Theodoricus names her on several occasions (ch. [48] Heimskringla specifies that Haakon owed his success in large part to Sigurd, earl of Lade. Be the first to answer this question. Although this may well have been partly a desire for plunder, it also fits with Eric's ongoing contest for power with the kings of the Dublin dynasty, who had influence all around the Irish Sea area. [14] If genuine, the latter identification would form the only direct clue in the contemporary record which might link Eric with the Norwegian dynasty. Eric Bloodaxe is probably one of the best-known names in Viking history, at least in the British Isles. We do know, however, that in 952, the same year that Eric began his second term at York, Wulfstan was arrested and stood on trial in Iudanbyrig (unknown)[80] on account of several unspecified allegations which had been repeatedly brought before Eadred. Hakon sailed to Norway to claim his inheritance, and Eric fled to England. The kingdom of Northumbria provided a useful buffer zone for both Athelstan and the Scots, and both were anxious for it to be controlled by allies. Back. 1007 - Æthelred the Unready bought a short period ... 1002 St. Brices day massacre:Innocent Danish wome... 1001 - Æthelred the unready paid Danegeld, 995 - Olaf Tryggvason became king of Norway, 991 - Vikings defeated and killed ealdorman Byrhnoth. It was the seaworthiness of the Viking ships, together with the sailors’ knowledge of navigation and seamanship, which made it possible for them to conquer the ocean . There he divided his time between raiding in Scotland and around the Irish Sea, and establishing himself as ruler of the Viking kingdom of Northumbria. . One of the Bronze Age burial mounds are still named Guttorm’s mound because people believed Guttorm was buried inside it. “Of witless words shalt beware, wise Bragi, Much later Erik turned up in Northumbria, once a Viking stronghold but at this time under English overlordship; there he established himself as king in 948 but was driven out the same year. 0 0 1. [9] Fagrskinna, on the other hand, ascribes it to Eric's violent reputation as a Viking raider. Before it was temporarily housed at the Bowes Museum in 1990 and moved to its present location, it stood on a mound of rock a little further west on the south side of the road – coordinates: NY 89991230. Become a Study.com member to unlock this According to this, Caddroe visited Eric and his wife in York, and from other details in this account, the visit seems to have taken place around 940-41. Eirik had his residence at York, where Lodbrok’s sons, it was said, had formerly been, and Northumberland was principally inhabited by Northmen. What happened to Ragnar Lothbrok's first wife? According to English sources, Eric died a death on the road, “treacherously killed by Earl Maccus”. The name Maccus, tenth to fifteenth centuries.". This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. Stenton. Beacuse of this harrowing battle, the heights have been called Blood Heights. The chronicler Agrip relates that three of Eric Bloodaxe’s sons died in this battle, but Snorri only mentions Guttorm Eiriksson. According to local tradition this was erected in memory of Eric Bloodaxe. In the 19th century, a case had also been made for Harald Bluetooth King of Denmark (d. 983) as being Eric's true father. More careful examination of Eric's story suggests that things were rather more complicated. "[97] By contrast, the identity of Eric's slayer, the comes Maccus son of Anlaf, is unclear. Calverley argued that whatever its function in later ages, crosses in those times were usually tombstones, whereas boundary crosses postdate the Conquest. Last updated 2011-02-17. Determining the date and length of Eric's reign (before and after his father's death) is a challenging and perhaps impossible task based on the confused chronology of our late sources.