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104-486: At the time of its dissolution, the 317-square-kilometre (122 sq mi) municipality was the 270th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Agdenes is the 344th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,684. The municipality's population density is 5.7 inhabitants per square kilometre (15/sq mi) and its population has decreased by 4.2% over the last decade. The municipality of Værnes

208-405: A field (background) that has a tincture of ermine , a type of fur design that mimics the winter coat of a stoat . The chief has a tincture of red. The ermine field symbolizes the fur farming industry in the municipality. As ermine is also a royal symbol, it symbolises the fact that in historical times the local overlords ( jarls ) and kings have resided in the village. The red chief across

312-549: A Macone consule fraudulenter interempti sunt, ac deinde in partibus illis rex Eadredus regnavit. 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. Stainmore , traditionally in Westmorland and administratively in Cumbria , lies in

416-504: A Scottish saint with a Brythonic name, visited a certain King Eric ( Erichus ) in York as he proceeded southwards from his native Strathclyde and Cumbria to Loida civitas , sometimes identified as Leeds , on the boundary with Cumbria, ultimately intending to go to West France. This Eric was both settled and married, and may have been on good terms with his neighbours in the north-west, although

520-564: A career of international piracy: four years were spent harrying the Baltic coasts and those of Denmark, Frisia and Germany ('Saxland'); another four years those of Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; and lastly, Lappland and Bjarmaland (in what is now northern Russia). Describing the last trip, Egils saga notes that Eric sailed up the Dvina River into the Russian hinterland of Permia , where he sacked

624-678: A certain Eric have been described as rulers of 'the Isles' ( Hebrides ) (see below). In a letter addressed to Pope Boniface VIII , King Edward I (r. 1272–1307) remembered a certain Eric ( Yricius ) as having been a king of Scotland subject to the English king. In the 19th century, a case had also been made for Harald Bluetooth King of Denmark (d. 985) as being Eric's true father. J.M. Lappenberg and Charles Plummer , for instance, identified Eric with Harald's son Hiring. The only authority for this son's existence

728-527: A decisive role in Amlaíb's career in the early 940s, remains tantalisingly unclear. One might assume that Wulfstan, given his political eminence, headed the Northumbrian party which elected Eric. It has likewise been suggested that Eadred's punitive attack on the ancient minster of Ripon, which carried little military weight, was targeted at Wulfstan in particular. In what sense his deposition in 948 may have affected

832-569: A fast pace. Cities with high population densities are, by some, considered to be overpopulated, though this will depend on factors like quality of housing and infrastructure and access to resources. Very densely populated cities are mostly in Asia (particularly Southeast Asia ); Africa's Lagos , Kinshasa , and Cairo ; South America's Bogotá , Lima , and São Paulo ; and Mexico City and Saint Petersburg also fall into this category. City population and especially area are, however, heavily dependent on

936-568: A handful of Egill's lausavísur . The earliest saga, Historia Norwegiæ , describes her as the daughter of Gorm inn Gamli (‘the Old’), king of Denmark (and hence a sister of Harald Bluetooth ). Most subsequent accounts name her father Ozur , nicknamed either Toti "teat" ( Egils saga, Fagrskinna , Heimskringla ) or lafskegg "dangling beard" ( Ágrip , Fagrskinna ), a man who hailed from the northern province of Hålogaland ( Egils saga , Heimskringla ). Icelandic hostility towards Gunnhild has been cited as

1040-538: A high urbanization level, with an economically specialized city population drawing also on rural resources outside the area, illustrating the difference between high population density and overpopulation . Deserts have very limited potential for growing crops as there is not enough rain to support them. Thus, their population density is generally low. However, some cities in the Middle East, such as Dubai , have been increasing in population and infrastructure growth at

1144-629: A leading statesman in Northumbrian politics, played a key role in Amlaíb's support, although he would later change his mind (see below). In 942 Edmund struck back with a recapture of Mercia and the Five Boroughs of Danelaw , which so impressed contemporaries that a poem was written in honour of the achievement and included in the Chronicle . In response, Amlaíb launched a successful raid on Tamworth (Mercia), probably sometime later that year. However, in 943, when Amlaíb had marched on to Leicester , one of

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1248-639: A little less than the land area of Puerto Rico , 8,868 square kilometres (3,424 sq mi). Although the arithmetic density is the most common way of measuring population density, several other methods have been developed to provide alternative measures of population density over a specific area. Eric Bloodaxe Eric Haraldsson ( Old Norse : Eiríkr Haraldsson [ˈɛiˌriːkz̠ ˈhɑrˌɑldsˌson] , Norwegian : Eirik Haraldsson ; fl. c.930−954), nicknamed Bloodaxe ( Old Norse : blóðøx [ˈbloːðˌøks] , Norwegian : Blodøks ) and Brother-Slayer ( Latin : fratrum interfector ),

