Walrus Ivory and a History of Trade: Greenland Trade Networks in the North Atlantic

Abstract

Focusing on the trade of walrus ivory between the Norse settlement of Greenland and Norway, this paper examines the evidence of trade in order to propose an interconnected understanding of the Viking North Atlantic. Beginning with trade norms built on a communal sense of honour and trust, the Scandinavian trade networks stretched across the North Atlantic as the Vikings moved west to settle new lands, connecting the North Atlantic. By examining the existence and prominence of trade in Viking culture, the foundation for trade with the Greenland settlement can be traced through the different trading centres across the Viking world. This provides new interpretations to the motives for the settlement of Greenland. Using the case of the Lewis Chessmen, the extent of North Atlantic trade networks can be revealed.