Erik the Red

Who is Erik the Red?

Erik Thorvaldsson, known as Erik the Red, is remembered in medieval and Icelandic saga sources as having founded the first Norse settlement in Greenland. The Icelandic tradition indicates that he was born in the Jæren district of Rogaland, Norway, as the son of Þorvald Ásvaldsson, he therefore also appears, patronymically, as Erik Thorvaldsson. The appellation "the Red" most likely refers to his hair color and the color of his beard. Leif Ericson, the famous Icelandic explorer, was Erik's son.