WALRUS AND NARWHAL HUNTING

In 982 Erik the Red was made an outlaw in Iceland. This meant that anyone could kill him without facing punishment.

He therefore sailed to Greenland with 25 ships. Only 14 made it.

The Norse settled in southern Greenland. Here they lived for 500 years.

In the summer they went to Disko Bay to catch walrus and narwhals.

• Why did Erik the Red go to Greenland?

• How many ships did he start with – how many made it?

• The Norse lived in southern Greenland but in the summer went to Disko Bay. Why?

Around 1200 the Inuit came to Greenland. They came from Canada.

They travelled along the coast to find good hunting places. Some settled at Sermermiut. Here they met the Norse that had come to the Disko Bay to catch whales.

A proof of the meeting between the Inuit and the Norse is the discovery of some  wooden dolls, made by the Inuit, that look like the Norse.

• The picture shows two Norse people, a man and a woman. Make a drawing of an Inuit woman and an Inuit man.

  My drawing:

• Where did the Inuit come from?

• Where did the Norse come from?

In 982 Erik the Red was made an outlaw in Iceland. This meant that anyone could kill him without facing punishment.

He therefore sailed to Greenland with 25 ships. Only 14 made it.

The survivors are called Norse.

The Norse settled in southern Greenland. Here they lived as farmers and herdsmen for 500 years.

In the summer they went to Disko Bay to catch walrus and narwhals.

• Why was Erik the Red made an outlaw?

• Make a model/drawing of the ships the Norse used when sailing to Greenland.

  My model: 

• What people did the Norse meet in the settlements at the Disko Bay?

Around 1200 the Inuit came to Greenland. They came from Canada.

They travelled along the coast to find good hunting places. Some settled at Sermermiut. Here they met the Norse that had come to the Disko Bay to catch whales.

A proof of the meeting between the Inuit and the Norse is the discovery of some  wooden dolls, made by the Inuit, that look like the Norse.

• What would the wooden dolls look like if they were Inuit? Draw or write.

• In what century did the Norse meet Inuit?

• What useful materials did the Norse leave behind when they disappeared from Greenland? See page 13 in the book.

The Norse came to Greenland in 982 and travelled to the Disko Bay to obtain ivory from walrus and narwhal.

In the picture you see the Gunhild Cross, made of walrus tusk.

• Search the Internet and find the story of the Gunhild cross.

• How many of Erik the Red’s ships made it through the ice-cold and dangerous waters?

• What was ivory from walrus and narwhal used for?

Around 1200 the Inuit came to Greenland. They came from Canada.

They travelled along the coast to find good hunting places. Some settled at Sermermiut. Here they met the Norse that had come to the Disko Bay to catch whales.

A proof of the meeting between the Inuit and the Norse is the discovery of some  wooden dolls, made by the Inuit, that look like the Norse.

• Why did the Inuit travel down along the west coast?

• What do you see in the ice floe on page 9?

• What did the Norse leave behind when they left Greenland?

The Norse came to Greenland in 982 and travelled to the Disko Bay to obtain ivory from walrus and narwhal.

In the picture you see the Gunhild Cross, made of walrus tusk.

• Search the Internet and find the story of the Gunhild cross.

• Erik the Red started the history of the Norse in Greenland – who was he?

• What is ivory?

Around 1200 the Inuit came to Greenland. They came from Canada.

They travelled along the coast to find good hunting places. Some settled at Sermermiut. Here they met the Norse that had come to the Disko Bay to catch whales.

A proof of the meeting between the Inuit and the Norse is the discovery of some  wooden dolls, made by the Inuit, that look like the Norse.

• Where does the Greenlandic people come from?

• What do you see in the ice floe on page 9?

• What could the Inuit use iron for?