Erik the Red

Hello! My name is Erik the Red. People called me that because I had a big, red beard and lots of red hair! I was a Viking, and I loved to explore. I had a giant wooden boat that we called a longship. It was my favorite thing in the world. My friends and I would get on our ship and sail across the big, blue water. We sailed to find new places and have great adventures. Sailing on the sea was always so exciting.

One day, I needed to find a new place for my family to live. So, I got on my longship and sailed far, far away across the big ocean. Around the year 982, I found a brand new land. It was very big and had lots of ice and snow. I wanted my friends to come live there with me, so I gave it a friendly name. I called it Greenland. I hoped the name would make it sound like a warm and happy place. And it worked! Many of my friends sailed their ships to join me. We all built new homes together in Greenland.

I had a wonderful family, and my son was named Leif Erikson. He grew up to be an explorer, just like his dad! He sailed on his own big adventures to find new places, too. My biggest adventure was finding Greenland and starting a new community where we could all live. I lived a long and adventurous life. People today remember me as a brave Viking explorer who wasn't afraid to sail his longship into the unknown to discover something new.