The Heimskringla on Eirik Blood-axe

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 34. Marriage Of Eirik.

• attestation: Eirik, son of Harald, was fostered in the house of the herse Thorer son of Hroald in the Fjord district.

  "Eirik, Harald's son, was fostered in the house of the herse Thorer, son of Hroald, in the Fjord district."

• attestation: Eirik was the most beloved and honoured of all Harald's sons.

  "He was the most beloved and honoured by King Harald of all his sons."

• attestation: At twelve years old, Eirik received five longships from Harald and spent four years raiding in the Baltic, Denmark, Friesland, and Saxland.

  "When Eirik was twelve years old, King Harald gave him five long-ships, with which he went on an expedition,--first in the Baltic; then southwards to Denmark, Friesland, and Saxland; on which expedition he passed four years."

• attestation: Eirik then spent four years raiding westward in Scotland, Bretland, Ireland, and Valland.

  "He then sailed out into the West sea and plundered in Scotland, Bretland, Ireland, and Valland, and passed four years more in this way."

• attestation: Eirik sailed north to Finmark and Bjarmaland, winning many battles there.

  "Then he sailed north to Finmark, and all the way to Bjarmaland, where he had many a battle, and won many a victory."

• attestation: Eirik's men discovered Gunhild, an exceptionally beautiful girl, in a Lapland hut in Finmark, where she claimed to be learning sorcery from two Finns.

  "his men found a girl in a Lapland hut, whose equal for beauty they never had seen. She said her name was Gunhild, and that her father dwelt in Halogaland, and was called Ozur Tote."

• attestation: After killing the two Finns, a terrible thunderstorm prevented the party from leaving until the next morning.

  "That same night came such a dreadful thunder-storm that the could not stir."

• attestation: Eirik sailed south to Halogaland, met Gunhild's father Ozur Tote, received consent for the marriage, and wed Gunhild around AD 922.

  "Eirik said he would take his daughter in marriage, to which Ozur Tote consented, and Eirik took Gunhild and went southwards with her (A.D. 922)."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 35. Harald Divides His Kingdom.

• attestation: Eirik, whom Harald loved most, received Halogaland, North More, and Raumsdal, while Hrorek and Gudrod had estates in Hordaland and Sogn.

  "King Eirik was also with his father King Harald; and the king loved and regarded him the most of all his sons, and gave him Halogaland and North More, and Raumsdal."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 36. Death Of Ragnvald Rettilbeine.

• attestation: Eirik Blood-axe expected to be head king over all his brothers, and King Harald intended him for that position.

  "Eirik Blood-axe expected to be head king over all his brothers and King Harald intended he should be so"

• attestation: On Harald's orders, Eirik Blood-axe traveled to the Uplands and burned his brother Ragnvald alive in a house together with eighty other warlocks.

  "King Eirik Blood-axe went by his orders to the Uplands, and came to Hadeland and burned his brother Ragnvald in a house, along with eighty other warlocks; which work was much praised."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 38. King Bjorn Kaupman'S Death.

• attestation: Eirik Blood-axe returned from a Baltic cruise and demanded that Bjorn hand over King Harald's share of the scat from Vestfold, but Bjorn refused.

  "Eirik Blood-axe came from his Baltic cruise with ships of war, and a great force, and required his brother Bjorn to deliver to him King Harald's share of the scat and incomes of Vestfold."

• attestation: Eirik also demanded provisions, tents, and liquor, but the brothers quarreled and Eirik left Tunsberg empty-handed.

  "Eirik again wanted provisions, tents, and liquor. The brothers quarrelled about this; but Eirik got nothing and left the town."

• attestation: Eirik returned at night to Saeheim, surrounded the house where Bjorn was feasting, and killed him along with many of his men.

  "Eirik came back after Bjorn, and came to Saeheim just as Bjorn and his men were seated at table drinking. Eirik surrounded the house in which they were; but Bjorn with his men went out and fought. Bjorn, and many men with him, fell."

• attestation: The people of Viken greatly disliked Eirik for killing Bjorn, and King Olaf was expected to avenge his brother.

  "this work was taken very ill by the people of Viken, and Eirik was much disliked for it; and the report went that King Olaf would avenge his brother Bjorn"

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 39. Reconciliation Of The Kings.

• attestation: Eirik traveled to More in winter and feasted at Solve within Agdanes, where Halfdan the Black surprised and surrounded his lodging.

  "King Eirik went in winter northwards to More, and was at a feast in Solve, within the point Agdanes; and when Halfdan the Black heard of it he set out with his men, and surrounded the house in which they were."

• attestation: Eirik escaped alone with four companions into the forest while Halfdan burned the main house and all the people inside.

  "Eirik slept in a room which stood detached by itself, and he escaped into the forest with four others; but Halfdan and his men burnt the main house, with all the people who were in it."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 45. King Harald'S Death.

• relationship: Eirik and Gunhild had a son whom King Harald personally named Harald and promised kingship after Eirik.

  "Eirik and Gunhild had a son on whom King Harald poured water, and gave him his own name, and the promise that he should be king after his father Eirik."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 46. The Death Of Olaf And Of Sigrod.

• attestation: After Harald's death (AD 934), Eirik took the central revenues while Olaf controlled Viken's revenues and Sigrod controlled Throndhjem's.

