Eric Anundsson
Encyclopedia
Eric Anundsson/Eymundsson (died 882) was a Swedish
king who ruled during the 9th century. The Swedish encyclopedia Nordisk familjebok
identifies Eric with the legendary Swedish king Erik Weatherhat
.
He is given as the son of Anund Uppsale
in Hervarar saga
:
However, the Eric who was contemporary with Harald Fairhair is called Eymundsson by Snorri Sturluson
. Since the preceding king is confirmed as Anund by other sources (Rimbert
and Adam of Bremen
), Anundsson is probably the correct form of the patronym. The names Eymund and Anund were equivalent enough for the later king Anund Jacob to be called Emund (Eymund), in the Westrogothic law. Consequently, Eric's patronym would not be the only instance where the two names were confused.
According to Hervarar saga, he was preceded by his father Anund Uppsale and uncle Björn at Hauge and he was succeeded by Björn
(the father of Eric the Victorious and Olof Björnsson). Landnámabók
informs that Eric and his son Björn ruled during the time of the Pope Adrian II
and Pope John VIII
, i.e. in the period 867-883, the time of the first settlement of Iceland. Harald Fairhair's saga relates that Erik died when Harald Fairhair had been king of all Norway for ten years, i.e. 882.
Erik is mentioned in several places in the Heimskringla
. In the saga of Olaf Haraldsson, Thorgny Lawspeaker relates:
In Harald Fairhair's saga, Snorri Sturluson
relates that Erik also wanted to extend Sweden westwards and to make a kingdom for himself as large as that of the Swedish king Sigurd Ring
and his son Ragnar Lodbrok
(i.e. Raumarike, Vingulmark
and Westfold all the way to island of Grenmar). Thus he conquered Vermland, West Götaland and all the land south of Svinesund
(modern Bohuslän
) and claimed the shores of Viken
as his own. He placed Hrane Gautske (Hrane the Geat
) as Jarl of the land between Svinesund and Göta älv
. In these territories the people accepted Erik as their king.
When King Harald Fairhair arrived at Tønsberg
(in Viken, and at the time a trading town) from Trondheim
he learnt of this and became very angry. He assembled the ting
at Fold
and accused the people of treason after which some had to accept his rule, while others were punished. He then spent the summer forcing Viken and Raumarike to accept his rule.
When the winter arrived Harald learnt that the Swedish king was in Vermland, after which he crossed the Ed forest
and ordered the people to arrange a feast in his tribute.
The most powerful man in the province was a man named Åke, who had formerly been one of Halfdan the Black
's men, and he invited both the Norwegian king and the Swedish king to his hall
s. Åke had built a new hall instead of his old one, which was ornamented in the same splendid manner, but the old hall only had old ornaments and hangings.
When the kings arrived, the Swedish king was placed in the old hall, whereas the Norwegian king was placed in the new one. The Norwegian king found himself in a hall with new gilded vessels carved with figures and shining like glass, full of the best liquor.
The next day, the kings prepared to leave. Bidding his farewell Åke gave to Harald's service his own twelve year old son Ubbe. Harald thanked Åke and promised him is friendship.
Then Åke talked to the Swedish king, who was in a bad mood. Åke gave him valuable gifts and followed the king on the road until they came to the woods. Erik asked Åke why he, who was his man, had made such a difference between him and the Norwegian king. Åke answered that there was nothing to blame Erik for but that he had got the old things and the old hall because he was old whereas the Norwegian king was in the bloom of his youth. Åke also answered the he was no less the Swedish king's man than the Swedish king was his man. Hearing the words of treason, Erik had no other choice but to slay the impudent and treacherous Åke.
When Harald learnt of this, he pursued the Swedish king until they saw the Swedish king, but then they had arrived at the border of Götaland
and considered it best to return. Harald then spent the rest of the autumn killing all the Swedish king's men in Vermland.
In the winter, Harald plundered and burnt in Ranrike
. Then the Norwegians invaded Götaland and travelled far and wide in Götaland
, winning most of the battles. In one of the battles, Hrane Gautske fell. Harald then proclaimed himself the ruler of all land north of Göta älv and north and west of lake Vänern
and placed Guttorm Haraldsson
to defend the region with a large force.
Suiones
The Swedes e, "one's own [tribesmen/kinsmen]"; Old English: Sweonas; , Suehans or Sueones) were an ancient North Germanic tribe in Scandinavia...
king who ruled during the 9th century. The Swedish encyclopedia Nordisk familjebok
Nordisk familjebok
Nordisk familjebok is a Swedish encyclopedia, published between 1876 and 1957.- History :The first edition was published in 20 volumes between 1876 and 1899. The first edition is known as the "Iðunn edition" because of the picture of Iðunn on the cover...
identifies Eric with the legendary Swedish king Erik Weatherhat
Erik Weatherhat
Erik Weatherhat was a mythical king of Sweden.According to the Swedish Chronicle, the cognomen Weatherhat refers to the accommodating wind he enjoyed as pillaged the Baltic Sea region....
.