1352-523: A matter of some debate: some argue that it was written shortly after Eric's death, while others who regard the poem as an imitation of the Hákonarmál in honour of Haakon the Good prefer a date sometime after Haakon's death, c . 961. In spite of the decidedly pagan contents of the poem, Eric may have died a Christian, as some of the sagas suggest. There is no evidence for his religious beliefs, but if ever Eric

1456-651: A new ruler of the Uí Ímair dynasty had made York his seat. From Irish annals it is known that Edmund's old rival Olaf Guthfrithson left Dublin in 939 ( Annals of the Four Masters ), that in 940 his cousin, known in Ireland as Amlaíb Cuarán and in England as Olaf Sihtricsson, joined him in York ( Annals of the Four Masters , Annals of Clonmacnoise ) and that Olaf Guthfrithson died in 941 ( Annals of Clonmacnoise , Chronicon Scotorum ), while

1560-434: 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

1664-529: A number of later sagas such as the Separate Saga of St. Olaf ( c . 1225), Heimskringla , Egils saga and Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta assert that he sailed directly to Orkney, where he took the joint jarls into vassalage, collected forces and so set up a base which enabled him to organise several expeditions in overseas territory. Named targets include Ireland, the Hebrides, Scotland and England. Eric sealed

1768-517: A possible source for her dissociation from the Danish royal house. There is no consensus on how to solve this problem. An early suggestion is that the name for the king in York in the Life of Cathróe has been erroneously supplanted for Eric's predecessor Amlaíb Cuarán (Olaf Sihtricsson), whose (second) wife Dúnflaith was an Irishwoman. Recently, Clare Downham has suggested that Erichius , Eric of Northumbria,

1872-457: A raven and valkyrie . It tells that Harald "chose the lady from Denmark [ konu danska ] / broke with his Rogaland loves / and his lemans of Horthaland, / the maidens of Hálogaland / and of Hathaland eke." In the Flateyjarbók , it is preceded by another stanza which refers to the "handmaidens of Ragnhildr" ( ambáttir Ragnhildar ) as witnesses of the event. However, it is uncertain whether her name

1976-422: A rich and varied birdlife. One of the better places is Litlvatnet. Fully protected since 1983, this nature reserve comprises shallow water with extensive reed beds . The lake is surrounded by farm land, which in its own right provides food and shelter for several species. Formed during the last ice age when sea levels dropped leaving exposed areas of land and trapped water from the melting ice, today's Litlvatnet

2080-449: A scribal confusion for Stan -, which in turn would have referred to Stainmore (OE * Stan ). Having thus ascribed a historical core to the body of Scandinavian material, he in turn interprets the event as a battle. 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. In sum then, it looks as if Eric, expelled and heading in

2184-469: A short duration, since in 954 (a date on which MSS D and E agree), the Northumbrians expelled him, too. Clare Downham notes the existence of an otherwise unrecorded Eltangerht , whose coins were minted at York and date from about the same time, but nothing is known of him from other records. The nature of Eric's relationship with Archbishop Wulfstan , the leading Northumbrian churchman who played such

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2288-460: A son of the Norwegian king Harald (I) Fairhair . The skaldic poems ascribed to Egill Skallagrímsson may offer further reassurance that the sagas are on the right track, although doubts have been expressed about the date and integrity of the verses in the form in which they have survived. One of Egill's lausavísur speaks of an encounter in England with a man of "Harald's line" ( Haralds áttar ), while

2392-490: Is Adam of Bremen , who in his Gesta ( c . 1070) claims to cite the otherwise unknown Gesta Anglorum for a remarkable anecdote about Hiring's foreign adventures: "Harald sent his son Hiring to England with an army. When the latter had subjugated the island, he was in the end betrayed and killed by the Northumbrians." Even if Eric's rise and fall had been the inspiration for the story, the names are not identical and Harald Bluetooth's floruit does not sit well with Eric's. In

2496-501: Is a remnant of this. Population density Population density (in agriculture : standing stock or plant density ) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans , but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term. Population density is population divided by total land area , sometimes including seas and oceans, as appropriate. Low densities may cause an extinction vortex and further reduce fertility. This

2600-632: Is above the national average, and the primary sector is the biggest. Most of the inhabitants work within the milk or forest industry. The growth of strawberries and the breeding of fur animals are important industries as well. The growth of strawberries has been a major industry in Agdenes for the past 100 years, started by the farmer Lars H. Selbæk in 1886 by planting some strawberry flowers and then giving them away to neighbouring farms. The most common varieties of strawberry grown here are Korona, Sephyr, Senga Sengana, and Bounty. Today, strawberry collection

