Saga of Erik the Red

The Saga of Erik the Red is a Norse saga that recounts the story of Erik the Red, a Norwegian explorer who founded the first European settlement in Greenland around 985 CE. Erik, nicknamed for his red hair, was exiled from Iceland for manslaughter and subsequently explored Greenland. He named the land Greenland to attract settlers and established a colony that maintained contact with Europe until the mid-15th century. The saga also touches upon the expeditions to Vinland (North America), led by Erik's son, Leif Erikson, and later by Thorfinn Karlsefni, who led an expedition to establish a settlement there around 1004. Thorfinn's son, Snorri, was the first European born in North America. The Vinland settlement was eventually abandoned after three years due to conflicts with indigenous peoples.12