He is given as the son of Anund Uppsale
Anund Uppsale
Anund Uppsale or Anoundus, English exonym: Anwynd of Upsala, ruled Sweden together with his brother Björn at Haugi, according to Rimbert and Hervarar saga...
in Hervarar saga
Hervarar saga
Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks is a legendary saga from the 13th century combining matter from several older sagas. It is a valuable saga for several different reasons beside its literary qualities. It contains traditions of wars between Goths and Huns, from the 4th century, and the last part is used as...
:
- Eiríkr hét sonr Önundar konungs, er ríki tók eptir föður sinn at Uppsölum; hann var ríkr konungr. Á hans dögum hófst til ríkis í Noregi Haraldr hárfagri, er fyrstr kom einvaldi í Noreg sinna ættmanna.http://www.snerpa.is/net/forn/hervar.htm
- Eric was the son of king Anund, and he succeeded his father at UppsalaGamla UppsalaGamla Uppsala is a parish and a village outside Uppsala in Sweden. It had 16,231 inhabitants in 1991.As early as the 3rd century AD and the 4th century AD and onwards, it was an important religious, economic and political centre...
; he was a rich king. During his reign, Harald Fairhair came to power in Norway, Harald was the first of his kin to reign as a monarch in Norway.
However, the Eric who was contemporary with Harald Fairhair is called Eymundsson by Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
. Since the preceding king is confirmed as Anund by other sources (Rimbert
Rimbert
Saint Rimbert was archbishop of Bremen-Hamburg from 865 until his death.A monk in Turholt , he shared a missionary trip to Scandinavia with his friend Ansgar, whom he later succeeded as archbishop in Hamburg-Bremen in 865...
and Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He is most famous for his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum .-Background:Little is known of his life other than hints from his own chronicles...
), Anundsson is probably the correct form of the patronym. The names Eymund and Anund were equivalent enough for the later king Anund Jacob to be called Emund (Eymund), in the Westrogothic law. Consequently, Eric's patronym would not be the only instance where the two names were confused.
According to Hervarar saga, he was preceded by his father Anund Uppsale and uncle Björn at Hauge and he was succeeded by Björn
Björn (III) Eriksson
Björn was the father of Olof Björnsson and Eric the Victorious, and he was the grandfather of Styrbjörn the Strong, according to the Hervarar saga and Harald Fairhair's saga...
(the father of Eric the Victorious and Olof Björnsson). Landnámabók
Landnámabók
Landnámabók , often shortened to Landnáma, is a medieval Icelandic written work describing in considerable detail the settlement of Iceland by the Norse in the 9th and 10th centuries AD.-Landnáma:...
informs that Eric and his son Björn ruled during the time of the Pope Adrian II
Pope Adrian II
Pope Adrian II , , pope from December 14, 867 to December 14, 872, was a member of a noble Roman family, and became pope in 867, at an advanced age....
and Pope John VIII
Pope John VIII
Pope John VIII was pope from December 13, 872 to December 16, 882. He is often considered one of the ablest pontiffs of the ninth century and the last bright spot on the papacy until Leo IX two centuries later....
, i.e. in the period 867-883, the time of the first settlement of Iceland. Harald Fairhair's saga relates that Erik died when Harald Fairhair had been king of all Norway for ten years, i.e. 882.
Erik is mentioned in several places in the Heimskringla
Heimskringla
Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...
. In the saga of Olaf Haraldsson, Thorgny Lawspeaker relates:
- My grandfather Thorgny could well remember the Uppsala king Eirik Eymundson, and used to say of him that when he was in his best years he went out every summer on expeditions to different countries, and conquered for himself FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, KirjalalandKareliaKarelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden...
, CourlandCourlandCourland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
, EsthoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, and the eastern countries all around; and at the present day the earth-bulwarks, ramparts, and other great works which he made are to be seen. And, more over, he was not so proud that he would not listen to people who had anything to say to him.
In Harald Fairhair's saga, Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
relates that Erik also wanted to extend Sweden westwards and to make a kingdom for himself as large as that of the Swedish king Sigurd Ring
Sigurd Ring
Sigurd Hring was a Swedish and Danish king mentioned in many old Scandinavian legends. According to Bósa saga ok Herrauds, there was once a saga on Sigurd Hring, but this saga is now lost...
and his son Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok was a Norse legendary hero from the Viking Age who was thoroughly reshaped in Old Norse poetry and legendary sagas.-Life as recorded in the sagas:...
(i.e. Raumarike, Vingulmark
Vingulmark
Vingulmark is the old name for the area in Norway which today makes up the counties of Østfold, western parts of Akershus , and eastern parts of Buskerud , and includes the site of Norway's capital, Oslo...
and Westfold all the way to island of Grenmar). Thus he conquered Vermland, West Götaland and all the land south of Svinesund
Svinesund
Svinesund is a sound separating the Swedish municipality of Strömstad in the province of Bohuslän in the county of Västra Götaland from the Norwegian municipality of Halden in the county of Østfold....
(modern Bohuslän
Bohuslän
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Götaland on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea to the west, and the county of Østfold in Norway to the north...