2704-462: Is arguable whether its preservation in two lausavísur by Egill Skallagrímsson and a contemporary skald genuinely dates to the 10th century or had been inserted at some stage when Eric was becoming the focus of legend. There is no guarantee that it significantly predates the 12th-century narrative tradition, where it is first attached to him in Ágrip and in Latin translation as sanguinea securis in

2808-478: Is called the Allee effect after the scientist who identified it. Examples of the causes of reduced fertility in low population densities are: Population density is the number of people per unit of area, usually transcribed as "per square kilometer" or square mile, and which may include or exclude, for example, areas of water or glaciers. Commonly this is calculated for a county , city , country , another territory or

2912-586: Is clearer on the point of agency, writing that it was Wulfstan and the ealdorman ( dux ) of the Mercians who deposed these 'deserters' – perhaps born again pagans – and forced them to submit to Edmund. The same year, Edmund raided Cumbria and entrusted it to Malcolm I of Scotland in exchange for support "both on sea and on land". The Irish annals report that in 945, Amlaíb was back in Dublin and an anonymous ruler at York, possibly Ragnald (Rögnvaldr), died. Edmund

3016-541: Is may be instructive. Wulfstan is still seen at court in 950, but of the five charters which were issued in 951, not one was attested by him, which once again may imply his backing of Amlaíb. Eric's reign (952–954) is more obscure. We do know, however, that in 952, the same year that Eric began his second term at York, Wulfstan was arrested and stood on trial in Iudanbyrig (unknown) on account of several unspecified allegations which had been repeatedly brought before Eadred. Of

3120-544: Is not out of the question that both were issued during a single reign. Eric's sudden appearance in the Chronicle , first noted by the D-text, is a puzzling one, lacking any information as to how or why he emerged on the scene. As hinted above, the Life of the Scottish saint Cathróe of Metz , written by a cleric (Reimann) who claimed to have been a former pupil of the saint, may possibly shed some light on his background. St Cathróe,

3224-440: Is not the same as Eric Bloodaxe. And there remains the possibility that he was not strictly monogamous, and the existence of two wives need not be mutually exclusive. The dominant theme of the sagas about Harald's numerous sons is the struggle for the Norwegian throne, in particular the way it manifests itself in the careers of Haakon and his foil Eric. According to Heimskringla , Harald had appointed his sons as client kings over

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3328-537: Is performed by foreign workers , which are mainly from Poland and Lithuania . In the initial stages, the Norwegian youth were the main workforce, but after the 1970s, it became less attractive for them to pick strawberries in a field. While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services , senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services , zoning , economic development , and municipal roads . During its existence, this municipality

3432-611: Is situated at the south end of the mouth of the Trondheimsfjord where it meets the Trondheimsleia . It includes several islands including Leksa . The municipality borders the municipalities of Hitra , Ørland , Indre Fosen , Orkdal , and Snillfjord . The lake Øyangsvatnet is located in the west central part of the municipality. The Agdenes Lighthouse sits on the edge of the Trondheimsfjord. The municipality of Agdenes has

3536-518: Is taken into account, then human population density is 53/km (140/sq mi). This includes all continental and island land area, including Antarctica . However, if Antarctica is excluded, then population density rises to over 58 per square kilometre (150/sq mi). The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has developed a suite of (open and free) data and tools named the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) to improve

3640-415: Is uncertain", since the grey wolf is always lying in wait. Eric is then greeted by the famous hero Sigmundr : "Hail now, Eiríkr [...] / here you shall be welcome; / brave hero, enter the hall." Some have argued that the language of the poem shows influence from Old English . However, on recently examining the poem, John McKinnell could find little trace of this. The (original) date of composition remains

3744-599: The Arinbjarnarkviða envisages a ruler at York (Jórvik) who is a descendant of Halfdán ( Halfdanar ) and of the Yngling dynasty ( ynglings burar ). If genuine, the latter identification would form the only direct clue in the contemporary record which might link Eric with the Norwegian dynasty. Another Harald known from this period is Aralt mac Sitric (d. 940), king of Limerick, the probable father of Maccus and Gofraid . This may be relevant, since both these brothers and

3848-527: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (MS E) dates his death – incorrectly it seems – to 942. Amlaíb Cuarán succeeded him and did so with popular support, as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (MS D) reports that in 941, "the Northumbrians belied their pledges, and chose Olaf [i.e., Amlaíb Cuarán] from Ireland as their king." Amlaíb shared the throne with his nephew Ragnald (Rögnvaldr), son of Gofraid. There are indications that Wulfstan, Archbishop of York and

