Thorvald Eiriksson

Who was Thorvald Eiriksson?

Thorvald Eiriksson was the son of Erik the Red and brother of Leif Erikson. According to the sagas, he was part of an expedition for the exploration of Vinland and the first European to die in North America.

According to one account, he was an honorable man. As he was unloading his longboat, for no apparent reason, a "Uniped," as the saga calls it, ran up to Thorvald and shot him in the belly with a bow and arrow, a wound which had led to his death. His last words were said to have been, "This is a rich country we have found; there is plenty of fat around my belly. We've found a land of fine resources, though we'll hardly enjoy most of them." Thorsteinn Eiriksson was also said to be Thorvald's brother. He was killed by Native Americans who did not like him and his crew being on their land.