Those who called Greenland ‘home’

The first inhabitants

The first humans to set foot on Greenland are thought to be the pre-Inuit Saqqaq people, who moved there from continental North America in 2500 B.C. This was before the Bronze Age, around the same time the Pitted Ware culture existed in Scandinavia. However, the harsh climate and remoteness they encountered in Greenland made permanent settlement—and even survival—difficult.

For several centuries, different groups of immigrants succeeded each other, each bringing a new culture with them. The Saqqaq culture remained from approximately 2500 to 800 B.C., together with the Independence I culture, located in northern Greenland from around 2400 to 1300 B.C. Both of these cultures are said to stem from separate groups that originally came from northern Canada.

Around 800 B.C., the so-called Independence II culture arose, who followed in the footsteps of the Independence I culture and were contemporaries of the Early Dorset people. Several cultures rose and fell for centuries, until the Norse (a.k.a. Vikings) arrived in Greenland around 980 A.D. Thule culture arrived around 1200 A.D. By this time, the Late Dorset people had established permanent settlements in parts of the island.

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Photo: Karsten Bidstrup, Camille Seaman and Andreas Kalvig Anderson

A new era

It is assumed that Europeans became aware of Greenland’s existence around the early 10th century. Norse explorer Erik Thorvaldsson, known as ‘Erik the Red’, is described as the founder of the first settlement in Greenland—at least according to several Icelandic sagas. He supposedly earned his nickname because of his fire-colored hair and beard, as well as his hot temper.

The redheaded explorer set out on an expedition from Iceland in the 980s, finally reaching the southwest coast of Greenland. Finding it uninhabited, the Vikings settled there, and Erik named the island Grænland, literally meaning ‘green land’. His thinking was that this name would make the place sound inviting to others. Despite how icy the country is today, it’s likely that Greenland really was quite green at the time, especially in comparison to Iceland.

Erik established the chieftain’s seat of power at Brattahlið, now known as Qassiarsuk, in southern Greenland. Others traveled further north and settled close to a fjord near Nuuk (today’s capital), giving the Norse control in both the south and the north. They had a peak population of about 2,000, while Greenlandic peoples inhabited other parts of the land. New research suggests that at some point, the two peoples might have even lived in the same places at the same time.

Many Norse made a living as farmers, keeping cattle, sheep, and goats. Others were hunters and merchants, hunting walrus, polar bears, and narwhals for their skins, hides, and ivory. They lived mainly off the seals they hunted. They also traded ivory from walrus tusks with Europe and exported rope, sheep, seals, and wool.

In approximately 1000 A.D., Christianity came to the island via Erik the Red’s son, Leif Erikson. Leif, who often went by ‘Leif the Fortunate’, returned to Greenland after a long stretch spent in Norway, his father’s homeland. He brought with him Christian missionaries who established the first Christian church in Greenland, called Tjodhilde’s Church, after Erik’s wife. Today, you can visit a small replica of the original church in Qassiarsuk.

Norse society survived in Greenland for around 500 years before disappearing around 1450–1500. There are several theories surrounding its collapse, ranging from the gradual climate change leading to an increasingly challenging natural environment and conflict with the Greenlandic peoples to a loss of contact and support from Europe. Another possible reason was the lack of demand for their ivory, which was now being imported from other countries. Cultural conservatism and inbreeding in the Norse community may have also played a part. The end of their era was likely a result of multiple factors.

While sailing with us, you’ll have the opportunity to travel in the footsteps of these early explorers and settlers and experience a unique culture that has been molded by centuries of different cultures and peoples.