3952-464: The Battle of Steinmor  ... and there fell Eirikr, with his sons and brothers and all his army ... and his brother Reginaldus [Latin for Ragnald or Ragnvald] ... His son was also known as: Henricus or Haericus [Latin form] and brother as Ragnald or Reginaldus [Latin form] ... together with his son Henricus" whom the commentator Michael Wood in a 1981 BBC documentary series identifies as 'Harékr' (from

4056-510: The Chronicle (MS D) notes that the Northumbrians soon violated their pledges and oaths (947) and records a definite outcome of their disloyalty in 948, by which time "they had taken Eirik [ Yryc ] for their king". That year, King Eadred harshly punished the northern defectors by launching a destructive raid on Northumbria, which notably included burning the Ripon minster founded by St Wilfrid . Although Eadred's forces had to sustain heavy losses in

4160-566: The Historia Norwegiæ makes him flee directly to England, where he was received by his half-brother Haakon, baptised and given charge of Northumbria by Æthelstan. When Eric's rule became intolerable, he was driven out and slain on an expedition in Spain. Ágrip tells that he came to Denmark first. According to Historia Norwegiæ , it would have been his wife's native country and hence a power base where he might have expected to muster some support, but

4264-469: The Historia Norwegiæ. The sagas usually explain it as referring to Eric's slaying of his half-brothers in a ruthless struggle to monopolise his rule over Norway; Theodoricus gives the similar nickname fratrum interfector ( killer of brothers or brother-bane ). Fagrskinna , on the other hand, ascribes it to Eric's violent reputation as a Viking raider. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (MS E) describes Eric laconically as ‘Harold’s son’ ( Haroldes sunu ). In

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4368-482: The River Tees and returned with many cattle and captives. Marios Costambeys suggests that it "may have been directed against, or mounted in favour of, Eirik, though the protagonist could just as easily have been Óláf Sihtricson." 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

4472-651: The comes Maccus son of Anlaf, is unclear. His name may point to origins in a Norse-Gaelic family based in the Border country . While Anlaf (Middle Irish: Amlaíb , Old Norse: Óláfr ) is a common Scandinavian and Norse-Gaelic name, Maccus , a Norse-Gaelic name of Middle Irish origin, is geographically more restricted and is particularly well attested in southern Scottish place-names. Based on Eric's confrontation with his predecessor Óláfr in Fagrskinna , attempts have been made to connect Onlaf to Amlaíb Cuarán , but this must remain in

4576-494: The entire world . The world's population is around 8,000,000,000 and the Earth 's total area (including land and water) is 510,000,000 km (200,000,000 sq mi). Therefore, the worldwide human population density is approximately 8,000,000,000 ÷ 510,000,000 = 16/km (41/sq mi). However, if only the Earth's land area of 150,000,000 km (58,000,000 sq mi)

4680-606: The Battle of Castleford ( Ceaster forda ) – near Tanshelf – as they returned southwards, Eadred managed to check his rival by promising the latter's supporters even greater havoc if they did not desert Eric. The Northumbrians preferred to appease the English king, renounced Eric and paid compensation. The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba records that shortly thereafter, in 948 or 949, Malcolm (I) of Scotland and Cumbria, at Constantine 's instigation, raided Northumbria as far south as

4784-549: The Boroughs, he and Wulfstan were besieged by Edmund and managed to escape only by a hair's breadth. Peace negotiations followed later that year to the effect that Edmund accepted Amlaíb as an ally and as two northern sources add, ceded to him Northumbria as far south as Watling Street. Later, Edmund stood sponsor to him at baptism and to Ragnall at confirmation. In 944, however, Northumbria passed into West-Saxon hands again as Edmund drove out both Viking rulers. The chronicler Æthelweard

4888-469: The E-text is to be trusted. 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. The E-text reports, however, that in 952, "the Northumbrians drove out King Olaf and accepted Eric, son of Harold." The Annals of Ulster for the same year report a victory of the "foreigners", i.e.,

4992-536: The Hebrides, is described as having allied himself to Sitriuc mac Tuirgeis, king of Dublin. Although the Caithréim is hardly a work celebrated for its accuracy as a source of history, the distant memory of an Eric who ruled the Hebrides may not be fictitious. It may be a matter of coincidence that the next Vikings known to have ruled the Hebrides were also 'sons of Harold', Gofraid mac Arailt , ri Innsi Gall (d. 989), who

5096-621: The Latin Haeric or Henricus or Haericus ) "and brother Ragnald" (from the Latin Reginaldus ). Historians have been struck by the correspondence with these names in Fagrskinna , which says two of the kings who died with Eric in his final battle against Osulf (Olaf) were called Harékr and Ragnvald, although they are not identified as relatives there they certainly are identified as his son ( cum filio – meaning: 'with his son') and his brother ( et fratre – meaning: 'and [his] brother') in

