Erik Eriksen (explorer)
Encyclopedia
Erik Eriksen was a Norwegian
ice sea captain born in Lyngør, Norway
. He later moved to Hammerfest
, Norway. Eriksen was the inventor of the grenade harpoon
used in modern whaling. Erik Eriksen travelled to Tønsberg
with a wooden model to commercialize the harpoon with the help of Svend Foyn
. Svend Foyn patented and industrialized the harpoon. Erik Eriksen did neither get profits nor honor for the invention, but Svend Foyn
later helped out his family in Hammerfest after Eriksen left his wife and 9 children and emigrated to the U.S.A. where he died in a blizzard in Dakota
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
ice sea captain born in Lyngør, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. He later moved to Hammerfest
Hammerfest
is a city and municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The municipality encompasses parts of three islands: Kvaløya, Sørøya, and Seiland. Hammerfest was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
, Norway. Eriksen was the inventor of the grenade harpoon
Harpoon
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing to catch fish or large marine mammals such as whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the butt of the projectile to catch the animal...
used in modern whaling. Erik Eriksen travelled to Tønsberg
Tønsberg
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, southern Norway, located around north-east of Sandefjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tønsberg....
with a wooden model to commercialize the harpoon with the help of Svend Foyn
Svend Foyn
Svend Foyn was a Norwegian whaling and shipping magnate who pioneered revolutionary methods for hunting and processing whales. Svend Foyn introduced the modern harpoon gun and brought whaling into a modern age....
. Svend Foyn patented and industrialized the harpoon. Erik Eriksen did neither get profits nor honor for the invention, but Svend Foyn
Svend Foyn
Svend Foyn was a Norwegian whaling and shipping magnate who pioneered revolutionary methods for hunting and processing whales. Svend Foyn introduced the modern harpoon gun and brought whaling into a modern age....
later helped out his family in Hammerfest after Eriksen left his wife and 9 children and emigrated to the U.S.A. where he died in a blizzard in Dakota
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
.