FACTOID # 52: The fourteen unhappiest countries are all in Eastern Europe.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

Encyclopedia > Eric Bloodaxe
Eirik Bloodaxe
King of Norway
Reign c. 931 – c. 933
Born c. 895
Died 954
Battle of Stainmore
Predecessor Harold Fairhair
Successor Håkon the Good
Consort Gunnhild Ossursdotter
Issue Gamle
Guttorm
Harald Greyhide
Ragnfrød
Ragnhild
Erling
Gudrød
Sigurd Sleva
Dynasty Fairhair dynasty
Father Harold Fairhair
Mother Ragnhild Eiriksdotter

Eirik Bloodaxe (Old Norse: Eiríkr blóðøx, Norwegian: Eirik Blodøks), (c. 895–954), was the second king of Norway (930–934) and the eldest son of Harald Fairhair. Once the power was in his hands, he began to quarrel with his other brothers and had four of them killed, including Bjørn Farmann and later Olaf and Sigrød in battle at Tønsberg. A Latin text describes him as fratris interfector (brother-slayer), and it is entirely conceivable that the "blood" component of his cognomen refers to his propensity for fratricide. Events Ramiro II of Leon becomes king of León Eric Bloodaxe becomes second king of Norway Births Deaths Emperor Uda of Japan Harald I of Norway Categories: 931 ... Events Jersey was seized by William Longsword, Duke of Normandy . ... Events Bohemia breaks away from Great Moravia Arnulf of Carinthia undertakes his second Italian campaign Approximate date of composition of the Musica enchiriadis, the beginnings of western polyphonic music Births Athelstan of England Erik Bloodaxe, king of Norway 933-935 (+954) Deaths Categories: 895 ... Events King Malcolm I of Scotland is killed in battle against Highlanders. ... Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair (Old Norse:Haraldr hinn hárfagri, Icelandic:Haraldur hinn hárfagri, Norwegian:Harald HÃ¥rfagre) (c. ... Haakon I (ca. ... Harald II (-976), surnamed Gråfell (Norwegian) / Graafeld (Danish) / Greyhide (English), was the son of Eric Bloodaxe and a grandson of Harald Finehair. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair (Old Norse:Haraldr hinn hárfagri, Icelandic:Haraldur hinn hárfagri, Norwegian:Harald HÃ¥rfagre) (c. ... Old Norse is the Germanic language spoken by the inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300. ... Events With the establishment of the Icelandic Althing, now the worlds oldest parliament, the Icelandic Commonwealth is founded. ... Events The Goryeo army defeats Hubaekje forces in present-day Hongseong County. ... Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair (Old Norse: Haraldr hárfagri, Norwegian: Harald HÃ¥rfagre), (c. ... From Snorri Sturluson, Heimskringla, Harald Harfagers Saga: King Haralds son, Bjorn, ruled over Vestfold at that time, and generally lived at Tunsberg, and went but little on war expeditions. ... County District Viken Municipality NO-0704 Administrative centre Tønsberg Mayor (2004) Per Arne Olsen (FrP) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 381 107 km² 106 km² 0. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... The cognomen (name known by in English) was originally the third name of a Roman in the Roman naming convention. ... Fratricide (from the Latin word frater, meaning: brother and cide meaning to kill) is the act of a person killing his or her brother. ...


In 920, he undertook a Viking expedition to Bjarmaland, in northern Russia. In 930, be began his conquest by sailing down the Dvina River into Russia. There he sacked the small trading port of Permina. In Denmark he was invited to a feast by King Gorm the Old; it was at this feast where he met Gunnhild and married her the next night. Bjarmaland (a. ... The Northern Dvina (Се́верная Двина́) is a river in Northern Russia flowing through the Vologda Oblast and Arkhangelsk Oblast into the Dvina Bay of the White Sea. ... Gorm the Old (Gorm den Gamle) was King of Denmark in the mid-900s. ...


Gunnhild had some reputation of being a witch. One account described her as living in a hut with two Finnish wizards and learning their magic, and when they quarreled over her favors she set Eirik to kill them and then married him. There were also accounts which ascribed to her a part in killing some of her husband's brothers and other enemies by poisoning or raising storms to drown their ships. On occasion, she was reputed to go into prolonged trances in her chamber, and by some accounts she was believed at such times to be able to transform herself into a bird and in that guise cross great distances over land and sea, spy out the movements of hostile armies from the air or listen to the conversations of unsuspecting enemies. Whatever the factual basis for such stories, Erik might have found his wife's fearsome reputation useful. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Witchcraft. ... Language(s) Finnish, Swedish Languages related to Finnish include Estonian, Karelian, Vepsian, Võro and to a lesser extent, all Finno-Ugric Languages. ... The Enchanted Garden of Messer Ansaldo by Marie Spartali Stillman: a magician makes his garden bear fruit and flowers in winter. ...