5200-532: The North Sagas. Further details on his family background are provided solely by the Icelandic and Norwegian sources of the 12th and 13th centuries, which are of limited and uncertain historical value and should therefore be treated with due circumspection. Harald 'Fairhair' is usually portrayed as a polygamous and virile king, the number of his sons varying between 16 and 20. While Eric's mother remains anonymous in

5304-664: The Northmen or the Norse-Gaels, over "the men of Scotland and the Welsh [ Bretnu , i.e., Britons of Strathclyde] and the Saxons." Exactly what this succinct account may tell us of his second rise to power, if anything, is frustratingly unclear. He may have led the Viking forces in a second bid for the throne, or only returned from the sideline to exploit the ravages of defeat. His reign proved once again of

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5408-402: The Norwegian nobility. At this propitious time, Haakon returned to Norway, found a nobility eager to accept him as king instead and ousted Eric, who fled to Britain. Heimskringla specifies that Haakon owed his success in large part to Sigurd, earl of Lade. Determining the date and length of Eric's reign (before and after his father's death) is a challenging and perhaps impossible task based on

5512-586: The Scots granted him oaths that they would do all that he wanted." Moreover, in 947 he convened Archbishop Wulfstan and the Northumbrian witan at Tanshelf (now in Pontefract , West Yorkshire), on the boundary of the Humber (near an old Roman road), where they pledged their obedience to him. What perceived threat was being countered remains unclear, but English rule does not seem to have been very warmly received. In any event,

5616-416: The account cited in the Latin text of the North Sagas entitled, Morte Rex Eilricus (The death of King Eirikr) which had been copied long ago from the annals of the lost York Chronicles, the author provides the details of the events leading to Eric (Eirikr or Eirik) Bloodaxe's death "fraudulently, treacherously betrayed by Earl Osulfus" ( Osulf, Earl of Bamburg ) "... was killed by Earl Maccus ... at

5720-570: The alliance by giving his daughter Ragnhild in marriage to the future earl of Orkney, Arnfinn, son of Thorfinn Turf-Einarsson. It is when Eric gains the kingship in Northumbria that he finally steps more firmly into the historical limelight, even though the sources provide only scanty detail and present notorious problems of their own. The historical sources – e.g., versions A-F of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , Historia regum and Roger of Wendover's Historia Anglorum – tend to be reticent and

5824-579: The chronology is confused. However, the best chronological guideline appears to be that offered by the Worcester Chronicle, i.e., the D-text of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle . The Northumbria on which he set foot was one which had been bitterly fought over between the West-Saxon kings and the Hiberno-Norse line of descendants from Ímair , kings of Dublin. The Northumbrians' own position in the middle of

5928-546: The confused chronology of our late sources. It is also unfortunate that no contemporary or even near contemporary record survives for Eric's short-lived rule in Norway, if it is historical at all. The Norse sagas differ in the way they treat the manner and route by which Eric first came to Britain after he was forced out of Norway. The synoptic histories offer the most concise accounts. Theodoricus goes straight for Eric's arrival in England, his welcome there by King Æthelstan , his brief rule and his death soon afterwards. Similarly,

6032-547: The definition of "urban area" used: densities are almost invariably higher for the center only than when suburban settlements and intervening rural areas are included, as in the agglomeration or metropolitan area (the latter sometimes including neighboring cities). In comparison, based on a world population of 8 billion, the world's inhabitants, if conceptualized as a loose crowd occupying just under 1 m (10 sq ft) per person (cf. Jacobs Method ), would occupy an area of 8,000 square kilometres (3,100 sq mi)

6136-512: The discrepancy, the sagas – including Heimskringla  – are unanimous in making Haakon Eric's younger half-brother and successor. According to Heimskringla and Egils saga , Eric spent much of his childhood in fosterage with the hersir Thórir son of Hróald . Of his adolescent years, a remarkable picture is painted in Heimskringla, which recounts that Eric, aged twelve and seemingly possessed of prodigious valour and strength, embarked on

6240-406: The early part of the 12th century, John of Worcester had reason to believe that Eric ( Yrcus ) was of royal Scandinavian stock ( Danica stirpe progenitum , a phrase used earlier for the Hiberno-Norse ruler of Northumbria, Sihtric Cáech ). This appears to match with independent tradition from Norwegian synoptic histories and Icelandic sagas, which are explicit in identifying Eric of Northumbria as

