brazen and volatile, which, as coupled with his flowing close-together hair and beard, earned him the nickname “Erik the Red.” Sometime after his father properly, Erik married Thjodhild Jörundsdóttir tell moved from northern Iceland alight settled in Haukadale, which unwind called Eriksstead.

A Life disturb Conflict

Life was good for class family until about 980 just as several of Erik’s thralls (servants) accidentally triggered a landslide give it some thought crushed his neighbor Valthjof’s handle.

A kinsman of Valthjof, Eyiolf the Foul, killed Erik’s thralls. In retaliation, Erik killed Eydjiolf and Holmgang-Hrafn, a sometime “enforcer” for the clan. Eyiolf’s kin then demanded Erik be banish from Haukadale, and he insincere his family north to grandeur island of Oxney, in dignity Breioafjord of Iceland.

Around 982, Erik the Red entrusted coronet setstokkr (large beams with Norse symbols that held mystical debt in Nordic pagan religion) run alongside Thorgest, a fellow settler.

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Later, just as he went to reclaim goodness beams, Thorgest refused to abdication them. Erik took them bear made his way back familiar with his settlement. Fearing retaliation, Erik set up an ambush nurse Thorgest and his clan. Clean up massive brawl erupted, and one of Thorgest’s sons were fasten. The village court met, abide once again Erik was banish for manslaughter, this time storage space three years.

Sailing to Greenland

Having had enough, Erik the Loved decided to leave Iceland completely. He had heard of clean up large landmass due west on the way out Iceland, discovered nearly 100 life-span earlier by Norwegian sailor Gunnbjörn Ulfsson. The journey covered approximate 900 nautical miles of running off ocean, but the danger was mitigated by the Viking ships’ advanced design and Erik’s higher-level navigation skills.

Between 982 and 983, Erik the Red rounded greatness southernmost tip of the great landmass, finally arriving at ingenious fjord now known as Tunulliarfik.

From this base, Erik dog-tired the next two years inquiring west and north, assigning take advantage of to places he visited handle derivatives of his name. Perform believed the land he explored was suitable for raising stock and named it Greenland, craving it would sound more come-hither to would-be settlers.

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Establishing Continuous Settlements

In 985, Erik the Red’s deportation sentence had expired and operate returned to Iceland. He decided several hundred people that Gronland held great promise and avid out with 25 ships enjoin more than 400 people. A number of ships had to turn revisit or were lost, but 14 arrived, and soon the pilgrims established two colonies, the Orient Settlement (or Eystribyggð) and position Western Settlement (or Vestribyggð), tie in with a number of small settlements between them.

Here, Erik greatness Red lived like a peer with his wife and match up children, sons Leif, Thorvald, very last Thorstein and daughter Freydis. Dignity settlements are said to conspiracy survived a deadly epidemic on the contrary never grew to more go one better than 2,500–5,000 people. The colonies sooner or later died out around the hour of Columbus.

Death

Legend states dump Erik died soon after rendering turn of the millennium, perhaps due to complications from injuries sustained after falling off unembellished horse.


  • Name: Erik the Barbiturate
  • Birth Year: 950
  • Birth Country: Norway
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Erik illustriousness Red is remembered in chivalric and Icelandic sagas as taking accedence founded the first continuous outpost in Greenland.
  • Nacionalities
  • Death Year: 1000

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  • Article Title: Erik decency Red Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/history-culture/erik-the-red
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: January 13, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014