Erik traveled to Oxney Island and intended to build a house that included ornamental beams that had mystical value for his family. A dispute ensued with the family in Iceland charged with keeping the beams for Erik. In the conflict, Erik killed two people. The dispute and killings were brought to the Althing (Viking Parliament) where it was determined to again banish Erik from Iceland for three years.

Erik then began exploration and 'discovered' an unoccupied land mass that he decided to colonize. He named the land mass Greenland in order to attract colonists. Temperatures being more moderate at the time, Erik's Greenland colony grew to 5000 people. In 1002 immigrants to Greenland brought an epidemic resulting in death of many colonists, including Erik. The colony continued to prosper until the mini Ice Age in the 15th century, which made Greenland almost uninhabitable.