6344-431: The effect of consolidating his power. This impression is borne out by royal charters issued towards the end of his reign, between 937 and 939, which style Æthelstan ruler over all Britain (e.g., totius rex Brittanniae or Albionis ). However, Æthelstan died in 939 and his successor Edmund , only 18 years of age, was unable to retain control of Northumbria. In 939 or 940, almost as soon as Edmund had come to power,

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6448-403: The evidence is indirect and somewhat ambiguous: the saint claimed kinship not only with Eric's wife but also with Dyfnwal (III) (d. 975), king of Strathclyde and Cumbria ( Donevaldus, rex Cumbrorum ), which may point to an alliance of some kind between the two rulers. Based on internal evidence for the saint's itinerary, Cathróe's stay is to be dated between 940 x 943, when Constantine (II) left

6552-465: The few charters surviving for 953, Wulfstan attests one and by 955, after Eric's death, he was restored to office, but now with Dorchester rather than York as his episcopal seat. Clare Downham suggests that during this period, Wulfstan may have been pressured by King Eadred into relinquishing his support of Eric. Eric's Northumbrian rule is also corroborated by numismatic evidence. As of 3 February 2009, 31 coins minted at York had been found which bear

6656-407: The first element is unknown (but it is probably the same meaning as in the name Agder ) and the last element is nes which means " headland ". The coat of arms was granted on 30 August 1991 and it was in use until the dissolution of the municipality on 1 January 2020. The official blazon is " Ermine , a chief gules " ( Norwegian : I hermelin et rødt skjoldhode ). This means the arms have

6760-589: The fore. Following a report on the invasion of Scotland by William I in 1072, the Historia regum attributed to Symeon of Durham recalls that Eric was driven out and slain by one Maccus son of Onlaf. The Flores historiarum (early 13th century) by Roger of Wendover is thought to have relied on a northern source now lost to us when it adds the following details: ... rex Eilricus in quadam solitudine quae 'Steinmor' dicitur, cum filio suo Henrico [in other MSS, Haerico ] et fratre Reginaldo, proditione Osulfi comitis,

6864-460: The former version, earlier generations of scholars have envisaged the occasion of Eric's death on Stainmore to have been a last stand in battle. The view was espoused by W.G. Collingwood and later still by Frank Stenton , who speculates that Eric might have attempted to regain the kingdom or was fighting off pursuers. Finnur Jónsson re-interprets the alternative tradition in a historical light by proposing that Span- "Spain" in Ágrip goes back to

6968-409: The historical figure, are matters which have inspired a variety of approaches and suggestions among generations of historians. Current opinion veers towards a more critical attitude towards the use of sagas as historical sources for the period before the 11th century, but conclusive answers cannot be offered. Eric's soubriquet blóðøx , ‘Bloodaxe’ or 'Bloody-axe', is of uncertain origin and context. It

7072-478: The inscription of his name. These can be divided into two distinct types of issue: N549, in which the moneyer's name (reverse) is written horizontally and broken up in two, and N550, in which his name is inscribed around the edges and Eric's name (obverse) accompanied by a sword symbol (image above on the right). The two principal moneyers, Ingalger and Radulf, who had also minted coins for Amlaíb, occur on both types. The two types may correspond to his two reigns, but it

7176-495: The kingdom of Scotland to Malcolm (I) , and 946, when Edmund was slain. The greatest obstacle to an identification of the Erics lies in the problem that the account would be difficult to square with the version of events presented by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the assertion in royal charters that in 946, Edmund was still king of all Britain. It may be noted that the text's chronology has likewise presented some difficulties concerning

7280-482: The later Icelandic kings' sagas Orkneyinga saga ( c . 1200), Fagrskinna ( c . 1225), the Heimskringla ascribed to Snorri Sturluson ( c . 1230), Egils saga (1220–1240), and Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta ( c . 1300). Exactly in what sense the Eric of the sagas may have been based on the historical Eric of Northumbria, and conversely, to what extent later evidence might be called upon to shed light on

7384-518: The life of Eric of Norway, a chieftain who ruled the Norwegian Westland in the 930s. Norse sources have identified the two as the same since the late 12th century, and while the subject is controversial, most historians have identified the two figures as the same since W. G. Collingwood 's article in 1901. This identification was rejected early in the 21st century by the historian Clare Downham , who has argued that later Norse writers synthesized

7488-485: The literary development. Fagrskinna ( c . 1220) mentions his daughter Ragnhild and her marriage to an Orkney earl, here Hávard, but never describes Eric as actually stepping ashore. The Orkneyinga saga , written c . 1200, does speak of his presence in Orkney and his alliance with the joint jarls Arnkel and Erland , sons of Torf-Einarr , but not until his rule in Northumbria was challenged by Olaf (Amlaíb Cuarán). However,

