While Erik's wife took heartily to Christianity, even commissioning Greenland's first church, Erik greatly disliked it and stuck to his Norse gods-which, the sagas relate, led Þjódhild to withhold intercourse from her husband. Unlike his son Leif and Leif's wife, who became Christians, Erik remained a follower of Norse paganism. Medieval Icelandic tradition relates that Erik the Red and his wife Þjódhild had four children: a daughter, Freydís, and three sons, the explorer Leif Erikson, Thorvald and Thorstein. Þjódhild was the daughter of Jorundur Ulfsson and Þorbjorg Gilsdottir. Marriage and family Įrik married Þjódhild Jorundsdottir and moved to Haukadalr (Hawksdale) where he built a farm called Eiríksstaðir.
He sailed west from Norway with his family, including 10-year-old Erik, and settled in Hornstrandir in northwestern Iceland, where he eventually died before 1000 CE. As a method of conflict resolution that subsequently became something of a family custom, Erik the Red's father, Thorvald Asvaldsson, was banished from Norway for manslaughter. He was the son of Thorvald Asvaldson (also spelled Osvaldson). Personal life Early life Įrik Thorvaldsson was born in Rogaland, Norway in 950 CE.