The Heimskringla on Earl Eirik Hakonson
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 114. Of King Olaf.
- attestation: Earl Eirik commanded the large ships on the larboard side of the Danish fleet.
"who owns the large ships on the larboard side of the Danes?" "That is Earl Eirik Hakonson," say they."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 116. Flight Of Svein And Olaf The Swede.
attestation: Earl Eirik systematically laid alongside each of Olaf's outer ships, cleared them of men, cut the cables, and let them drift away.
"Earl Eirik laid his ship side by side with the outermost of King Olaf's ships, thinned it of men, cut the cables, and let it drive. Then he laid alongside of the next, and fought until he had cleared it of men also."
attestation: After the Danes and Swedes withdrew, Earl Eirik remained close alongside the ships, with fresh Danes and Swedes replacing his fallen warriors.
"Earl Eirik lay always close alongside of the ships, and used hid swords and battle-axes, and as fast as people fell in his vessel others, Danes and Swedes, came in their place."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 117. Of Earl Eirik.
attestation: Earl Eirik fought from the forehold of his ship, protected by a cover of shields (shieldburg).
"Earl Eirik was in the forehold of his ship, where a cover of shields (1) had been set up."
attestation: A shieldburg was a defensive formation where men bearing shields surrounded a commander, creating a parapet to protect against missiles, similar to the Roman testudo.
"Both in land and sea fights the commanders appear to have been protected from missile weapons,--stones, arrows, spears,--by a shieldburg"
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 118. Of Einar Tambarskelver.
- attestation: Earl Eirik ordered a man called Fin, possibly of Laplander race and a superior archer, to shoot the tall man by the mast.
"Then said the earl to a man called Fin,--but some say he was of Fin (Laplander) race, and was a superior archer,--"Shoot that tall man by the mast.""
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 120. The Serpent Boarded.
attestation: Earl Eirik boarded the Long Serpent with four men but was forced back to his own ship by Hyrning, the king's brother-in-law, and his companions.
"Earl Eirik saw there were but few people remaining beside the ship's mast, he determined to board; and he entered the Serpent with four others. Then came Hyrning, the king's brother-in-law, and some others against him, and there was the most severe combat; and at last the earl was forced to leap back on board his own ship again"
attestation: Earl Eirik boarded the Long Serpent a second time, and this time his men poured in on all sides as the ship's defenses were depleted, forcing the remaining crew to crowd around the king on the quarterdeck.
"the earl's men poured in all around into the vessel, and all the men who were still able to defend the ship crowded aft to the king, and arrayed themselves for his defence."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 123. Of Earl Eirik, The Son Of Hakon.
attestation: Earl Eirik Hakonson captured the Long Serpent and made a great booty from the Battle of Svold.
"By this victory Earl Eirik Hakonson became owner of the Long Serpent, and made a great booty besides; and he steered the Serpent from the battle."
attestation: Earl Eirik received four Throndhjem districts, Halogaland, Naumudal, the Fjord districts, Sogn, Hordaland, Rogaland, and North Agder to the Naze.
"Earl Eirik got four districts in the Throndhjem country, and Halogaland, Naumudal, the Fjord districts, Sogn, Hordaland, Rogaland, and North Agder, all the way to the Naze."
attestation: The Danish king Svein retained Viken and also gave Raumarike and Hedemark to Earl Eirik.
"The Danish king Svein retained Viken as he had held it before, but he gave Raumarike and Hedemark to Earl Eirik."
attestation: Earls Eirik and Svein both allowed themselves to be baptized and took up Christianity, but permitted everyone in Norway to follow their own religious preferences.
"The earls Eirik and Svein both allowed themselves to be baptized, and took up the true faith; but as long as they ruled in Norway they allowed every one to do as he pleased in holding by his Christianity."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 20. Of Einar Tambaskelfer.
- relationship: Earls Eirik and Svein married their sister Bergliot to Einar; their son was named Eindride.
"The earls Eirik and Svein married their sister Bergliot to Einar. Their son was named Eindride."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 21. Of Erling Skialgson.
attestation: Earl Eirik seized the king's estates Olaf Trygvason had given Erling, but Erling continued levying land scat in Rogaland, laying waste lands that refused.
"Earl Eirik was ill pleased that Erling Skialgson had so large a dominion, and he took to himself all the king's estates, which King Olaf had given to Erling. But Erling levied, as before, all the land scat in Rogaland"
attestation: When the earl came to the area, he needed a great many people with him, as no bailiff of his could live in Erling's territory.
"The earl made little of the business, for no bailiff of his could live there, and the earl could only come there in guest-quarters, when he had a great many people with him."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 23. Of Earl Eirik.
attestation: After ruling Norway for twelve years, Earl Eirik received a message from his brother-in-law King Canute to join an expedition westward to England.
"When Earl Eirik had ruled over Norway for twelve years, there came a message to him from his brother-in-law King Canute, the Danish king, that he should go with him on an expedition westward to England"
attestation: Eirik was celebrated for winning the two hardest engagements in the north: against the Jomsborg vikings (with his father Hakon) and against King Olaf Trygvason.
"he had gained the victory in the two hardest engagements which had ever been fought in the north countries. The one was that in which the Earls Hakon and Eirik fought with the Jomsborg vikings; the other that in which Earl Eirik fought with King Olaf Trygvason."
attestation: Eirik left his seventeen-year-old son Hakon to rule Norway, with Einar Tambaskelfer to advise him.
"leaving behind his son Earl Hakon to take care of Norway; and, as he was but seventeen years of age, Einar Tambaskelfer was to be at his hand to rule the country for him."
attestation: Eirik joined King Canute in England and participated in taking the castle of London; he also killed Ulfkel Snilling in a battle west of London.
"Eirik met King Canute in England, and was with him when he took the castle of London. Earl Eirik had a battle also to the westward of the castle of London, and killed Ulfkel Snilling."
attestation: Earl Eirik spent one winter in England and intended to make a pilgrimage to Rome, but died of a bloody flux.
"Earl Eirik was a winter in England, and had many battles there. The following autumn he intended to make a pilgrimage to Rome, but he died in England of a bloody flux."