In 982 A.D., the famous Viking explorer Erikur Raude (Erik the Red) found himself in trouble, again. Already banished from his native Norway for carrying a blood feud to its violent extremes, he was labled an outlaw by Icelandic authorities for avenging the death of two of his servants in true Viking style. So, Erik set sail from his newly adopted home and headed west to what's known today as Greenland. The land was already discovered by earlier adventurers, and stories of their voyages undoubtedly were circulated in the western fjords of Iceland, where Erik made his home. Erik also found a willing crew, as Iceland was gripped by famine, and young men like Erik were unable to secure choice land in the new Atlantic colony.

According to the sagas, "The land he discovered he called Greenland because he said it would attract people if the country had a beautiful name." In the south fjords he visited, the land was warmer and greener then due to a warming off period, and it's likely his lasting label was more than slick hucksterism. Erik found the fjords suitable for farming and colonization, and he explored Greenland's west coast and lived off the land for three years. To the likely astonishment of his countrymen, he returned to Iceland in 985 A.D. to promote a colony. (See the Greenland map, courtesy of the University of Texas library system.)

After he recruited a group of daring pioneers, he set sail in 986 A.D. with 25 long ships loaded with families, animals, and goods. Of this flotilla, 14 survived the treacherous trip over ice-filled waters to the Greenland's southwest fjords, a region the settlers called "Osterbygd," or "eastern settlement." A second settlement around the Nuuk area fjords, called "Vesterbygd," or "western settlement," was founded soon after. Thus began nearly five centuries of Norse colonization in Greenland, marked by trade with Europe and the discovery and failed settlement of North America by Erik's son Leif (see the statue in Reykjavik to the right) and other colonists.

But just as the Renaissance and the age of exploration dawned in Europe, these colonies at the edge of the world mysteriously disappeared, first in the western settlement in the 14th century, and later in the 15th century in the eastern settlement. The last known record of the colonies was news of a wedding at Hvalsey Church in southern Greenland in 1408 A.D. At their height, the Greenland colonies had 300 farms and 5,000 inhabitants, who fished, farmed, and traded supplies with Norway and Iceland.

No one knows conclusively why the Norse colonists perished, but a mini ice age, lack of trade with Europe due to ice-choked shipping lanes, disease, intermarriage with Inuits, conflict with Inuits, pirate raids, bad crops, a caterpillar infestation, and other theories have been proposed. When Norwegian minister Hans Egede arrived in 1721, he expected to find the lost colony of Norsemen. Instead he found the Inuit people, who by then had settled most of the island during a rapid time of expansion known as the Thule period. A wonderful display of the Viking artifacts can be seen at the national museum in Nuuk. One will find soapstone bowls, iron tools, and other items.

During my first trip to Greenland, in June 1998, I encountered the "Viking 1,000" expedition and crew. Led by adventurer Hodding Carter, the crew successfully recreated the Greenlandic Vikings' discovery of North America by Leif Eriksson 1,000 years earlier. Their authentic ship was built in Maine by master shipwright Robert Stevens, and then shipped by freighter to Greenland. In 1997, the crew's efforts were thwarted by mishaps with the rudder. They set sail again in 1998 from Nuuk, where the ship was put in drydock storage, and where I took these photos, seen below. The crew eventually crossed Davis Straight, sailed down the coast, and landed at the old Viking settlement and World Heritage Site of L'Anse aux Meadows, on Newfoundland, on Sept. 23, 1998.

In 1998, I also visited one of the Viking settlements in the Vesterbygd region around Nuuk, where archaeologists have found many old farms (more than 100 at last count). To get there, I chartered a powerboat, and four of us cruised 90 kilometers through the stunningly beautiful fjord south of Nuuk called Lysefjord. Walls on either side towered as high as 3,000 feet. At the headwaters, where Viking colonists once lived, we saw the remnants of Sandnes, the farm of Leif Eriksson's son Torstein. (See photo to the right.) Not much remains but mounds and the outlines of a home and stable. What a lonely region at the end of the world it must have been for the isolated colonists who mysteriously disappeared six centuries earlier. We also saw reindeer aplenty, a white-tailed eagle, Inuit burial mounds, and a group of young Greenlanders at a fishing camp.

The next summer, in 1999, I returned to Greenland, but this time to the "eastern settlement" area called "Osterbygd," at Greenland's southwest tip. One finds the most famous Viking ruins in this region, including Brattahlid (Erik the Red's farm), the Norse Bishop's residence at Gardar, and Hvalsey Church. A hike in this region will take a visitor from Gardar to Hvalsey. It's a remarkable walk of some 60 kilometers.

During the summer 2000, I returned again to Greenland, this time as an official photographer for the Leif 2000 celebration. The festivities celebrated the 1,000th anniversary of Leif Eriksson's landing in North America. In Narsasuaq and Qassiarsuk (formerly Brattahlid), there were recreated Viking and Inuit living quarters, Vikings, and the star of the show, the Viking ship "Islendingür," which had sailed from Iceland. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Premier Jonathan Motzfeldt of Greenland, and President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson of Iceland -- plus several thousand Greenlanders, other foreign dignitaries, press members, and visitors -- attended the three-day festival. This was the biggest cultural event, if not the biggest party, south Greenland will see for years to come. A larger-than-life bronze statue of "Leif the Lucky" nows stands above Brattahlid, looking down the fjord, with perhaps one of the finest views of any statue anywhere on the planet.

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Hvalsey Church, Greenland

Hvalsey church, in southwest Greenland, is the best-preserved artifact of Norse Greenlanders, who mysteriously disappeared in the 15th century.

Medieval Clothing of Greenland Vikings

Greenland's Vikings were essentially medieval peasants, who wore clothing similar to replicas seen here, on display at the Narsaq museum.

Christian Greenland's Lasting Monument

The last known record of Greenland's Viking community was news of a wedding held here, at Hvalsey Church, in 1408 A.D.

Norse Greenlanders

Norwegian-borne missionary Hans Egede arrived in Greenland in 1721 hoping to find Norse Vikings, but he found only Inuit residents, whom he began converting to Christianity.

Brattahlid Barn

At Erik the Red's farm of Brattahlid, ruins of the barn are now covered in flowers.

The First Church in Greenland

At Brattahlid, an Icelandic company has rebuilt several original structures, including the first church ever in Greenland, created by Erik the Red's wife.

The Ruins of Gardar

The remnants of the tithing barn of the Norse Greenland bishopric in Gardar reveal the authority of the church over Greenland's impoverished Viking colonists.

Fixing Up Hvalsey

In July 1999, a work crew from the museum in Qaqortoq repair Hvalsey Church, correcting a sagging wall by 30 centimeters.

"Snorri" Woodwork

The craftsmanship of the authentic Viking ship called "Snorri" has earned praise from Viking experts.

The "Snorri" Viking Boat

The authentic Viking ship "Snorri" on drydock received final coats of pine tar before its trip in June 1998.

Final Work on the "Snorri"

The crew of the "Snorri" Viking ship prepares the vessel for its second and successful voyage from Greenland to Newfoundland.