Erik the Red

When we talk about Vikings we often refer to a collective and rarely allude to them through some known personality of that civilization.

The constant interest in learning more about the culture, ideas and customs of this Nordic people provokes greater inquiry and in it curious lives are discovered that are worth reviewing.

As proof of this, today we tell you about the life of Erik Thorvaldsson, better known as "Erik the Red", hoping to awaken even more your interest in this town that is gradually unraveling its secrets.

Erik "the red one"

Erik Thorvaldsson was born in the region of Rogaland (Norway) in 950 A.D., and died at the age of 53.

He remained in the writings as a prized navigator and merchant of his time, and is credited with having established the first Viking settlement in Greenland.  The nickname "the red one" seems to have come from having red hair and beard.

In some writings he even appears as the discoverer of those lands, but there is nothing more to consult in other sources, without going further in some manuscripts and in the Icelandic family sagas, so that this theory can be appreciated and denied.

Erik the Red's life was marked by family exile on the charge of murdering Erik's father, Thorvald Asvaldsson, to Iceland.

Already married to his first wife, Thjohild, and owning a farm with slaves, Erik himself was peppered with disputes over neighborhood conflicts that led to accusations of murder, so he suffered exile for three years, a period of time in which it is said that he was fully dedicated to navigation and exploring unknown lands.

His facet as a reputable merchant came from one of his travels.

In one of his expeditions it is said that he reached an enormous island that Thorvaldsson was fascinated by. It is said that he began his investigations from the south and that from there he moved to the westernmost coast of the island.

It seems that he found there very favorable weather conditions, so he considered it an ideal place to settle as a merchant. For such a personal appreciation of prosperous area he called those lands "Green Land", in Danish Grønland (Greenland).

Three years of exile gave much play to this curious Norwegian, who - upon returning to Iceland in the summer of 958 - invited other Icelandic settlers to formalize a permanent settlement in Greenland.

It is said that Erik Thorvaldsson told fantastic stories of those new lands and that he managed to convince a large number of people, especially those groups most punished by hunger and most eager to improve their living conditions.

When the summer arrived, he moved again to Greenland, this time accompanied by an Icelandic commonwealth, and they established several settlements. In one of them, namely in the eastern settlement known as Eystribyggð, Thorvaldsson had - like many of the settlers - his own farm, this one called Brattahlíd, which in ancient Nordic means "steep slope of a rock". 

There, Erik "the red one" accumulated successes in the business of the navigation, company that brought him pingües benefits, obtaining for himself the title of "principal Chief".

The prosperity attained by Thorvaldsson reached the ears of new settlers, and the population increased considerably.

However, it was an epidemic that came from one of those expeditions, which clearly dwindled the newly established society and which - it seems to be - ended the life of Erik "the red one".

Despite the disappearance of this important Viking figure, it is reported that he left five children, three males and one female of his first wife and one daughter of a later union.

Some of Erik the Red's sons also made history as a famed Viking explorer. We're talking about Leif Eriksson, who we'll also talk about later.

We hope we've entertained you with the life of Erik the Red. If you know more relevant data, please do not hesitate to share them with us.

Happy day and health!