The Legacy of Erik the Red and Leif Erikson: Pioneers of Greenland and North America
So, you’ve heard of Erik the Red, right? Norwegian dude, big-time explorer back in the 10th century. Guy was the OG founder of the first European settlement in Greenland around 985 AD. Oh, and get this, he’s also the father of Leif Erikson, one of the first Europeans to hit up North America.
Legend has it, Erik got himself exiled from Iceland around 980 AD for some manslaughter gig. So, what does he do? He decides to explore the wild, wild west, well, the western part of Iceland anyway. Takes off from Iceland around 982 AD with a few buddies, and bam! They hit Greenland, a land previously scoped out by this Norwegian dude, Gunnbjörn Ulfsson.
They do some serious exploring for two years, then Erik and his crew decide to settle down on an island at the mouth of Eriksfjord, near Qaqortoq. They name the place Brattahlíð, which means “Steep Slope,” and the whole country Greenland, thinking a good name would draw in some settlers.
Erik swings back to Iceland in 985 or 986, talks the talk, and convinces a bunch of people to roll with him back to Greenland. So, they set up shop, calling it the Eastern Settlement. Started off with around 400 to 500 settlers, but that number never blew up to more than 2,000 to 3,000. The colony stayed in touch with Europe until the mid-15th century, and then, poof, it died out.
Now, Leif Erikson, Erik’s boy, he’s a legend in his own right. Born in the 10th century, he’s the second son of Erik the Red. Some folks say he was the first European to hit up North America, maybe around 1000 AD, landing in what’s now Newfoundland, Canada.
There are all sorts of stories about his voyage. Some say it was an accident, others claim he knew exactly what he was doing after hearing about the place from earlier explorers.
After his North American adventure, Leif heads back to Greenland, commissioned by King Olaf I Tryggvason to spread Christianity. He’s believed to have kicked the bucket around 1020.
Where exactly Vinland, where Leif supposedly landed, is located, nobody knows for sure. But, in 1963, they found the ruins of a Viking settlement in northern Newfoundland, backing up the story of Leif’s journey.
To honor Leif’s voyage, the U.S. Congress made October 9th Leif Eriksson Day. And even though Christopher Columbus kinda stole his thunder later on, Leif’s still a big deal. Statues of him are scattered all over the U.S., Newfoundland, Norway, Iceland, and Greenland. Plus, Iceland’s Exploration Museum hands out Leif Eriksson Awards every year for achievements in exploration.