Eirik the Red is a famous Scandinavian navigator. He is considered the person who founded the first settlement in Greenland, as well as the discoverer. He got his nickname "red" for the distinctive color of his beard and hair. His son Leif was the first to set foot on the coast of America, and he is considered its main pre-Columbian discoverer.
Scandinavian biography
It is authentically known that Eirik the Red was born in Norway. At that time, a king named Harald the Fair-Haired ruled, and Thorvald Asvaldson was his own father. Torvald did not restrain his emotions well, so one day he decided to kill. For this crime, he and his family were expelled from the country. The Asvaldsons had to settle in Iceland.
But even in the new place, a violent temper prevented me from getting along with others. In addition, his son Eirik the Red also adopted excessive emotionality. Around 980, he himself was already sentenced to three years of exile for two murders. First, he took the life of a neighbor who did not give back a borrowed boat, and then avenged his slaves, who were killed by another Viking.
In obedience to the verdict, Eirik decided to sail west to reach the land, which was visible in clear weather from the mountain peaks in western Iceland. As it turned out, shewas about three hundred kilometers from the coast. Sagas have been preserved in Norwegian folklore, according to which, about a century ago, another famous Norwegian Viking, whose name was Gunbjorn, sailed there.
Eirik's Journey
Eirik Ryzhik set sail in 982. He took with him the whole family, as well as cattle and servants. At first, floating ice prevented him from landing for a long time. Therefore, he had to go around the island from the south and go ashore in the area of \u200b\u200bthe modern Greenlandic town of Qaqortoq. It was Greenland.
The hero of our article spent three years on the island without meeting a single person during this time. Although he repeatedly made attempts to find someone. He explored almost the entire coastline, even taking his boat to Disko Island, which is located northwest of the southern tip of Greenland.
In 986, his exile from Iceland expired. He returned and began to convince the locals to move to new lands. Now you know which island Eirik the Red discovered. Moreover, he also gave it a name. Literally translated from Norwegian, Greenland means "Green Land".
Disputes about how appropriate this name is still not subsiding. Some scientists put forward hypotheses based on the fact that in the Middle Ages the climate in these places was milder. Therefore, the coastal areas located in the southwest of the island could indeed be covered with dense green grassy vegetation. Others are convinced that such a name was somea publicity stunt by a Scandinavian navigator. Thus, he was simply trying to attract as many settlers as possible.
According to the sagas that can be found in Norwegian folklore, 30 ships set off for the hero of our article, which sailed from Iceland. The fate of most of them was not as successful as Eric Thorvaldson himself. Only 14 ships reached the shore, on which there were 350 settlers. Together with him, Eirik founded the first settlement in Greenland. It was called Eastern Settlement.
Archaeological finds subjected to radiocarbon analysis suggest that the residence of Eirik the Red himself was located near the modern city of Narssarssuak. The discovered objects date back to around 1000.
The family of the discoverer
When Eirik himself had already retired, his sons continued his work. He infected them with a passion for exploration. As a result, it was Leif Eriksson (son of Eirik) who discovered Vinland around 1000. This is the area where North America is located today. Long-distance expeditions to another continent were also made by other sons of the hero of our article - Thorstein and Thorvald.
In addition, it is known that Leif Eriksson delivered a priest directly from Norway who baptized Greenland. But in the biography of Eirik the Red there is no mention of the fact that he converted to Christianity. Most likely, he remained a pagan, unlike his wife and sons. Information came that he treated the new religion of his fellow tribesmen as much as possible.skeptical.
Greenland
Today Greenland is the largest island on Earth. The rights to it belong to Denmark, it is its autonomous unit.
From the history of this island it is known that before its discovery by the Vikings, Arctic peoples inhabited Greenland. But long before the arrival of the Norwegians, the island was finally empty. The ancestors of modern Inuit began to settle here only in the XIII century.
The Danes began to colonize it in the 18th century. Only during the Second World War did Greenland manage to separate from the Danish kingdom, drawing closer to Canada and the United States. But after the victory over fascism, the Danes again regained control of Greenland. The largest island on Earth has been proclaimed an integral part of the kingdom.
In 1979, Greenland received broad autonomy. Now she even has her own football team, which plays in tournaments under the auspices of FIFA and UEFA.
Viking Campaigns
During the Age of Discovery, Eirik the Red became one of the first to be drawn to distant unexplored places.
During the Viking Age, which spanned the 9th-11th centuries, the Scandinavians actively traveled in different directions. They sailed to Ireland and to Russia. Usually along the way they were engaged in hunting, trade and robberies. It is known that Iceland was discovered around 860, and a number of colonies were founded there. At the same time, the Vikings often sailed precisely to the West. Therefore, in modern science it is believed that theythe first of the Europeans reached the shores of America. It was then that the first genetic contact with the indigenous inhabitants of North America occurred.
First trip to America
It is believed that the Norwegian Viking Gunnbjorn was the first to reach the shores of Novaya Zemlya around the year 900. During the voyage, he lost his course, the travelers were saved only by the fact that they noticed Greenland on the horizon. This discovery inspired other of his fellow tribesmen to new expeditions and discoveries.
So Eirik the Red used the link to discover new lands and expand horizons. The climate of Greenland, in which he sailed, was very harsh, but he still convinced some of his fellow tribesmen to go after him and establish a settlement in a new place almost from scratch.
In the summer they managed to establish trade with Scandinavia. And soon one of the first settlers named Björni Hjorlfson, during a storm, stumbled upon an unknown land. It was covered with forests and green hills. Presumably, it turned out to be the northeast coast of America. Hjorlfson immediately set off on his return journey to share his discovery with his fellow tribesmen.
Eirik's sons in America
Officially, the first of the Vikings to set foot on the American coast was Eirik's son named Leif. The land of the Valans, as Helluland was called, he visited around 1000. He also discovered Markland ("forest country"), Vinland ("wine country", presumably Newfoundland or New England). His expedition spent the whole winter there and then returned to Greenland.
His brother Thorvald founded the first Viking settlement in America in 1002. But they didn't last long there. Soon the Norwegians were attacked by local Indians, who were called Screlings. Torvald was killed in battle, his companions returned home.
Descendants of Eirik the Red made two more attempts to colonize America. One of them involved his daughter-in-law named Gudrid. In America, she even managed to establish trade with local Indians, but still did not stay long.
Eirik's daughter Freydis took part in another voyage. She failed to establish contact with the Indians, the Vikings had to retreat. In total, the Norwegian settlement in Vinland lasted several decades.
Evidence of the discovery of America by the Vikings
It is interesting that the hypothesis about the discovery of America by the Vikings existed for many years, but it did not find clear evidence. Although a map of the northeast coast of America was found among the Norwegians, it was considered a fake. Only in 1960, the remains of a Norwegian settlement were discovered on the territory of Canadian Newfoundland.
