Eirik I Haraldsson Blodøks of Norway ^{1 2 3}

   Another name for Eirik was Erik Bloodaxe of Norway.

  General Notes:

ERIK BLOODAX, Norwegian EIRIK BLODØKS, king of Norway (c. 930-935) and later king of Northumberland (948, 952-954). On the death of his father, Harald I Fairhair, first king of united Norway, Erik attempted to make himself sole king of Norway, defeating and slaying two of his brothers to whom vassal kingdoms had been assigned by their father; but his tyranny fostered the reaction that had set in against the strong rule of Harald. Another son, Haakon, who had been brought up in England, was invited to Norway by dissident nobles and succeeded in ejecting Erik.

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. In 952 he returned, only to be expelled again in 954, when King Eadred of England took the Northumbrian kingdom into his own hands. Erik was slain the same year at Stainmore. With his expulsion, the line of Norse kings in York ended.

Da sønnene vokste til ble det ufred mellom dem. På sine gamle dager visste ikke Harald bedre enn å gi dem del i riksstyringen. Det vil i virkeligheten si: Han delte landet opp på ny, stykket det ut som en privatmanns arv, i en rekke småriker. Vel gjorde han et forsøk på å bevare enheten, slik at den skulle bestå også når han selv var borte. Eirik, den gjeveste, den eneste blant dem som var av kongsætt også på morssiden, skulle være overkonge etter ham selv. Dette tiltaket viser at idéen om Norge som ett rike faktisk har eksistert for Harald. Men det var et halvhjertet tiltak, som ikke kunne føre fram. Det var enten for meget - eller for lite.

Eirik var neppe fornøyd med tildelingen av småriker til hans brødre. Alt mens faren satt ved makten, begynte han å desimere kongeflokken. Han var en stor viking, og dro tidlig ut, med fem langskip som han hadde fått av faren. Sju år ble han borte i hærferd. Vel tilbake i Norge følte han seg provosert til å ta livet av Ragnvald Rettilbeine fordi han drev med trolldom. Så var det Bjørn Farmanns tur.

From Snorre Sturlasson, Harald Hårfagre's Saga:

"46. THE DEATH OF OLAF AND OF SIGROD.
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. Eirik was very ill pleased with this; and the report went that he would attempt with force to get the sole sovereignty over the country, in the same way as his father had given it to him. Now when Olaf and Sigrod heard this, messengers passed between them;and after appointing a meeting place, Sigrod went eastward in spring to Viken, and he and his brother Olaf met at Tunsberg, and remained there a while. The same spring (A.D. 934), 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. When he came to Tunsberg, Olaf and Sigrod, with their forces, went out of the town a little eastward to a ridge, where they drew up their men in battle order; but 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. Then King Eirik went through Viken, and subdued it, and remained far into summer. Gudrod and Trygve fled to the Uplands. Eirik was a stout handsome man, strong, and very manly, -- a great and fortunate man of war; but bad-minded, gruff, unfriendly, and silent. Gunhild, his wife, was the most beautiful of women, -- clever, with much knowledge, and lively; but a very false person, and very cruel in disposition. The children of King Eirik and Gunhild were, Gamle, the oldest; then Guthorm, Harald, Ragnfrod, Ragnhild, Erling, Gudrod, and Sigurd Sleva. All were handsome, and of manly appearance."

Also:

Eirik Bloodaxe. King in Norway 940-945 and Northumbria. Born about 895 in Norway. Died 954 in York, England. Enligt vissa källor död i Norge. Eirik betyder ensam härskare. Eirik hade vid faderns delning av riket mellan dennes söner fått rang av överkonung. Kung bara några år, mördade flera av sin bröder då han gentemot dem hävdade riksenheten. Var gift med drottning Gunnhild - som var mycket vacker och väldigt elak - och de hade många barn. (Espell) Fördriven från Norge till England, härskade han i Northumberland 947-948 och 952-954. Han blev dödsfiende till Egil Skallagrimsom. (Lexikon)

  Noted events in his life were:

• He was a King of Norway from 00 0931 to 933.

• He was a King 948, 952 - 954 in Northumberland, England.

Eirik married Gunhild Gormsdatter, daughter of Gorm den Gamle of Denmark and Thyra Danebot, about 920 in Norway. (Gunhild Gormsdatter was born about 900 in Denmark.)