Qassiarsuk
Qassiarsuk is a small farming village of around 50 people on Tunulliarfik Fjord in South Greenland, built on and around the site of Brattahlíð, the estate of the Norse explorer Erik the Red. Erik established his chieftain's seat here around 985 AD after sailing from Iceland and naming the land Greenland, and the sagas record that he arrived with a fleet of 25 ships of which only 14 survived the crossing. His son Leif Eriksson departed from Brattahlíð around 1000 AD on the voyage that would bring him to North America, pre-dating Columbus by five centuries. Erik's wife Thjodhilde converted to Christianity and persuaded the construction of a small church here, considered the first Christian church built on the North American continent. A reconstruction of both the longhouse and Thjodhilde's Church, built in 2000 to mark the millennium, stand at the site today alongside the original Norse ruins.
Where Erik the Red Built His Home, Leif Eriksson Sailed for America, and Christianity First Reached the New World
Erik the Red arrived in Greenland around 982 AD after being declared an outlaw in Iceland following a series of killings. He spent three years exploring the southern coast before returning to Iceland to recruit settlers, reportedly naming the land Greenland to make it sound more appealing. In 985 AD he led a colonisation fleet of 25 ships, of which 14 survived the crossing, and established his chieftain's estate at Brattahlíð on the lush green slopes above Tunulliarfik Fjord. The site was well chosen: the fjord provided access to the sea, the valley land was fertile enough for grazing cattle and sheep, and the position gave command over the surrounding Eastern Settlement. Brattahlíð remained the most important farm in Norse Greenland for the duration of the Eastern Settlement, roughly 500 years. The ruins of the original farm buildings, living quarters, and outhouses remain visible at the surface of the site today.
Thjodhilde's Church, named after Erik's wife, is considered the first Christian church to be built on the North American continent, constructed around 1000 AD when Leif Eriksson brought Christianity back to Greenland from Norway. According to the Vinland Sagas, Thjodhilde converted eagerly but Erik himself refused, causing a domestic rift that the sagas describe with some relish. The original church was a small turf structure, the foundations of which were excavated in the 1960s. A reconstruction built in 2000 to mark the millennium anniversary of Leif's voyage to North America stands near the original foundations and can be entered by visitors. A reconstructed Norse longhouse built at the same time gives a sense of the scale and layout of the original settlement. A statue of Leif Eriksson stands nearby, a gift from the United States.
Qassiarsuk is accessed by a short boat crossing from Narsarsuaq, approximately five kilometres across the fjord, with crossings taking around 15 to 20 minutes. The village has guesthouse accommodation and a small supermarket. Hiking trails connect Qassiarsuk to neighbouring settlements, and the surrounding landscape of green fjord slopes, red dirt paths, and sheep pastures gives a striking impression of continuity with the farming traditions established here over a thousand years ago. Qassiarsuk is part of the Kujataa UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2017 for its Norse and Inuit farming heritage, and forms the most historically significant single location within that cluster.