In the next Spring Eirik slaughtered the combined forces of his brothers and regained his throne of Norway.


His youngest brother, Haakon, returned from England and won support from the Norwegian nobles to oust Eric in 934; Eric's rule was hard and despotic, and this would account for the alacrity with which the nobles joined forces to oust him. Haakon I (ca. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...


After waging unsuccessful campaigns to regain the throne, Eirik moved to the Orkney Islands and later to the Kingdom of Jorvik. He was initially met warmly by Athelstan, who made Eirik ruler in Northumbria, with a brief to provide a defence against the ravages of the Scots, and the Irish. His rule in Northumbria soon degenerated, however, and he was expelled by the populace and betrayed by the Earl of Bernicia, Osulf, to one Earl Maccus and killed on Stainmore, Westmorland, in 954 along with his son, Haeric. The Orkney Islands, usually called simply Orkney, are one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. ... Jorvik was the Viking name for the English city of York and the kingdom centered there. ... Section from Shepherds map of the British Isles about 802 AD showing the kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria is primarily the name of a petty kingdom of Angles which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, from two smaller kingdoms of Bernicia and Diera, and... Northumbria, a kingdom of Angles in northern England, was initially divided into two kingdoms, Bernicia and Deira. ... Osulf I (d. ... Westmorland (formerly also spelt Westmoreland, an even older spelling is Westmerland) is an area of north west England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. ...


Conflict with Egil Skallagrimsson

Through the instigation of his wife, Queen Gunnhild, King Eirik became involved in a prolonged conflict with Egil Skallagrimsson, the well-known Icelander viking and skald. Details of this affair had been preserved mainly through Egil's poetry (which is admittedly not an unbiased source) and the account—of which a summary follows—seems designed to enhance Egill's abilities as warrior, wizard, and poet. Picture of Egill in a 17th century manuscript of Egils Saga Egill Skallagrímsson (also Egill Skalla-Grímsson) was a viking and a skald. ... For other uses, see Viking (disambiguation). ... The skald was a member of a group of courtly poets, whose poetry is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic leaders during the Viking age, who composed and performed renditions of aspects of what we now characterise as Old Norse poetry. ...


Egil had killed Bárðr of Atley, one of the king's retainers, thus making an enemy of Queen Gunnhild, who never forgave him and did everything within her power to take revenge. Gunnhild ordered her two brothers to kill Egil and Egil's older brother Þórólfr, who had been on good terms with both her and the king before. However, this plan did not go well, as Egil easily killed the pair when they confronted him, greatly increasing the Queen's thirst for revenge.


All that happened shortly before the death of Harald Fairhair and King Eirik's killing of his brothers to secure his place on the throne. He then declared Egill an outlaw in Norway. Berg-Önundr gathered a company of men to capture Egill, but was killed in his attempt to do so. Harald I (b. ...


Escaping from Norway, Egil killed Rögnvaldr Eirikssen,the King's son, and then cursed his parents, setting a horse's head on a pole (níðstöng or "spite-post") and saying,

"'Here I set up a spite-post, and declare this curse against King Erik and Queen Gunnhildr,'—he turned the horse-head to face the mainland—'I declare this curse at the land-spirits there, and the land itself, so that all will fare astray, not to hold nor find their places, not until they wreak King Erik and Gunnhild from the land.'"

He set up the pole of spite in the cliff-face and left it standing; he faced the horse's eyes on the land, and he rist runes upon the pole, and said all the formal words of the curse. (ch. 57) ("níð" has been translated as "scorn", "spite" or "curse").


Gunnhild, also put a spell on Egill, which made him feel restless and depressed until they met again.


The last encounter happened when Erik and Gunnhild were living in England. Egil was shipwrecked on a nearby shore and came before Erik, who sentenced him to death. But Egill composed a drápa in Eirik's praise in the dungeon during the night, and when he recited it in the morning, Eirik gave him his freedom and forgave any vengeance or settlement for the killing of Rögnvaldr.


Glúmr Geirason, another Icelandic skald, also composed poetry on Eric. Glúmr Geirason was a 10th century Icelandic poet. ...


