viking sword erik the redErik Thorvaldsson (950 c. 1003), better known as Erik the Red, was a Viking from Norway. He is most famous for founding the first Norse settlement in Greenland, a key moment in Viking exploration. According to Icelandic traditions, he was born in the Jren region of Rogaland, Norway, to orvald svaldsson, and thus his full name was Erik Thorvaldsson. The nickname "the Red" likely refers to the color of his hair and beard. Erik's father was exiled from