Eric Bloodaxe: The Viking Who Reigned Over Norway and Northumbria (885-954)

Previously on this blog, we have discussed the lifetime of the first king of Norway. As promised, to follow that post we proceed with Harald Fairhair's son, Eric Bloodaxe. Who was this king who received this surname? What can be expected of him? Like his father, he too was a viking, but what were his deeds? These were the questions that motivated us in order to attempt to bring a discussion about this royal man.

Eric (in Norse language written as Eirik) was probably the oldest, but certaintly the favourite, son of Harald Fairhair, first King of all Norway. His mother is allegedly a woman of noble birth named Ragnhildr in rika, who some sources claim to be the daughter of Eric of Jutland. But there is not much to know about his childhood. What comes to us is that he began as Viking at the age of 12. Following one of the expeditions, he was married to Gunnhild, who was the daughter of Gorm inn Gamili ("the Old") of Denmark (whom we have already discussed on this blog as well). Sources claim Gunnhild as a witch, and the reasons for such we can only speculate.

Afterwards, we come to circumnstances that contributed to why Eric was known as "Bloodaxe". As it explains below:

"It is said that Erik secured his importance by gradually killing all of his brothers. These actions probably gave him his nickname 'Bloodaxe' and in one of the Latin texts dated to 1200s, Erik is called "fratris interfector"- brother killer."

The problem of heritance which we have mentioned when discussing the reign of Harald I of Norway is explained by the great number of children Harald left. Although they were given lands to be overlords, Eric's authority was contested by them and so Eric resolved this issue by killing them. Hence the nickname.

But this did not mean Eric had a long and prosperous reign in Norway; even though he had his brothers killed, one did not. Apparently a half younger brother named Hakan was living under protection of the king Aethelstan of England, who, in turn, seemed to have been friends of the predecessor king of Norway. As we can see in the following paragraph:

"Erik's reign in Norway was apparently hard and unpopular, and his royal power was challenged by his one surviving, younger half-brother Hakan, who is said to have grown up in England at King Aethelstan's court. Hakan sailed to Norway to claim their inheritance, and Erik fled to England, where he was occupied with raids in Scotland and around the Irish Sea. Ancient tales say he was welcomed by Aethelstan because of the friendship between his father, Harald Fairhair, and Aethelstan, who appointed him ruler of the Viking kingdom of Jorvik Northumbria. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and various Irish chronicles, Erik became King of Northumbria (c.947-94), that is, several years after the death of Aethelsatan, but a later chronicle of William of Malmesbury mentions diplomatic relations between Athelstan and Harald Fairhair that fit with the fairy tale tradition."

However began the conflict for the crown of Norway, it is clear that Eric, even if he had inherited any warrior skills of his father, could not hold it from Hakan and that way he went to exile in York (then written and spoken as Jorvic) within the realm of Northumbria. This is why Eric was also regarded as King of Northumbria as much as he was King of Norway. Even in exile, accounts claim that Eric's children inherited the norwegian crown.

To keep the crown of Northumbria was, nevertheless, just as difficult as it was in Norway. King Eadred fought quite a resistance against the Viking's dominion over that english area. On that matter, it is said that:

"Archbishop Wulfstan of York reneged on his pledge to Edred of England and hastened to offer his alliegience to Eric. Northumbria had previously been bitterly fought over between the Saxon kings and the Hiberno-Norse line of descendants from Ímair, kings of Dublin."

Even so, apparently this Saxon king won the crown over Eric's as it states below:

"As the English army headed south, Eric Bloodaxe's army caught up with its rearguard and made a great slaughter at Castleford. Eadred threatened to destroy Northumbria in revenge, and the Northumbrians turned their back on Eric and made reparations to the English king. 

After another change of mind they accepted Olaf Sihtricsson as their ruler, only for Eric to drive him out and take over again. Finally in 954, Eric Bloodaxe was expelled for the second and final time and King Eadred of Wessex and England gained control."

Finally, this lead us to conclude that

"More careful examination of Eric's story suggests that things were rather more complicated. Despite his reputation as warrior, Eric apparently abandoned Norway to his brother Hakon [...] and he was subsequently driven out of Northumbria at least twice. The sagas represent him very much as a henpecked husband, and the likely origin of his nickname is both murkier and less glorious than the obvious explanation of his prowess in battle." 

However was the end of Eric, killed in battlefield or dead after he was driven out of Northumbria for the second time, he, like his father before him, was a man of his days. A man who lived accordingly his times, perhaps he would have succeeded better not being a ruler, but that is how history of monarchy is made: sometimes strenght is just not enough. Regardless, Eric left a reputation and by some means he earned respect if not inspired fear in his contemporaries.

To end this post, here's a "skaldic poem Eirkismàl ('The Lay of Eric')", in which "describes Eric's heroic entrance into Valhalla and his welcome by the gods after his death in Stainmore":

What dream is that? quoth Odin,
I thought to rise ere day-break
To make Valhall ready
For troops of slain;
I roused the champions,
Bade them rise swiftly
Benches to strew,
To wash beer-flagons,
The Valkyries to pour wine
As a prince were coming

Sources:

-http://www.ancientpages.com/2016/09/29/famous-viking-warrior-eric-bloodaxe-haraldsson-king-of-norway/

-http://www.historyofyork.org.uk/themes/viking/eric-bloodaxe

-http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/vikings_8.html

-http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/bloodaxe_01.shtml

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Bloodaxe

Harald Fairhair of Norway: The Story Of The 'Viking' Who Became The First King Of Norway (c.850-932)

For nearly two months this blog hasn't been posted due to the lack of inspiration of our part, and for that we apologize. Initially we thought about preparing for a post concerning the Roman emperors, but whilst inspiration for that subject does not come for now, the swift to another was found necessary. So we have decided to go back to the topic where vikings became the overlords of their own kingdoms.