In popular culture

  • Chris Goggans, former daring hacker and present internationally-recognized expert on information security, had in his wilder days taken up the nickname "Eirik Bloodaxe" in honor of the Viking king.
  • Poul Anderson, a Danish-American writer of science fiction and fantasy, wrote The Mother of The Kings, a fictionalised biography of Queen Gunnhild, including myths as well as historical facts, and telling a lot about her husband and their children as well—especially the many efforts of Gunnhild and Eirik's sons to regain the throne of their father.
  • Bloodaxe is one of many historical personages who feature prominently in the Riverworld series of Bangsian science fiction novels by Philip José Farmer. On the Riverworld, Bloodaxe is sailing upRiver with Samuel Clemens and his prehistoric friend, and engages in a power struggle with King John of England.
  • Eirik Bloodaxe appeares in the historical Yorkshire building "York Dungeons" where he talks of killing his relatives, to tour of the room ends when he shouts them to leave before he "changed his mind" (suggesting he would have been wanting to kill them).

Chris Goggans, 2004. ... This article is about computer hacking. ... Information Security Components: whereas information is transmitted, stored, encrypted, or processed, its value derives from three main attributes or qualities, i. ... Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926–July 31, 2001) was an American science fiction author of the genres Golden Age. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... For other uses, see Fantasy (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Riverworld is a fictional universe and the setting for a series of science fiction books written by Philip José Farmer. ... Bangsian fantasy is the school of fantasy writing that sets the plot wholly or partially in the afterlife. ... Philip José Farmer (born January 26, 1918) is an American author, principally known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. ... Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 - April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was a famous and popular American humorist, writer and lecturer. ... Look up king in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the King of England. ...

External links

Eric Bloodaxe
Born: c. 895 Died: 954
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Harald Fairhair		 King of Norway
930-934		 Succeeded by
Haakon the Good
Preceded by
Edred		 King of Jórvík
948-949		 Succeeded by
Edred
Preceded by
Olav II		 King of Jórvík
952-954		 Succeeded by
Edred
v • d • e
Monarchs of Norway
Fairhair dynasty
(except *)		 Harald Fairhair · Eric Bloodaxe · Haakon the Good · Harald Greycloak · Haakon Sigurdsson* · Olaf Tryggvason · Eiríkr Hákonarson (R)* & Sveinn Hákonarson (R)* & Hákon Eiríksson (R)* · Sweyn Forkbeard*†§ · Olaf the Saint · Hákon Eiríksson (R)* · Canute the Great*†§ · Sveinn Álfífuson · Magnus the Good† · Harald Hardrada · Magnus Haraldsson · Olaf Kyrre · Haakon Magnusson & Magnus Barefoot · Olaf Magnusson · Eystein Magnusson · Sigurd the Crusader · Magnus the Blind · Harald Gille · Sigurd Munn · Eystein Haraldsson · Inge Haraldsson · Haakon Herdebrei · Magnus Erlingsson · Sverre Sigurdsson · Haakon Sverresson · Guttorm Sigurdsson · Inge Bårdsson · Haakon Haakonsson · Magnus the Law-mender · Eric Magnusson · Haakon V Magnusson
House of Bjelbo Magnus Ericsson‡ · Haakon VI Magnusson‡ · Olaf IV Haakonsson†
The Kalmar union Margaret†‡ · Eric of Pomerania†‡ · Christopher of Bavaria†‡ · Charles I‡
House of Oldenburg
(Union with Denmark)		 Christian I† · Hans† · Christian II† · Frederick I† · Christian III† · Frederick II† · Christian IV† · Frederick III† · Christian V† · Frederick IV† · Christian VI† · Frederick V† · Christian VII† · Frederick VI†
Independence
of 1814		 Christian Frederick†
House of Bernadotte
(Union with Sweden)		 Charles II (not Bernadotte)‡ · Charles III John‡ · Oscar I‡ · Charles IV‡ · Oscar II‡
House of
Schleswig-Holstein-
Sonderburg-Glücksburg		 Haakon VII · Olav V · Harald V
(R) Regent · † also Monarch of Denmark · ‡ also Monarch of Sweden · § also Monarch of England

  Results from FactBites:
 
Eric Bloodaxe Viking Norse Irish King (1018 words)
Eric Bloodaxe came to the Norwegian throne in the late 920s, anð his reign was as unpleasant as his nickname woulð inðicate.
Egill was helð captive by Eric Bloodaxe and was to be executeð.
Eric Bloodaxe, a reð-heaðeð Norseman, was a notorious Viking king with an heroic reputation for success in battle both in Norway anð overseas.
BBC - History - Eric Bloodaxe (400 words)
Eric Bloodaxe is probably one of the best-known names in Viking history, at least in the British Isles.
Eric is mentioned briefly in a number of contemporary or near contemporary sources, and he also left visible traces of his own - in the coinage issued in his name at York.
The sagas use the 'Bloodaxe' nickname, and this is generally seen in the context of his Viking raids in Scotland, and his glorious end as the last independent king of Northumbria.
  More results at FactBites »

 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your location
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.