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Christian missionaries arrive in Denmark.

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Cause and Effect: The spread of Christianity

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Cause and Effect: The spread of Christianity

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Christianity spread to Scandinavia via Denmark, where missionaries first began to arrive in the 8th and 9th centuries. One of the short-term effects of this spread was a series of civil wars between the newly converted Christians and the pagan worshipers of the Norse gods. This would eventually lead, in the long run, some who remained faithful to the older pantheon to flee in search of lands where they could practice their customary rituals and maintain their traditions in peace

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Erik Thorvaldsson's and Leif Erikson's journeys occurred within the historical context of great Norse expansion throughout the North Atlantic region, which was facilitated in large part by new naval technologies. Viking dominance of the seas was made possible by the longship, which developed in the ninth century and continued to be in widespread use up through the thirteenth century. Longships were equipped with oars and could travel very quickly. Furthermore, they were double-ended, and their symmetrical bow and stern allowed the ship to reverse direction quickly without a turn around. All these qualities were particularly useful at northern latitudes, where icebergs and sea ice posed hazards to navigation. The colonization of Iceland was also greatly helped by these longships.

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, Division No. 9, Subd. D, NL, Canada

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Evidence: L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site

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Evidence: L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site

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c. 1000
Beating Christopher Columbus by 500 years, Leif Erikson was the first European to arrive on the shores of North America. He explored the coast of a region he called Vinland — present-day Newfoundland, which he decided would be a good place for settlement. He returned to Greenland to share his discoveries with other Vikings, some of whom decided to colonize Vinland. However, the new colony did not last long. Archaeological evidence suggests that war between the Vikings and the native people forced them away. The lack of a firm base of operations for the Norse, combined with the resistance of the indigenous population, caused Leif's voyage to be forgotten for many centuries as the more historically consequential "discovery" of the Americas by Columbus became celebrated.

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970-980s
More than 400 Vikings followed Erik to Greenland and founded two colonies — the East and West Settlements. Together, they grew to about 5,000 inhabitants. Erik was the “paramount chieftain,” or ruler, of the larger East Settlement. There, he built an estate, Brattahlid, where he raised his family. Although the Greenland colonies were eventually deserted, the ruins of nearly 600 Viking farms still exist in the area.

His son, Leif Erikson, was born between 970 and 980. Young Leif left Brattahlid to attend school in Norway. On his return journey to Greenland, he was blown off-course. One of the unexpected effects of the adverse weather Leif encountered was that he ended up landing on another continent.

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c. 972
After landing at Tunulliarfik Fjord, Erik spent three years exploring the island that he named “Greenland.” He confirmed that it was ripe for settlement and sailed back to Iceland to recruit colonists. Viking colonization was a broader historical trend during this period, and had already been established as a precedent for several generations through the growth of the Norse colony in Iceland. Erik's settlement of Greenland took place within this broader context. Although native Inuit already lived there, Erik saw an opportunity for his countrymen to raise horses and cattle in fjords much like their native Norway.

Watch the video to see why he decided to colonize Greenland and how he encouraged his fellow Vikings to join him there.

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Eiriksstadir - Viking Longhouse, Búðardalur, Iceland

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Environment and technology: Viking Longhouse, Búðardalur, Iceland

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Environment and technology: Viking Longhouse, Búðardalur, Iceland

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c. 960s
The intensely cold and inhospitable environment of Iceland caused the Vikings to look for innovative ways to seek shelter. Wood was scarce in this region, so stone and turf were also used as construction materials, and the walls were often made of wattle and daub or timber planking roofed with grass. It was especially important in this forbidding climate to keep warm and keep the clan or family under one roof.

When he was young boy in the 960s, Erik’s family was exiled from their homeland. Along with other Vikings in search of new lives and land, they settled in the Westfjords of Iceland. Once grown, Erik married and established Eiriksstadir, his own homestead. He returned there intermittently, but heard rumors about a large and mysterious landmass still further west across the Atlantic and set out in search of it.

Today, excavated evidence of Eiriksstadir, including a reconstructed a Viking longhouse, has been preserved as a museum.

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Rogaland County, Norway
Jæren
c. 950

The mighty Viking sailors—Eric the Red and his son, Leif Ericson—plied the shores of the stormy north Atlantic Ocean, exploring its lands for trade and settlement opportunities. Hailing from Rogaland, Norway, Eric the Red sailed west, establishing colonies in Greenland. Following his father’s footsteps, Leif Ericson continued exploring westward from Greenland, establishing his own colony in North America.

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c. 950
Erik Thorvaldsson was born in Rogaland around the year 950. At the time, a great shift was underway in terms of the conversion of the region from Norse paganism to Christianity. Unlike many of his peers, including his wife Pjódhild and son Leif, Erik stuck stubbornly to the old gods of his forefathers and strongly disliked Christian culture.

He often found himself in conflict with those around him. In 982, one of his thralls (slaves) caused a landslide on his neighbor Valthjof's plot. Eyjolf the Foul, a friend of Valthjof, killed the slave for the offense and in revenge Erik killed Eyjolf. For this, he and his family were exiled and would embark upon a journey that would ultimately lead to the Americas.

These experiences would inform his perspective and shape his future path.