Visit Greenland
  • Things to Do
  • Destinations
    • All destinations
    • North Greenland
    • Destination Arctic Circle
    • Capital Region
    • South Greenland
    • East Greenland
    • The National Park
  • Plan Your Trip
  • About Greenland
  • Articles
  • FAQ
  • Search offers & providers
  • Your Local Travel Agency
  • Contact
  • → Cruise.visitgreenland.com
  • Select Language
    • English
    • Danish
    • German
  • Search

Erik the Red

Erik the Red gave Greenland its name over 1,000 years ago and ushered in the country’s Viking era.

Eirikr rauði Þorvaldsson (approx. 950-1003 AD) was called Erik the Red because of his red beard and hair and perhaps also because of his fiery temper.

It is said that he was a particularly hot-headed fellow who, after being exiled from first Norway and later Iceland, finally settled in Greenland.

ERIK THE RED’S SAGA

According to the sagas, his father, Þorvaldr Ásvaldsson, was exiled from Norway in 960 AD as a result of ‘a number of killings’, and Erik’s entire family thus settled on Iceland.

Here Erik the Red married Tjodhilde, but history now repeated itself and his father’s fate also befell Erik. In 982 he was sentenced to exile from Iceland for three years for murder.

Package Tours

Choose from featured package offers or click "show more" to browse all of them.

Show More
Blue Ice Explorer: Plan your own holiday in Greenland

Blue Ice Explorer

Plan your own holiday in Greenland

Are you dreaming of going to Greenland and would you prefer to plan your own trip?

FROM €24
Blue Ice Explorer: South Greenland – Short and Intensive

Blue Ice Explorer

South Greenland - Short and Intensive

Experience Greenland on a getaway from Iceland. Wonderful day-hikes with easy access to South Greenland's blue icebergs and history.

FROM €483
Tasermiut Expeditions: Biking, Hiking and Kayaking

Tasermiut Expeditions

Biking, Hiking and Kayaking

In this expedition we use very quiet means of transportation: hiking boots, kayak paddles and mountain bike pedals.

FROM €2,195
Tasermiut Expeditions: Wonders of South Greenland

Tasermiut Expeditions

Wonders of South Greenland

A full-featured trip in Greenland: icebergs, Inuit culture, northern lights, easy hikes on tundra and glacier ice.

FROM €1,995

ERIK THE RED'S DISCOVERY OF GREENLAND

It is for this reason that in the same year he sailed west and discovered a country with an inviting fjord landscape and fertile green valleys. He was extremely impressed with the new country’s resources and he returned to Iceland to spread the word of “The green land”.

Erik the Red clearly had great powers of persuasion because in 985 he set sail once more from the volcanic island leading a fleet of 25 ships on course for Greenland. Onboard were around 500 men and women, domestic animals and all the other elements required to create a new existence in a new country.

Of the 25 ships only 14 made it to their destination. Erik the Red established the chieftain’s seat of power at Brattahlið – now Qassiarsuk – in Southern Greenland, whilst others continued further north to the fjord near Nuuk. The two societies were known as the east and west settlements.

Hvalsey Church Ruin - Greenland's first Christian church
The axe of Leif Erikson - the statue overlooking Qassiarsuk in South Greenland, by Mads Pihl
A view inside the Hvalsey church ruin in South Greenland. By Ella Groedem
Tjodhilde's church - a reconstruction of church from the norse presence in Greenland 1,000 years ago. By Mads Pihl

FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA

In around the year 1000 Erik the Red’s son, Leif Eriksson, returned to Greenland following a long period in Norway, and Leif – whose byname was ‘the Fortunate’ – brought with him the first Christian missionaries. Shortly afterwards the first Christian church on the North American continent, Tjodhilde’s Church, was built in Brattahlið. Today a reconstruction of the small church can be seen in Qassiarsuk.

By the year 1000 the Viking societies numbered some 3,000 inhabitants on 300-400 farms. The Viking society survived for 500 years.

The reason for its disappearance remains a great mystery, but a colder climate, conflicts with the Inuit people, European pirates, overgrazing and bouts of plague have all been put forward as possible causes of its demise.

Explore related articles, offers and tour providers:

  • History
  • Norse History

By Visit Greenland

Behind Greenland's largest travel site is the Visit Greenland that is 100% owned by the Government of Greenland, who is responsible for marketing the country's adventures and opportunities for guests wishing to visit the world's largest island

https://visitgreenland.com

Editors' pick

A rune stone on a hill in Qassiarsuk in South Greenland. By Mads Pihl

Experience Greenland like the Vikings did

Experience the history of Greenland's vikings and find out how the country got its name so long ago by the chieftain Erik the Red.

  • #Norse History
  • #South Greenland
Music - Christian and Frederik Elsner - the core of the Greenlandic band Nanook, performing in Frederik's living room in Nuuk

Greenland’s Music History, Part 2

Learn more about how Greenland's music inspired it's modern cultural independence after the political situation from the Second World War.

  • #Culture
  • #History
  • #Music
A traditional Greenlandic drum for drum dancing on display in Narsaq in South Greenland. By Mads Pihl

Greenland’s Music History, Part 1

Learn more about Greenland's music scene and it's historical roots and influence, from traditional beats to an international setting.

  • #Culture
  • #History
  • #Music
Mother of the SeaMother of the Sea. By Mads Pihl

Greenland myths and legends

The northern lights, Mother of the sea, The wandering spirit known as Qivittoq. Wonders, and myths were a vital part in the daily life of Greenlanders.

  • #Culture
  • #Norse History
More related articles

Keep Exploring

Things to Do

Browse culture and nature (outdoor, hunting, fishing, cruises) related activities, as well as combination of both types.

Plan your trip

Read about practical information on how to get to Greenland, how to get around, when to travel or where to stay.

Destinations

Explore the regions and towns around Greenland and dig deeper into the experiences in each destination.

About Greenland

All about art, music, history, as well as animals, climate change and other interesting information about Greenland.

Visit Greenland

About Visit Greenland

Behind Greenland's largest travel site is the Visit Greenland that is 100% owned by the Government of Greenland, who is responsible for marketing the country's adventures and opportunities for guests wishing to visit the world's largest island.

The Greenland.com website is created by Visit Greenland and Kathart Interactive.

Select language

English Danish German

Frequently Visited Pages

  • Things to Do
  • Destinations
  • Nature & Climate
  • When to go
  • Greenlandic Culture
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Other Websites By Visit Greenland:

  • corporate.greenland.com
  • cruise.visitgreenland.com
  • media.gl
  • A Taste Of Greenland

Newsletter

Receive inspiring stories, travel deals and news from Greenland via email.

SIGN UP HERE

DENMARK – Contact us:

Mon. – Thu. 9 am – 4:30 pm
Friday: 9 am – 4 pm

Visit Greenland
Strandgade 91
1010 Copenhagen
Denmark

Direct phone Denmark:
(+45) 32 83 38 80

GREENLAND – contact us:

Mon. – Fri: 8 am – 4 pm
Visit Greenland

Hans Egedesvej 29
P.O. Box 1615
3900 Nuuk
Greenland
info@greenland.com

Direct phone Greenland:
(+299) 34 28 20
Gardar Cathedral The axe of Leif Erikson - the statue overlooking Qassiarsuk in South Greenland, by Mads Pihl The Viking period of Greenland
We use cookies OK Read More
Scroll to top