) and claimed the shores of Viken
Viken
Viken was the historical name for the district in southeastern Norway, including the area surrounding the Oslofjord and Skagerrak, the strait running between Norway and the southwest coast of Sweden and the Jutland peninsula of Denmark.-History:...
as his own. He placed Hrane Gautske (Hrane the Geat
Geat
Geats , and sometimes Goths) were a North Germanic tribe inhabiting what is now Götaland in modern Sweden...
) as Jarl of the land between Svinesund and Göta älv
Göta älv
The Göta is a river that drains lake Vänern into the Kattegat at the city of Gothenburg on the western coast of Sweden. It is located in Götaland, with the river itself being a site of early Geatish settlement. The length is 93 km. Often the combination of Göta älv and Klarälven is mentioned...
. In these territories the people accepted Erik as their king.
When King Harald Fairhair arrived at Tønsberg
Tønsberg
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, southern Norway, located around north-east of Sandefjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tønsberg....
(in Viken, and at the time a trading town) from Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
he learnt of this and became very angry. He assembled the ting
Thing (assembly)
A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
at Fold
Vestfold
is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg.Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten. The river Numedalslågen runs...
and accused the people of treason after which some had to accept his rule, while others were punished. He then spent the summer forcing Viken and Raumarike to accept his rule.
When the winter arrived Harald learnt that the Swedish king was in Vermland, after which he crossed the Ed forest
Ed Forest
The Ed Forest is a forest separating the Norwegian county of Hedmark from the Swedish province of Värmland. Today, this area exists as two communes: the Norwegian Eidskog and the Swedish Eda. Snorre Sturlasson called this area Eidskogen. It is best known for its road of pilgrimage, Eskoleia,...
and ordered the people to arrange a feast in his tribute.
The most powerful man in the province was a man named Åke, who had formerly been one of Halfdan the Black
Halfdan the Black
Halfdan the Black was a ninth-century king of Vestfold. He belonged to the House of Yngling and was the father of Harald Fairhair, the first king of Norway.-Biography:...
's men, and he invited both the Norwegian king and the Swedish king to his hall
Hall
In architecture, a hall is fundamentally a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age, a mead hall was such a simple building and was the residence of a lord and his retainers...
s. Åke had built a new hall instead of his old one, which was ornamented in the same splendid manner, but the old hall only had old ornaments and hangings.
When the kings arrived, the Swedish king was placed in the old hall, whereas the Norwegian king was placed in the new one. The Norwegian king found himself in a hall with new gilded vessels carved with figures and shining like glass, full of the best liquor.
The next day, the kings prepared to leave. Bidding his farewell Åke gave to Harald's service his own twelve year old son Ubbe. Harald thanked Åke and promised him is friendship.
Then Åke talked to the Swedish king, who was in a bad mood. Åke gave him valuable gifts and followed the king on the road until they came to the woods. Erik asked Åke why he, who was his man, had made such a difference between him and the Norwegian king. Åke answered that there was nothing to blame Erik for but that he had got the old things and the old hall because he was old whereas the Norwegian king was in the bloom of his youth. Åke also answered the he was no less the Swedish king's man than the Swedish king was his man. Hearing the words of treason, Erik had no other choice but to slay the impudent and treacherous Åke.
When Harald learnt of this, he pursued the Swedish king until they saw the Swedish king, but then they had arrived at the border of Götaland
Götaland
Götaland , Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gautland or Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises provinces...
and considered it best to return. Harald then spent the rest of the autumn killing all the Swedish king's men in Vermland.
In the winter, Harald plundered and burnt in Ranrike
Ranrike
Ranrike was the old name for a part of Viken, corresponding to southeast Norway and the northern half of the modern Swedish province of Bohuslän...
. Then the Norwegians invaded Götaland and travelled far and wide in Götaland
Götaland
Götaland , Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gautland or Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises provinces...
, winning most of the battles. In one of the battles, Hrane Gautske fell. Harald then proclaimed himself the ruler of all land north of Göta älv and north and west of lake Vänern
Vänern
Vänern is the largest lake in Sweden, the largest lake in the EU and the third largest lake in Europe after Ladoga and Onega in Russia. It is located in the provinces of Västergötland, Dalsland, and Värmland in the southwest of the country.- History :...
and placed Guttorm Haraldsson
Guttorm Haraldsson
Guttorm Haraldsson was the first son of king Harald Fairhair of Norway and Åsa, daughter of Håkon Grjotgardsson. C. 890 Harald made Guttorm king of Ranrike, which he had wrested from the Swedish king Erik Eymundsson, and gave him the responsibility of defending Norway from Sweden. He fell in a sea...
to defend the region with a large force.
See also
- Early Swedish HistoryEarly Swedish historySwedish pre-history ends around 800 CE, when the Viking Age begins and written sources are available. The Viking Age lasted until the mid-11th century, when the Christianization of Scandinavia was largely completed. The period 1050 to 1350 — when the Black Death struck Europe — is considered the...
- Kings of Raumariki