Eric's removal cleared the way for Amlaíb [Anlaf Cwiran], who having suffered defeat at Slane (Co. Meath, Ireland) in 947, returned to Northumbria and took the kingship, supposedly in 949, if the E-text is to be trusted. [71] Eadred does not appear to have undertaken any significant action and may even have turned a blind eye on his brother's godson, or so at least the silence of the sources appears to suggest.

King Eric was treacherously killed by Earl [ consul] Maccus in a certain lonely place which is called Stainmore, with his son Haeric and his brother Ragnald, betrayed by Earl [ comes] Oswulf; and then afterwards King Eadred ruled in these districts. [95] However, scholars today are usually less prepared to colour the sober records with details from the sagas, preferring to take the view that Eric was assassinated in exile. [104] In sum then, it looks as if Eric, expelled and heading in a north-westerly direction (possibly in search of support), was about to cross over into Cumbria, when in a bid for power, his official Osulf had him killed through the agency of Maccus. Exactly what made this a betrayal ( proditio) in the eyes of the 10th century chronicler or those of Roger of Wendover, is unclear. It is unknown whether Osulf was also behind Eric's expulsion, despite being the main beneficiary, and whether he was expected to grant Eric safe passage and perhaps an escort to guide him safely through that part of Northumbria over which he (Osulf) had jurisdiction. It is equally obscure whether Maccus ambushed his victims, or was part of the escort, betraying them ( fraudulenter) as soon as he saw the opportunity. Sawyer, Peter (1995). "The last Scandinavian rulers of York". Northern History. 31: 39–44. doi: 10.1179/007817295790175462. Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (MS E) 952; Henry of Huntingdon, Historia Anglorum V.22: 'Hyrc filium Haraldi'. Other Haralds known from this period include Aralt mac Sitric (d. 940, Chronicon Scotorum AD 940), the father of Maccus and Gofraid (Arailt), and Harold Bluetooth. Costambeys, Marios. "Erik Bloodaxe ( d. 954)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. September 2004. Accessed: 2 February 2009.Egils saga ch. 36, which says the Eric was relatively young when most of Harald's sons were of mature age.

John of Worcester, Chronicle (of Chronicles), ed. Benjamin Thorpe, Florentii Wigorniensis monachi chronicon ex chronicis. 2 vols. London, 1848–9; tr. J. Stevenson, Church Historians of England. 8 vols: vol. 2.1. London, 1855. 171–372. Egill Skallagrímsson, Lausavísur, stanza 25: "I [Egill] dabbled my blade / In Bloodaxe’s boy [ Blóðøxar ... blóði, lit. 'Bloodaxe's blood'], / In one galley Gunnhild’s son", tr. H. Pálsson and P. Edwards, Egils saga ch. 56, pp. 147–8; Eyvindr Finnsson skáldaspillir, Lausavísur, stanza 1 (written in dróttkvætt): "Valkyrie's-game, avengers – / awaits not sitting still now – / wish to awake 'gainst you, / warring for death of Blood-Axe [ Blóðøxar]", tr. Lee M. Hollander, Heimskringla ch. 28, p. 118.The figure that Eric became in the Norse sagas is a heady mix of history, folklore, and political propaganda. He is usually portrayed as a larger-than-life Viking hero, whose powerful and violent performances bring him many short-term successes, but ultimately make him flawed and unpopular as a ruler and statesman. The Heimskringla describes Eric as "a large and handsome man, strong and of great prowess, a great and victorious warrior", but also "violent of disposition, cruel, gruff, and taciturn". [114] The synoptic histories (Theodoricus, the Historia Norwegiae, and Ágrip) to some degree seek to excuse Eric's cruelty and fall from favour with the Norwegian nobility by pointing out another weakness, that of his naive faith in the evil counsels of his wife. [115] Conflict with Egill Skallagrimsson ( Egils saga) [ edit ] Picture of Egill in a 17th-century manuscript of Egils Saga. He appears as a recurring character in Oathsworn, a series of Viking Age historical novels by Robert Low, beginning with The Whale Road.

Theodoricus monachus, ch. 2, suggest that Haakon sailed to Norway on the invitation of disgruntled noblemen. Heimskringla, on other hand, explains Haakon's return to Norway merely as a response to news of his father's death.After Malcolm Falkus and John Gillingham, Historical Atlas of Britain. Kingfisher, 1989. p. 52; and David Hill, An Atlas of Anglo-Saxon England. Toronto, 1981. Campbell, Alistair. "Two Notes on the Norse Kingdoms in Northumbria." English Historical Review 57 (1942): 85–97: 91–7 ("The End of the Kingdom of Northumbria.").

Fagrskinna ch. 3; Historia Norwegiæ, tr. Kunin, p. 14; Ágrip ch. 2 (specifying in ch. 5 that Haakon was nearly twenty when he returned to Norway); Orkneyinga Saga ch. 8. The succinct account by Theodoricus ch. 2 has nothing to say on the matter. Downham, "Chronology". 33–34. Annals of the Four Masters II 638 (AD 937 for 939); Annals of the Four Masters II 640 (AD 938 for 940), Annals of Clonmacnoise pp. 151–52 (AD 933 for 940); Annals of Clonmacnoise p. 152 (AD 934 for 941), Chronicon Scotorum p. 202 (AD 940 for 941).See Sverrir Jakobsson, „„Erindringen om en mægtig Personlighed": Den norsk-islandske historiske tradisjon om Harald Hårfagre i et kildekritisk perspektiv", Historisk tidsskrift, 81 (2002), 213–30. Eiric rex danorum, Botild regina, Tovi, Modera uxor Tovi, Alf, Sunapas, Thor Muntokes sune, Ulf Duft, Torkitell muli, Osbern, Eoltkill, Askill, Turkill, Walecho, Gerbrun". Durham Liber Vitae. p. 78. E.g. Charles Plummer, Two of the Saxon Chronicles Parallel. p. 148; Richard A. Fletcher, The Barbarian Conversion. p. 392.