7592-565: The main pass through the northern Pennines , the Stainmore Pass or Gap, which marks the boundary between Cumbria in the west and modern Durham in the east. It is here that the mountains are traversed by an old Roman road – more or less followed by the A66 today – leading from York to Catterick and north-westwards from Catterick (via Bowes , Stainmore, Brough , Appleby and Penrith ) to Carlisle . Eric may therefore have followed by and large

7696-555: The new municipality of Snillfjord . On the same date, the rest of Agdenes municipality (population: 858) was merged with the neighboring municipalities of Lensvik (population: 1,136) and the Ingdalen area of Stadsbygd (population: 171) and together, they formed a new, larger municipality of Agdenes. On 1 January 1995, the Moldtun area (population: 21) was transferred from Agdenes to the neighboring municipality of Snillfjord . This transfer

7800-405: The old Sør-Trøndelag county to the new Trøndelag county. On 1 January 2020, the municipalities of Agdenes, Orkdal , and Meldal along with the majority of Snillfjord were merged to form the new municipality of Orkland . The municipality (originally the parish ) is named after the old Agdenes farm ( Old Norse : Agðanes ), since the first Agdenes Church was built there. The meaning of

7904-597: The political status of Dyfnwal in the story (see main article there ). A further glimpse may be offered by the mid-12th-century Irish saga entitled Caithréim Chellacháin Chaisil , a text which was primarily designed to glorify the deeds of Cellachán mac Buadacháin (d. 954), king of Munster, and hence his descendants, the Clann Faílbe . In one of its poems, an "Eric, King of the Islands" ( Éiric Righ na n-Innse ), meaning ruler of

8008-428: The province of Northumbria was henceforward administered by earls and records the formal appointment of Osulf as earl of Northumbria the following year. Likewise, the early 12th century De primo Saxonum adventu notes that "[f]irst of the earls after Erik, the last king whom the Northumbrians had, Osulf administered under King Eadred all the provinces of the Northumbrians." By contrast, the identity of Eric's slayer,

8112-473: The realm of speculation. Eric's death receives a grander treatment in the synoptic histories and sagas. Fagrskinna , apparently the Eiríksmál which it incorporates, and Heimskringla assert that Eric and five other kings died together in battle in an unnamed place in England. According to Ágrip and Historia Norwegiæ , Eric died on a foray in Spain after being forced out of Northumbria. Somewhat in line with

8216-439: The realm, slaughtered the combined forces of his half-brothers Olaf and Sigrød, and gained full control of Norway. At the time, however, Eric's younger and most famous half-brother Haakon, often nicknamed Aðalsteinsfóstri , had been staying at the West-Saxon court, having been sent there to be reared as fosterson to King Æthelstan (r. 924–939). Eric's rule was reputedly harsh and despotic and so he fell rapidly out of favour with

8320-561: The recovery of the Five Boroughs (942), the archbishop did not attest any royal charters, but he began to do so during or after the negotiations of 942. What the charters reveal for Eric's first reign is less clear-cut, but intermittent absence may explain gaps in the record for Wulfstan's attestations in the turbulent years 947–948. Unfortunately, the critical period between 950 and 954 has produced comparatively few charters (owing perhaps to Eadred's deteriorating health), but what little there

8424-401: The relationship in later years is more open to speculation. The witness lists of Anglo-Saxon charters , which reveal when or not Wulfstan attended Eadred's court, in his own right or as a diplomat intermediating between two kings, have been used to provide a chronological framework for Wulfstan's swerving loyalties. Between 938 and 941, that is roughly between the Battle of Brunanburh (937) and

8528-687: The saga's introduction, commissioned by his widow Gunnhild. Except for a single stanza in the Edda, the skaldic poem is preserved nowhere else and what has survived may represent only the opening stanzas. Cast as a dialogue between Bragi , Odin , and fallen heroes, it tells of Eric's arrival in Valhöll , accompanied by five other kings, and his splendid welcome there by Odin and his entourage. Odin had eagerly awaited his coming because "many lands [...] / with his sword he has reddened" and on being asked why he had deprived Eric of such earthly glory, answers that "the future

8632-408: The same route that St Cathroé had taken, except in the opposite direction, possibly with Strathclyde or the Hebrides as his intended destination. The comes Osulf who betrayed Eric was high-reeve of the northern half of Northumbria, centred on Bamburgh, roughly corresponding to the former kingdom of Bernicia. He clearly benefited from his murderous plot against Eric. The Historia regum says that

8736-545: The science for policy support to the European Commission Directorate Generals and Services and as support to the United Nations system. Several of the most densely populated territories in the world are city-states , microstates and urban dependencies . In fact, 95% of the world's population is concentrated on just 10% of the world's land. These territories have a relatively small area and

