What is the meaning of Ark's name in Terranigma?

My theory is that since Ark was created in the underworld city of Crysta, which was a copy of the overworld city of Stockholm, he is a copy of a person that lived in Scandinavia. Being that his name is Ark, I think that the person he was a copy of was Erik the Red, although why this would be so, I don't quite know.

Erik the Red discovered Greenland, which is one of many places that Ark visits. Ark also rescues Columbus, another famous mariner.