Eirik Ladejarl Håkonsson ^{1 2 3}

  General Notes:

Eirik var uekte sønn til Håkon Ladejarl.

In his "Saga of King Harald Grafeld and of Earl Hakon Son of Sigurd" Snorre Sturlasson recounts:

"8. EARL EIRIK'S BIRTH.

Earl Hakon came one winter to the Uplands to a feast, and it so happened that he had intercourse with a girl of mean birth. Some time after the girl had to prepare for her confinement, and she bore a child, a boy, who had water poured on him, and was named Eirik. The mother carried the boy to Earl Hakon, and said that he was the father. The earl placed him to be brought up with a man called Thorleif the Wise, who dwelt in Medaldal, and was a rich and powerful man, and a great friend of the earl. Eirik gave hopes very early that he would become an able man, was handsome in countenance, and stout and strong for a child; but the earl did not pay much attention to him. The earl himself was one of the handsomest men in countenance, -- not tall, but very strong, and well practised in all kinds of exercises; and withall prudent, of good understanding, and a deadly man at arms."

I 975 fikk Eirik Raumarike og Vingulsmark til len av Harald Blåtann, eller kanskje snarere av sin svigerfar, Svend Tjugeskjegg. Eirik og hans bror Svein styrte Norge under de danske kongene Svein Tjugeskjegg og Knud den mektige, som underkonger i Viken.

Etter mordet på hans far i 995, dro han til den svenske kongen Olof Skötkonung.

From Snorre Sturlasson: Olav Trygvessons saga:

"97. EIRIK'S FORAY ON THE BALTIC COASTS.
... When Eirik had been a year in Sweden he went over to Denmark (A.D. 996) to King Svein Tjuguskeg, the Danish king, and courted his daughter Gyda. The proposal was accepted, and Earl Eirik married Gyda; and a year after (A.D. 997) they had a son, who was called Hakon. Earl Eirik was in the winter in Denmark, or sometimes in Sweden; but in summer he went a-cruising."

Ved Norges deling etter slaget ved Svolder i år 1000, fikk han størstedelen av det nordenfjeldske Norge, dsv. halvparten av Trøndelag, Namdalen, Hålogaland, Fjordane, Fjaler, Sogn, Hordaland, Rogaland og Agder til Lindesnes. Han ble dertil forlent med sine tidligere len, Raumarike og Vingulsmark, av sin svigerfar, kong Svend.

I 1015 dro han med sin svoger, Knud den Mektige, til England hvor han døde i 1023 eller 1024.

  Noted events in his life were:

• He was an Earl of Ladir.

• He was a King of Norway from 00 0999 to 1015.

Eirik married Gyda Svendsdatter, daughter of Svend I Haraldsson Tjugeskjegg of Denmark and Sigrid Toftesdatter Storråde, about 996.