Eric The Red: The Saga Of Erik The Red

Three years later, Thorfinn Karlsefni a Viking explorer, who some sources note as Leif Eriksson’s brother and others simply as an acquaintance or companion, sailed to Vinland with his family and a small group of settlers. There he established the first European settlement, besides the short stay of Leif Eriksson. The group of about 130 people “settled there to engage in haymaking, hunting, and fishing.”(Thorfinn). The settlements population grew as the first European child was born at the settlement. Thorfinn’s wife, Gudrid, gave birth to their son Snorri while living in the North American settlement around 1005 A.D (Thorfinn). As they learned to adapt to the environment evidence in the Saga of Eric the Red suggests they encountered the Indigenous people of the region. The …show more content…
Eventually the Indigenous people became distraught with the Viking settlers and pursued an attack on the settlers. Although the Vikings were victorious against the indigenous people’s attack they soon decided to abandoned their settlement and return home to Greenland. Although the Viking’s stay was not permanent it is still marked as the first European settlement in North America. The Saga of Erik the Red continues by describing the Vikings return to Greenland. The return may have occurred because of the evident disapproval of indigenous people of North America, or possibly the overall uncertainty of the settlements future.
Today, new discoveries are being found that may suggest further exploration and settlements that were not included in the various Sagas. Though the sagas are still informative pieces of evidence to prove the Vikings technological advances and exploration,