The Saga of Erik the Red - Recommendation by Richi

The Book: 

   The saga of Erik the Red is a Norse story of Erik and his friends who discovered Greenland, and later, his sons set up a colony in America. The story was passed down from generations, and eventually was recorded in old Norse and Icelandic. The book has no specific author as a result and the story was first recorded in the thirteenth century. It describes an area to the west of Greenland and includes a picture of Icelandic customs and traditions, such as the prophetess who predicts fortune for the next season, and the spread of Christianity. Leif Eriksson, the son of Erik the Red in the sagas and is told by king Olaf in Norway to spread Christianity to the Greenlanders. He departs, but sails off course, and arrives in an unknown location to the West of Greenland. he comes back to Greenland, and spreads Christianity. He also tells of this new land to the Greenlanders and hopes some people could settle there. Erik the Red was going to come along, but then he fell off his horse and broke his ribs. He said it was a bad omen so he decided not to go, but Leif went despite the fact. He settled in a place he called Vinland, which is modern-day Newfoundland. He encounters the Native Americans there and decides to trade with them. Eventually, the Native Americans got scared of the Greenlanders after seeing a loose bull, and about three weeks later, they attacked the settlement. Leif and the colonizers were forced to leave Vinland and went back to Greenland, but Leif's brother, Thorvald, was killed by the Natives and was the first recorded casualty in America. No one could validate the story, and very few scholars attempted to find Vinland. This spreads the misconception that Columbus was the first European in America. That was the case until 1960 when Helge Ingstad and his wife discovered a Viking settlement in L'Anse aux Meadows, which matches the description of what the sagas described. 

My Opinion:

    I think that it's very valuable to have historical records of this event, and what surprises me is that most of the details described were true as archeological evidence proves. The story was interesting to me, as the story showed a lot of Nordic cultures, and how this impacted and created an effect on how we understand our present culture in America and the people who explored it. It also gives an opportunity to continue research, since the topic is not explored enough, and presently, we have points of view on Columbus and his interactions with the Native Americans. Leaving this piece of history uncredited, therefore, I think it's a great invitation for readers to have an understanding of the exploration.