The Saga of Erik the Red Essay Example

of people towards Greenland in 985. These people were settled in Greenland and established their settlements at that place. The land grew prosper and shortly there were 3000 people populating at that place . Eric was besides one of the early Viking adventurers of North America.

He was willing to research more lands along with his kids nevertheless he was injured after falling from Equus caballus  and didn’t managed to travel with them. He lived in his farm in the Greenland till his decease in 1003. Eric Exiled from Iceland Eric came to Iceland as a kid as his male parent was exiled from Norway when he murdered a individual at that place . Eric the Red was settled down in Iceland along with his household. He got married with Thorhild  who was the girl of Jorund Atlisson .

He received some land at Eriksstadir in Haukadale from Jorund Atlisson as a dowery. He built his farm on the land. He didn’t acquire any lesson from the error of his male parent and in 982 following the footmarks of his male parent. Eric besides murdered some people. Thorgest was the neighbour of Eric who borrowed few wooden bench boards from him . Thorgest refused to return the bench boards and Eric went to his place asking about them and tried to steal them. They started contending and finally Eric murdered two boies of Thorgest.

Some historiographers have besides stated that the wooden bench Markss were non the affair of difference among them but there were some “diasposts”  that Eric leave with Thorgest for some clip and when Eric ask to give them back. Thorgest refused. These diasposts were

symbols of Vikings authorization and possess great spiritual significance for Eric that why he was much concerned about acquiring them back from Thorgest. The 2nd incident was the slaying of Valthjof . Some slaves of Eric started landslides on the farm of Valthjof. in return he murdered the slaves as penalty.

Eric took the retaliation of his slaves’ deceases  and killed Valthjof. These slayings became the footing for the Eric ostracism from the Iceland. Thorgest went to the tribunal and complained about the slaying of his boies. Eric was found wrongdoer and the justice Thorness Thing  exiled him from Norway and Iceland. He so decided to research the land which was about 500 stat mis west from Iceland. The Ocean trip towards Greenland After exiled from Iceland and Norway. Eric had no other manner to travel and populate.

He decided to research a new land which was situated at the western side of Iceland at a distance of about 500 stat mis. It could be seen from the extremums of the mountains standing in the western island . Eric has besides heard about the land from different people. The land was already explored by chance by Gunnjborn Ulf-Krakuson who was pushed towards the land by the rough air currents. After him another crewman Snbjorn Galti reached the land. Galti was the first Norseman who attempted to set up a settlement in Greenland nevertheless he failed to make so after confronting terrible catastrophes.

Finally Eric decided to research the land. He arranges a boat called “Knorrs”  that could be helpful throughout his journey. The Vikings used to go in long boats and Eric besides selected a 100 pess long

boat for him and started his ocean trip. Researching Greenland The journey was really tough nevertheless they managed to make the southern portion of the island. He so moved towards the West seashore and settle in that portion of the island. When he reached the land. he found it seize with teeth warmer so Iceland.

He saw that there were fertile meadowlands that could be best topographic point for farming and maintaining the animate beings. There were many wild animate beings present in the island but there were no marks of human life. Eric decided to set up a settlement in the land. Eric the Red passed three old ages of ostracism in the island. He kept on researching different parts of Island during these three old ages. He pass his first winter in Eiriksey. the 2nd winter he moved towards Eiriksholmar and in the 3rd summer he explored the northern portion of the island and stayed at Snaefell and Hrafnsfjord.

Back to Iceland

After disbursement three old ages of expatriate. Eric returned to Iceland  where he told people narratives of the new land that he discovered during the last three old ages. He gave name of “Greenland” to the island in order to pull the people towards it . Iceland was acquiring over populated and people were looking for some topographic point where they could hold more land for farming and houses . The Eric’s portraiture of Greenland attracts many people and they took it as a great chance to travel towards a land that seems more fertile and favourable for them.

Many Icelanders showed their purposes for going towards the new island Greenland. Second Voyage towards Greenland

Eric spent a winter in the Iceland and so in 985  eventually he began his 2nd trip to the Greenland. At this clip many people were following him. They prepare themselves for the tough journey. Peoples keep their cogwheels and farm animal with them in the long boats and so they started their ocean trip on 25 boats. The journey was really tough and merely 14 boats out of 25 succeeded to make the finish safely along with their farm animal and other baggage.

Out of the remainder 11 boats some were destroyed in the sea and some people besides go back when they find it hard to make the new island. Among the 350 subsisters some became ill and some got hurts besides. However the squad reached the island and became the first European group to make this finish. Colony in Greenland These people started their lives in Greenland. In the beginning there were two settlements established on the west seashore of the island.

