Eric the Victorious
Swedish king who sent berserkers to Earl Hakon, attested in Eyrbyggja Saga.
Eric the Victorious, king of Sweden, appears across two sources. The Eyrbyggja Saga records that he had originally sent berserkers to Earl Hakon (Eyrbyggja Saga, Chapter 25). The Hervarar Saga attests his most significant military achievement: the defeat of Styrbjorn at Fyrisvellir, dated between 980 and 985, which is corroborated by several Runic inscriptions (Hervarar Saga, Book V).
The two sources present different aspects of Eric the Victorious. The Eyrbyggja Saga mentions him in passing as a sender of berserkers -- a diplomatic or military gesture toward Earl Hakon. The Hervarar Saga provides the more substantial attestation, anchoring the Fyrisvellir battle in a datable period and noting its confirmation through runic evidence, which is unusual for saga material.
Appears in: Beings, Cross-Source Entities, Norse Tradition
On trail: Genealogies