Erik Haraldsson, better known as Erik Bloodaxe, was one of the most formidable and controversial Viking leaders of the 10th century. His life was marked by relentless ambition, bloody family rivalries, and a legacy of military exploits that spanned Scandinavia and the British Isles.
Early Life and Viking Beginnings
Born around 895 as the favored son of Harald Fairhair, the first king to unify Norway, Erik was groomed from an early age for leadership. According to saga tradition, he began his Viking career at just 12 years old, when his father gifted him five longships, setting him loose upon the world to earn his reputation.
Erik’s first ventures took him south, where he raided the coasts of Denmark, Friesland, and Saxland for three years. These expeditions were not only about plunder; they were Erik’s crucible, forging his skills in battle, seamanship, and leadership.
The young prince’s ability to command men and ships quickly became apparent. He led his warriors with a mix of calculated ferocity and charismatic authority, capturing loot and slaves, and returning each season with tales of conquest. These raids also served a political purpose: they demonstrated his capability to rival siblings and the Norwegian nobility, who watched the king’s sons closely for signs of future greatness – or threat.
Expeditions West and the Origin of ‘Bloodaxe’
After his campaigns in the south, Erik turned his ambitions westward. For four years, he led raids against Scotland and the Irish Sea, striking at settlements and monasteries along the coasts. These were not mere hit-and-run attacks; Erik’s forces sometimes overwintered in foreign lands, establishing temporary bases and forging alliances with local chieftains.
It was during these years that Erik’s reputation for ruthlessness began to crystallize. The sagas recount that he earned the nickname ‘Bloodaxe’ due to the sheer brutality of his exploits – wielding his axe in battle with such ferocity that even other Vikings took notice. His enemies, whether Saxon, Scot, or rival Norsemen, learned to fear the sight of his sails on the horizon.
The Baltic and Bjarmaland
Erik’s ambitions did not stop at the familiar shores of Western Europe. He led daring expeditions into the Baltic Sea and as far as Bjarmaland, in what is now northern Russia. These journeys were perilous, requiring navigation through treacherous waters and negotiations with powerful local tribes.
The campaign to Bjarmaland stands out in the sagas as a significant moment. Erik’s forces clashed with the local Bjarmians, and the campaign ended in a resounding victory. The Norsemen returned to Norway laden with silver, furs, and exotic goods, and Erik’s fame soared. This success not only enriched him but also expanded Norwegian trade networks, cementing his status as both a warrior and a shrewd operator in the complex web of Viking commerce.
The Bloody Path to the Norwegian Throne
As Erik’s military prowess grew, so did the tensions within his own family. Harald Fairhair had many sons by different wives, and each harbored ambitions for power. Erik, favored by Harald, began to see his brothers not as kin, but as rivals. The sagas suggest that even before Harald’s death, Erik took steps to secure his position by eliminating potential threats within the royal household. This ruthless streak, while shocking, was not unusual in the cutthroat world of Norse succession.
Erik’s rise to power was as ruthless as it was swift. Upon the death of his father, Erik sought to secure his position by eliminating rivals – most notably, several of his own brothers, an act that earned him the infamous nickname “Bloodaxe”. The chronicler Agrip claims he killed five brothers, while the sagas suggest his brutality was legendary even by Norse standards.
Once king, Erik’s rule was short and turbulent. He faced fierce opposition from Norwegian nobles and his surviving brother, Haakon the Good. Erik’s attempts to centralize power and continue his father’s policies led to widespread unrest. Ultimately, Haakon, with the backing of disaffected nobles, drove Erik into exile after only a few years on the throne.
Exile and the Conquest of Northumbria
Erik’s exile did not end his ambitions. He crossed the North Sea and found new opportunities in the power struggles of the British Isles. Northumbria, a kingdom with a history of Norse rule, was in turmoil. The Northumbrians, seeking protection from the encroaching English kings, invited Erik to be their ruler in 947.
Erik’s arrival in York marked the beginning of a bloody contest for control. The English king, Eadred, responded by invading Northumbria and sacking key sites, such as St Wilfrid’s minster at Ripon. As Eadred’s army withdrew, Erik’s forces ambushed the rearguard at Castleford, inflicting heavy losses. This victory, however, was short-lived: Eadred threatened devastating retaliation, and the Northumbrians, fearing destruction, abandoned Erik and made peace with the English king.
Yet, the political landscape remained volatile. The Northumbrians soon changed allegiance again, inviting Olaf Sihtricsson (the Norse king of Dublin) to rule, only for Erik to return and reclaim the throne in 952. This period was marked by constant warfare, shifting alliances, and repeated invasions from both Norse and English forces.
Ambush at Stainmore
Erik’s rule in Northumbria was always precarious. His authority was challenged both by local rivals, such as Earl Oswulf of Bamburgh, and by the persistent threat from the English crown. In 954, his enemies set a trap at Stainmore in the Pennines.
The end came not in a grand battle, but in a sudden, brutal ambush. According to later sources, Erik was lured into a trap by Maccus, a shadowy figure likely acting on King Eadred’s behalf. The moors of Stainmore, desolate and windswept, became the stage for this final act.
Erik was not alone. The sagas claim he was accompanied by five kings from the Hebrides and the two earls of Orkney, a formidable retinue for a king in exile. Yet even this gathering of warriors could not save him from the fate that awaited. As Erik and his men made their way across the moor, Maccus and his followers struck. The clash was sudden and savage.
Erik fought as he had lived: fiercely, with the strength and fury that earned him the name Bloodaxe. But the odds were overwhelming. The ambush was well-planned, the attackers ruthless. One by one, Erik’s companions fell. The king himself, battered and bloodied, was finally cut down – his saga ending in the mud and heather of Stainmore.
Aftermath and Legend
With Erik’s death, Viking rule in Northumbria collapsed. The kingdom was absorbed into the Anglo-Saxon realm, its independence snuffed out in a single day. Yet Erik’s legend only grew. The skaldic poem Eiríksmàl imagined his soul welcomed into Valhalla by the gods, his death celebrated as the passing of a true warrior.
Erik Bloodaxe’s short life was shaped by violence, ambition, and the shifting tides of Norse and Anglo-Saxon politics. He is remembered as both a tyrant and a warrior-king: a man whose military exploits extended across all the lands bordering the North and Irish Seas. Though his reigns were brief, they symbolized the brutal struggle for power that defined the Viking Age.
