The saga of Erik the Red is a short one. It tells the story of how he flees from Norway to Iceland after committing a murder, marries into a chieftain’s family, starts a small war, explores a vast land to the west, and names it Greenland. He founds a settler community there before the country is Christianized against his will and his sons explore America. In just fifteen minutes, you’ll have an overview of everything there is to know about Erik the Red. Or maybe not – because hidden beneath condensed recounts of the sagas is a sea of events and connections that have not yet been discovered.

In this book, Øystein Morten examines what Erik the Red was really looking for in Greenland, as well as the background for his voyages further west to Vinland. Embark on a voyage of discovery in the northernmost Norse settlements!