One was eastern colony and another was western colony. Eric gave new settlements the names of Eystribygg? neodymium Vestribygg? severally. Both of these two settlements were established in western seashore of the island because merely that land was suited for farming. The other parts were non fertile and suited for farming or support. Very shortly Middle colony was besides established. Eric choose suited topographic point for his place and farm and get down run alonging at their similar Godheads along with his household. Eric was besides given the rubric of “paramount captain of Greenland” . Eric the Red non merely got batch of regard from the people but besides become affluent.

He lived

with his married woman and four kids. He had three boies Leif. Thorvald. and Thorstein and a girl named Freydis. Eric belonged to pagan faith . His con Leif go a follower of Christianity and spread the faith among the people settees in Greenland. He was considered as the individual who brings Christianity in Greenland. The married woman of Erik besides turned to Christianity and she was the 1 who build this first Christian church of the America along with his boy Leif on their farm .

Why “Greenland”?

When Eric the Red came back Iceland and told people about the new land that he explored he gave the land a name “Greenland” because he want to pull people towards the new land. He made the new island appealing for the people of Iceland who were enduring from overpopulation and nutrient deficit. Eric the Red believed that name of a land could hold great impact on the head of people that’s why he selected a name that express the quality of island and do people to believe about it. He explained his logic that “”people would be attracted to travel at that place if it had a favourable name”.

There were many grounds behind his idea of pulling people towards Greenland. Eric was exiled from Iceland after perpetrating slayings of some people so he doesn’t have good repute among the Icelanders. Eric want to reconstruct his good will that’s why he speak about new land and demo understanding for the people who were confronting troubles in lasting in Iceland. He was besides cognizant of the fact that in order to do a successful colony in Greenland it is

necessary that he should hold cooperation of many people. That’s why he attracted and encouraged people so that they join him in his 2nd ocean trip.

Eric possessed good qualities of salesmanship and he utilized these accomplishments really. He made people to make up one's mind for migration and many people were among him in his 2nd ocean trip. Eric show people incorrect image of the new island so that they went with him. While populating in Greenland. Eric choose that best portion of land for himself and made his house in the eastern colony which was the most fertile and green portion of the island. He did all that merely because he wanted more people to travel towards Greenland.

Iceland was already overpopulated. Eric the Red had already realized that it would be hard for him to hold more land country for agriculture and life in Iceland whereas in Greenland there was a great chance for him to construct his place and farm at topographic point of his ain pick. When Eric the Red and his followings reached and settled in Greenland. Eric besides decided to populate at that place and he spend the remainder of his life remaining at the same island. He was besides dead at the same topographic point that he gave a name “Greenland”.

Was Greenland truly Green?

Greenland was really non a alcoholic green land even in those yearss. There were some countries that were suited for the agriculture and inhabitancy but over the full island possessed rough clime. The world was different from what Eric showed the people. In world Greenland is frigid so Iceland and Iceland is more green so the

Greenland. Most of the country of Greenland is covered with ice and there is non much verdure and birthrate in the land. The island remained out of use due to frost in many months of the twelvemonth and activities of people are besides severely suffered during these months.

From July to September people restored their activities and do agreements for their endurance through out the twelvemonth. The act of Eric to take a firm stand people towards Greenland by portraying a incorrect image in forepart of them is considered by some people as a “greatest fraud in the history of the universe property”. Because many people leave Iceland and travel with him towards Greenland by conceive ofing verdure of Greenland but in existent there was a “desolate coldness and hostile environment” in the island.

Though the settlement grew but the people shortly died due to unfavourable climatic conditions. Troubles of the Settlers The support was non really capturing at Greenland particularly in winters going and runing became really hard. However in the season of summer the travelling and agrarian conditions of the land became much better and favourable to the settlers. Each of the colony signifier a group of people who went to the bays of the island and Hunt at that place for nutrient and other indispensable life trade goods like ropes beached giants and ivories etc.

Eric and his fellow colonists of the Greenland faced several jobs in the island. First of all they have to keep a balance between population degree and nutrient supply otherwise at that place would ever a opportunity of nutrient deficit. They managed to acquire adequate nutrient that they barely keep

their organic structures and soul together. Many historiographers believe that the colonists were confronting certain jobs while populating at new topographic point because they failed to intermix themselves in the new milieus.

They were familiar to a different life manner but in the new topographic point the state of affairs demanded something else. Many of them could non alter themselves harmonizing to the demand of the state of affairs and faced many troubles in their lives. Many people missed their chaps and relations who were left in the Iceland and they feel down and lonely without them. They faced many jobs but succeeded to set up a settlement in Greenland that decently grew with clip and the settlement became “one of the great stepping rocks in Norse enlargement and exploration”.