Erik the Red, whose real name was Erik Thorvaldsson, was a daring Viking explorer who famously turned a remote Arctic island into a thriving Norse settlement that endured for hundreds of years. Erik was born in Norway around 950 AD. He earned his fiery nickname because of his bright red hair and beard, as well as his bold and fiery personality. From a young age, he got into violent fights and feuds, which ultimately got him exiled from Norway and later forced him to leave Iceland as well.
Erik sailed boldly west from Iceland in 982 AD after being exiled for murder. He discovered an uninhabited land of dramatic fjords, jagged rocky coastlines, and surprisingly fertile valleys. This land would later be named Greenland. He spent several years carefully exploring, mapping, and searching for the most suitable and habitable places to live and establish farms in this harsh, challenging new territory.