As such, we firstly came across with other historical figures such as the proeminent and nearly a mythological being Ragnar Lothbrok before reaching the one we intend to approach this day. Who was Harald Fiarhair and how did he become the first king of Norway? Questions as these are what move us in finding out about him in the hopes to enlighten this forgotten royal.

We do not know much of this character's background due to the lack of reliable sources. However, those we consulted lead us to some aspects of his life that made Harald quite respected during his lifetime and possibly after. As for example, Harald was known for being the son of Halvdan the Black. Some believe he was a king, others claim that Halvdan was järl (earl). Whether was the case, Halvdan ruled "part of southeastern Norwary" and was part of one of the oldest royal houses of Sweden, the Yngling dynasty.

What happened next was Harald ascending as a king or as jarl upon the death of his father, when he was ten years of age. Apparently "his father drowned because he crashed his sleigh". But History tells us countless times the result of a young sovereing on a throne. With Harald, could be not different. Other järls took in arms against him, but surprisingly were won by the ten year old Harald. As said below:

"His first conquest came with the suppression of a revolt in the Uplands region. A pact with Haakon, earl of Lade, enabled him to pursue conquest of the western districts, culminating in the battle of Hafrsfjord, dated 872 by medieval historians but placed 10 to 20 years later by modern historians."

It is also claimed that during his minority, his "protector-regent was his mother's brother Guthorm". Afterwards, comes a tale about the time he reached the age of marriage. He was proposing a woman of noble birth named Gyda, but she refused the proposal because she thought he was the overlord of insignifcant lands. Harald vowed not to cut his hair until the united all of what we know today as Norway. And only cut it after he and the said woman were married. If this story is accurate or not, we cannot tell for certain, after all, the accounts of his children differ whether he had 8-11 or about 20 with different wives.

What we do know, however, is that:

"Harald's conquests and taxation system led many chiefs and their followers to emigrate to the British Isles, adjacent lands, and perhaps to Iceland, which first became known to Scandinavians during the era of Harald's rule. He acquired wealth through his control of coastal trade but ruled indirectly through lesser chieftains in areas other than his own tightly controlled home district, in the southwest. His major governmental contribution lay in the development of provincial administrations through such chieftains."

This is the result of the many battles he fought, all of which he left victorious as we can perceive below:

"At one battle, the battle of Trondheim, he defeated eight kings in eight different battles in order to take the city. In another battle, he defeated three other kings at once. Jarls submitted to him left and right, yielding their lands to his rule. The story goes he'd personally charge into combat at the head of a force of over 60 Viking beserkers who would literally go nuts, froth at the mouth, and rip apart armor with their bare hands. Harald let his conquered kingdoms live in peace, so long as they submitted to him. He only imposed a land tax and took twenty thanes from each king to add to his army. "

In spite of this accord where some of the jarls kept their lands but had to respond for the authority of Harald, there had been threats that, as previously mentioned, not only were resolved with the exile that consequently established Iceland, but also as seen below:

"Many Norwegian chieftains who were wealthy and respected posed a threat to Harald; therefore, they were subjected to much harassment from Harald, prompting them to vacate the land. At last, Harald was forced to make an expedition to the West, to clear the islands and the Scottish mainland of some Vikings who tried to hide there. The earliest narrative source which mentions Harald, the 12th century íslendingabók notes that Iceland was settled during his lifetime. Harald is thus depicted as the prime cause of the Norse settlement of Iceland and beyond. Iceland was settled by 'malcontents' from Norway, who resented Harald's claim of rights of taxation over lands, which the possessors appear to have previously held in absolute ownershipr."

Unfortunately there are not many informations concerning the wherabouts of his reign, except that the latter part of his life was marked by problems of inheritance since he had many children. The excerpt below can show it to us better:

"The number of sons he left varies in the different saga accounts, from 11 to 20. Twelve of his sons are named as kings, two of them over the whole country. He gave them all the royal title and assigned lands to them, which they were to govern as his representatives: but this arrangement did not put an end to the discord, which continued into the next reign. When he grew old, Harald handed over the supreme power to his favourite son Eirik Bloodaxe, whom he intended to be his successor. Eirik I ruled side-by-side with his father when Harald was 80 years old. Harald died three years later due to age in approximately 933." 

What is known of Harald afterwards is that it is believed he was buried  under a mound close by the church of Haugesund in the area that is known nowadays for the same name. That being said, Harald filled the expectations of his days, building not only a reputation of an excellent warrior, something his son and the next subject of this blog would follow, but that of a respectful king. It is an unfortunate for us that not much of those days have survived. 

Sources:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Fairhair

-https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harald-I-king-of-Norway

-http://historythings.com/historys-badasses-harald-fairhair/

-https://www.sailmagazine.com/cruising/norse-longship-draken-harald-harfagre-voyage