Greenland or the false legacy of a name

I don't know if you have noticed this, but Greenland's popularity tends to climb almost as quickly as greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. One might imagine this is linked to its scientific and potential business opportunities. But this would be shortsighted. Actually, the ones that I most often hear talking about Greenland lately are climate skeptics. If this sounds like a paradox to you, it might be because you have not fully realized the potential of a name like Greenland.

The general line of thinking goes as follows: the island known as Greenland was named in the 10th century, a time which has become known as the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean. Scientists believe that temperatures during that time were close to the ones recorded today in this part of the world. Yet, for any sane being born today, the name "green land" clearly seems more suited to the grassy shores of Ireland than to the ice-cold fjords of Greenland. One can thus easily conclude that if Greenland looked like Ireland one thousand years ago during the MWP, then the climate at the time was obviously warmer than today, which would imply that we are still within the normal range of temperature variation. This whole thought may seem simple and clear-cut... but does sadly not take into account the fact that Erik the red, the "discoverer" of Greenland, was not a great friend of simplicity.

A violent yet creative character...
Even for the standards of his time, Erik the red was definitely not the kind of man you would like your daughter to marry. Born in Norway around 950, he was banned from the country around his 25th birthday, after having killed a man. He moved to Iceland, then a Norwegian colony. Unfortunately, his stay there did not attract him many friends. Neighbours seemed to have serious difficulties understanding his point of view on various matters and this led to several bloody arguments. Around 982, Erik drove his sword yet one time too much and was forced into exile once again.

This second conviction was no doubt a very serious matter. Forbidden to enter either Norway or Iceland (the latter for a presumed period of three years), Erik found himself into a deadlock. As a man of will (or maybe because he was driven by despair), he remembered old tales describing how Gunnbjörn, a sailor that lived a century ago, had found a land further west. Having nothing to lose, Erik decided to risk it; chartering a ship, he sailed west, hoping to find this land. His quest was successful: having reached Greenland, Erik explored the island and finally decided he would found a colony there.

... for one of the most talented advertiser of History
At this point of the story, one cannot help but suspect that the three years spent in Greenland made it clear for Erik that the place was probably not the most well-suited for his grand plans. A colony based on trade would indeed have the greatest difficulties in a place so far away from Norway, locked into the ice for most of the year. The main other resource of Nordic colonies, livestock rearing, would certainly not be easy to develop either, as the long winters meant that grasslands could only be used three months in a year. Even worse, wood and iron were rare. But for Erik, nothing was impossible and he pursued his goal with great tenacity. However, being (or so it seems) rather realistic, Erik sensed that describing his newfound land as "Snowland" would probably not be the best way to achieve success. This is why, according to some Nordic chronicles, he named the island "Greenland", hoping that a beautiful name would help attract people. His bet was right and marked the beginning of an adventure that would last 400 years... and a myth that would last even more.

French version can be found at Erik, ce grand farceur

Sources:
Collapse, from Jared Diamond
Heimskringla, text of the Scandinavian saga, notably Islendingabök