42 A rctic and A nt arctic Exploration [part i 
slatr, on the south side of Hoamms-fjord. In the spring 
he began to organise his expedition to form a settlement 
in the new land. Many friends and adherents accepted 
the invitation, and in 985 a.d. a fleet of ships arrived 
in the fjords of Greenland with horses, cattle, sheep, 
goats, and building materials. Red Erik made his home 
with his wife and sons at Brattahlid. His friends 
occupied the shores of the other fjords, which were called 
by their names. Herjulf and his son Bjarni were in 
the fjord nearest to Cape Farewell, called Herjulf s fjord. 
Ketil was in Ketil's fjord, the next to the north, Rafn 
occupied the Rafn's fjord, Helgi Thorbrandsen was in 
Alpte fjord, and so on with Einar, Hafgrim, Arnlang, 
and other bold Vikings. 
Erik and his followers still held the ancient faith, 
and for twenty more years Odin and Thor presided over the 
fortunes of Greenland. But it was a time of transition ; 
news of the "white Christ" had reached Iceland, and the 
masterful Kings of Norway, Olaf the Saint and Olaf 
Tryggvason, were introducing the new creed by force. 
The first important event in the new colony was the 
voyage of Leif, the son of Erik, to Norway in 999. He 
was driven out of his course to the Hebrides, where he 
passed the summer and became enamoured of a girl of 
rare intelligence named Thorgunna. She had a son, Thor- 
gils, by him, and eventually brought him to Greenland to 
take his place as the son of Leif. But Thorgunna remained 
at her own home when Leif left the Hebrides and sailed 
away to the court of the King of Norway at Nidaros 
(Trondhjem). He was well received by Olaf Tryggvason, 
who ordered him to become a Christian, and to return to 
Greenland and proclaim Christianity to the settlers. 
Leif took leave of the King, and again put to sea. 
He encountered bad weather, and was tossed about for 
many days and driven out of his course. At length he 
came to a new land where there were currants and self- 
sown corn, and also trees called mausar 1 . He had reached 
the eastern coast of Newfoundland. Leif wintered at 
this land, which he called Vinland. In the spring he 
shaped a course for Greenland, and saved some people 
1 The mausar, which was highly prized, may have been some kind of 
maple or birch. 
