29th November 2025 29th November 2025 By Victor Rouă In

Norse-Inuit Trade In Greenland And The Arctic Region

It is no secret that the Norsemen (commonly known as the Vikings, though the term Viking denotes an occupation or profession rather than an ethnicity) were skilled navigators and merchants (in addition to feared warriors), but what some might not know is the fact that they conducted trade in some of the areas with the harshest climates in the world during the Viking Age. The Norse-Inuit trade is a notable example of such commerce conducted in some of the least populous and harshest environments in climatological regards on the globe, namely Greenland and several islands in the Canadian high arctic region. In this regard, from a modern understanding, the Norse can be perceived as adventure-driven proto-capitalists throughout their voyages. This article will briefly explore the theme of Norse-Inuit trade.

Map depicting the vast Arctic region where the Norse ventured during the Viking Age in order to settle and trade. This map also depicts the Northwest Passage and the Northeast Passage. Image source: Wikimedia Commons

The Norse colonised Iceland and then Greenland as well as Vinland (i.e. present-day Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) during the Early Middle Ages. In their process of settlement, they encountered several Native American populations whom they collectively called ‘Skraelings‘ or ‘Skrælings’. The term skraeling has a rather derogatory or pejorative connotation in Old Norse, meaning ‘weakling’ or ‘barbarian’. In the contemporary North Germanic languages Icelandic, Norwegian, and Danish it has retained its original meaning stemming from Old Norse, the language from which all North Germanic languages are descended. These Native American populations were the Thule culture, the Dorset culture as well as the ancestors of the Beothuk culture in Newfoundland. As per the Icelandic sagas (which constitute a very important part of Old Norse literature, although sometimes they should be treated with a pinch of salt in terms of historical accuracy), these Native American populations were described as predominantly hostile in their interaction with the Norse (although several more peaceful episodes allowed for beneficial trade between them and the Norse).

The Norse settlements in Greenland are known as the Eastern Settlement (or Eystribygð in Old Norse), the Middle Settlement (Midtbygd, often perceived as part of the Eastern Settlement proper), and the Western Settlement (Vestribygð). From there, they settled southward to North America, naming three regions that they spotted as follows: Helluland (i.e. the land of flat stones, corresponding to Baffin Island), Markland (i.e. wooden land, corresponding to modern-day Labrador), and Vinland (i.e. the land of wine, corresponding to present-day Newfoundland). But the Norse also ventured even more northward from Greenland, past Baffin Island to Ellesmere Island, Skraeling Island, and the Ruin Island respectively.

The location of the Skraeling Island, a small island off the coast of the larger Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic Region, part of the vast Nunavut territory. Image source: personal screenshot on Google Maps

Satellite image from 2006 by NASA depicting Ellesmere Island (the northernmost island of Canada and the third largest Canadian island, belonging to the Queen Elizabeth Islands) which is part of the vast territory of Nunavut in the Canadian High Arctic region. Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Satellite image from 2006 by NASA depicting the Northwest Passage which was likely used by the Norwegian Vikings during the Viking Age in order to get to several islands where they traded and hunted for limited periods of time with the indigenous Inuits. Image source: Wikimedia Commons

During the late 1970s, a series of Norse artefacts were discovered on Ellesmere Island and Skraeling Island. In addition, archaeological finds were also unearthed on Baffin Island (more specifically in Tanfield Valley). The trade between the Norse and the Inuits involved ivory, textiles, furs, and food. On Greenland, the Norse raised cattle, goats, and sheep. The northern hunting grounds situated north of the Western Settlement were known to the Norse as Norðursetur and they were situated in the region of the Disko Bay and even more north compared to it. It was from these frozen region that the Norse were able to acquire important resources such as narwhal and seals. They exported these resources to Europe as well. Thank you very much for your time, attention, and readership! All the best!

Documentation sources and external links:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.