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According to the Icelandic sagas, Erik the Red chose the name Greenland partly because an attractive name would encourage settlers.

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The story behind the card

The story is told in Íslendingabók, a short history of Iceland written by Ari Thorgilsson in the 1120s, and in the Saga of Erik the Red. Erik was outlawed from Iceland for three years around 982 after several killings, and spent his exile exploring the coast to the west. In about 985 he led settlers back; of some 25 ships, 14 are said to have arrived. The Norse settlements in the south-west farmed, herded and traded walrus ivory with Europe for more than four centuries; the last was abandoned in the 1400s. His son Leif Erikson sailed on from Greenland to North America.

Türkçe oku
İzlanda sagalarına göre Grönland'a bu adı Kızıl Erik verdi. Ad “Yeşil Ülke” demekti ve Erik, güzel bir adın insanları oraya göç etmeye özendireceğini düşünmüştü.

Bu hikâyeyi, Ari Thorgilsson'un 1120'lerde yazdığı kısa İzlanda tarihi Íslendingabók ile Kızıl Erik Sagası anlatır. Erik, 982 dolaylarında birkaç kişiyi öldürdüğü için üç yıllığına İzlanda'dan sürüldü ve sürgününü batıdaki kıyıları keşfederek geçirdi. 985 dolaylarında yanında yerleşimcilerle geri döndü; anlatılanlara göre yola çıkan 25 gemiden ancak 14'ü varabildi. Güneybatıda kurulan İskandinav yerleşimleri tarım ve hayvancılıkla geçindi, Avrupa'ya mors dişi sattı ve dört yüzyıldan uzun yaşadı; sonuncusu 1400'lerde terk edildi. Erik'in oğlu Leif Erikson da Grönland'dan yola çıkıp Kuzey Amerika'ya ulaştı.

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Background reading: Erik the Red
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