  "King Eirik took all the revenues (A.D. 934), which the king had in the middle of the country, the next winter after King Harald's decease. But Olaf took all the revenues eastward in Viken, and their brother Sigrod all that of the Throndhjem country."

• attestation: Eirik levied a great force and sailed to Viken so swiftly that he arrived before news of his coming.

  "King Eirik levied a great force, and ships and steered towards Viken. He got such a strong steady gale that he sailed night and day, and came faster than the news of him."

• attestation: Eirik defeated and killed both brothers Olaf and Sigrod in battle on a ridge east of Tunsberg in AD 934.

  "as Eirik had many more men he won the battle. Both brothers, Olaf and Sigrod, fell there; and both their grave-mounds are upon the ridge where they fell."

• attestation: After the victory, Eirik subdued all of Viken while Gudrod and Trygve fled to the Uplands.

  "Then King Eirik went through Viken, and subdued it, and remained far into summer. Gudrod and Trygve fled to the Uplands."

• attestation: Eirik was described as stout, handsome, strong, and a great warrior, but bad-minded, gruff, unfriendly, and silent.

  "Eirik was a stout handsome man, strong, and very manly,--a great and fortunate man of war; but bad-minded, gruff, unfriendly, and silent."

• relationship: The children of Eirik and Gunhild were Gamle (oldest), Guthorm, Harald, Ragnfrod, Ragnhild, Erling, Gudrod, and Sigurd Sleva.

  "The children of King Eirik and Gunhild were, Gamle, the oldest; then Guthorm, Harald, Ragnfrod, Ragnhild, Erling, Gudrod, and Sigurd Sleva."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > Preliminary Remarks.

• attestation: Snorre wrote no separate saga for Eirik Blood-axe's five-year reign because Eirik was not beloved by the people.

  "Of Eirik Blood-axe's five years' reign Snorre has no separate saga. He appears not to have been beloved by the people"

• attribution: Eirik tells Sigmund that five kings accompanied him to Valhalla and he himself is the sixth.

  "They are five kings; I will tell thee all their names; I myself am the sixth"

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 3. Eirik'S Departure From The Country.

• attestation: Eirik's leading men deserted him for Hakon, leaving him too weak to resist, so he sailed west in AD 935 to Orkney and then England.

  "the leading men left him, and went over to Hakon. As he saw himself not nearly strong enough to oppose Hakon, he sailed (A.D. 935) out to the West sea with such men as would follow him."

• attestation: Eirik first went to Orkney, then raided in Scotland and northern England before receiving King Athelstan's offer.

  "He first sailed to Orkney, and took many people with him from that country; and then went south towards England, plundering in Scotland, and in the north parts of England"

• attestation: Eirik accepted, was baptized with his family, and took up residence at York.

  "Eirik accepted this offer, and was baptized, and adopted the right faith. Northumberland is called a fifth part of England. Eirik had his residence at York"

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 4. Eirik'S Death.

• attestation: Eirik kept many Northmen from the east and Norwegian friends around him in Northumberland, raiding each summer in Scotland, the Hebrides, Ireland, and Bretland.

  "King Eirik had many people about him, for he kept many Northmen who had come with him from the East; and also many of his friends had joined him from Norway."

• attestation: Hearing that Jatmund might replace him in Northumberland, Eirik gathered forces from Orkney (including Earls Arnkel and Erlend, sons of Torfeinar), the Hebrides, Ireland, and Bretland.

  "from the Orkneys took with him the Earls Arnkel and Erlend, the sons of Earl Torfeinar."

• attestation: In a dreadful battle, many English fell but three replaced each who died; by evening the Northmen suffered heavy losses.

  "A dreadful battle ensued, in which many Englishmen fell; but for one who fell came three in his place out of the country behind"

• attestation: Eirik and five kings fell in the battle (AD 941): Guthorm and his sons Ivar and Harek, Sigurd, and Ragnvald, along with Torfeinar's sons Arnkel and Erlend.

  "King Eirik and five kings with him fell. Three of them were Guthorm and his two sons, Ivar and Harek: there fell, also, Sigurd and Ragnvald; and with them Torfeinar's two sons, Arnkel and Erlend."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 5. Gunhild And Her Sons.

• attestation: Eirik's sons subdued Orkney and Hjaltland (Shetland), collected scat, and spent winters there while raiding Scotland and Ireland in summer.

  "Eirik's sons subdued these islands and Hjaltland, took scat for themselves, and staid there all the winter; but went on viking cruises in summer to the West, and plundered in Scotland and Ireland."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 10. Of Gunhild S Sons.

• attestation: Eirik's sons went on viking expeditions in the East Sea as soon as they were old enough, becoming handsome and strong beyond their years

  "Some of Eirik's sons went out on viking expeditions as soon as they were old enough, and gathered property, ravaging all around in the East sea. They grew up quickly to be handsome men, and far beyond their years in strength and perfection."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 94. Fall Of King Gudrod.

• attestation: With Gudrod's death, all the sons of Eirik Bloodaxe and Gunhild were now dead.

  "now were all the sons of Eirik and Gunhild dead"

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 99. History Of The Earls Of Orkney.

• attestation: Eirik Blood-axe subdued the Orkney earls; Arnkel and Erlend fell in war while Thorfin ruled long and grew old.

  "In their days came Eirik Blood-axe from Norway, and subdued these earls. Arnkel and Erlend fell in a war expedition; but Thorfin ruled the country long, and became an old man"