Millenary Year 954-1954 Defeat of Eric Bloodaxe.

Eric Bloodaxe Haraldsson (Second king of Norway, Last Viking King of York).
 Eric was born ca. 895, the favored son of Norwegian King Harald Fairhair. According to the colorful Icelandic sagas he began his Viking career aged 12. He started first in the east and south towards Holland,Denmark and northern Germany. He was away from home for four years during which time he raided successfully in Scotland, Ireland, Britain and Normandy as well as Finnmark in northern Norway and Bjarmeland (Today, Bjarmeland comprise a part of the Arkhangelsk Oblast of Russia.).
 Eirik developed into a strong, fearsome warrior who was cruel, moody and mostly uncontrollable. It was during this period he became known as Eirik Bloodaxe following the unmerciful use of his axe in battle.

On one expedition he met and married a witch called Gunnhild, who is generally portrayed as an evil witch, the daughter of the king of Denmark.

The sagas recount how Eric became king of Norway after the death of his father and had four of his older brothers killed in his bid to keep the crown. But he was ousted by his younger brother « Hakon » and came to Britain where he was made king of Northumbria and lived in a palace in York.

He earned his nickname « Blood axe » by murdering several of his brothers in order to secure his succession to the Norwegian throne, one of the Latin texts calls him « fratris interfector » ( brother-killer), so it seems likely that «  blood » in this context refers to family, just as today we refer to «  blood relations » as distinct from relations by marriage or adoption.

In 947 Eric became a King of Northumbrians. The English king Eadred responded by invading and ravaging Northumbria, burning down St Wilfrid’s minster at Ripon.

As the English army headed south, Eric Bloodaxe’s army caught up with its rearguard and ‘made a great slaughter’ at Castleford. Eadred threatened to destroy Northumbria in revenge, and the Northumbrians turned their back on Eric and made reparations to the English king. 

After another change of mind they accepted Olaf Sihtricsson as their ruler, only for Eric to drive him out and take over again. Finally in 954 Eric Bloodaxe was expelled for the second and final time and King Eadred of Wessex and England gained control. 

Eric's death at the battle of Stainmore in 954 brought an end to independent Viking rule in Northumbria. This is sometimes taken as the end of the first Viking Age, although Viking raids on England resumed in the 980s. However, raiding and settlement in Ireland, Scotland and Wales continued throughout the period in between, so this date is only significant in a purely English context.

Issued on 07/03/1955; Island of Lundy.