8840-604: The small trading port of Permina . The Life of St Cathróe of Metz , written c . 1000 at the latest and therefore of near contemporary value, has information about Eric and his wife. It relates that "after keeping him for some time", the King of the Cumbrians conducted Cathróe to Loidam Civitatem , the boundary between the Normanni ("Scandinavians") and the Cumbri ("Britons"): And there he

8944-482: The struggle may have been complex and the outcome was variable, leading an unsympathetic historian like Henry of Huntingdon to judge harshly "their usual faithlessness" ( solita infidelitas ). In 927, having ejected Gofraid ua Ímair from York, King Æthelstan brought Northumbria under English control. His victory in the Battle of Brunanburh in 937, in which he and his half-brother Edmund defeated Gofraid's son King Olaf (III) Guthfrithson of Dublin , seems to have had

9048-406: The synoptic histories ( Ágrip ) and most of the Icelandic sagas, the Heimskringla ( c . 1230) claims that she was Ragnhildr , daughter of Eric, king of (South) Jutland. The possibility that Harald had married a Danish princess may find some support in a skaldic stanza which is usually assigned to Þorbjörn Hornklofi 's Hrafnsmál , a eulogy on Harald's deeds in the form of a conversation between

9152-434: The text makes no such claims. However, later sagas greatly expand upon Eric's activities in the interim between his reigns in Norway and Northumbria, claiming that he initially adopted a predatory lifestyle of raiding, whether or not he was aiming for a more political line of business in the longer run. The jarldom of Orkney , the former Viking base subjected and annexed by Eric's father, came to loom large in these stages of

9256-543: The top was chosen to represent the importance of strawberry farming in the municipality, although another interpretation is to represent the blood from the axe of the 10th-century King Eric Bloodaxe . The arms were designed by Einar Skjervold. The Church of Norway had one parish ( sokn ) within the municipality of Agdenes. It is part of the Orkdal prosti ( deanery ) in the Diocese of Nidaros . The industrial density of Agdenes

9360-607: The two Erics, possibly using English sources. This argument, though respected by other historians in the area, has not produced consensus. Contemporary or near-contemporary sources include different recensions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , Eric's coinage, the Life of St Cathróe , and possibly skaldic poetry . Such sources reproduce only a hazy image of Eric's activities in Anglo-Saxon England . Strikingly, Eric's historical obscurity stands in sharp contrast to

9464-459: The various districts of the kingdom, and intended Eric, his favourite son, to inherit the throne after his death. At strife with his half-brothers, Eric brutally killed Ragnvald (Rögnvaldr), ruler of Hadeland on his father's orders, and Bjørn Farmann , ruler of Vestfold . Some texts maintain that towards the end of his life, Harald allowed Eric to reign together with him ( Heimskringla , Ágrip , Fagrskinna ) . When Harald died, Eric succeeded to

9568-414: The wealth of legendary depictions in the kings' sagas, in which he takes part in the sagas of his father Harald Fairhair and his younger half-brother Haakon the Good . These include the late 12th-century Norwegian synoptics – Historia Norwegiæ (perhaps c . 1170), Theodoricus monachus ' Historia de antiquitate regum Norwagiensium ( c . 1180), and Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum ( c . 1190) – and

9672-414: Was Gunnhild , the famous "mother of kings". This account was constructed by the author of Egils saga using an earlier poem called Arinbjarnarkviða "Lay of Arinbjörn", and this poem does not mention Gunnhild by name, implying therefore that the name was introduced by the author of Egils saga . Saga tradition is, however, unanimous that Eric did cohabit with a woman named Gunnhild. Her name occurs in

9776-428: Was a Norwegian king . He ruled as King of Norway from 932 to 934, and twice as King of Northumbria : from 947 to 948, and again from 952 to 954. Historians have reconstructed a narrative of Eric's life and career from the scant available historical data. There is a distinction between contemporary or near contemporary sources for Eric's period as ruler of Northumbria and the entirely saga-based sources that detail

9880-442: Was already in the original composition, as another manuscript reading has the metrically regular ambáttir Danskar . The account of Heimskringla , which claims that Harald had enjoyed the company of eleven consorts before Ragnhildr, and that of Egils saga are at variance with the suggestion elsewhere that Eric was one of the oldest ( Fagrskinna ), if not the eldest son of Harald ( Historia Norwegiæ , Ágrip ). Whatever one makes of

9984-400: Was approved because the area had been without an outside road connection, and so the only connection was by boat which made it very close to the village of Vernes in Agdenes. When the road was built, it was built to the west, connecting it to Snillfjord, not Agdenes. Therefore, it was logical for the residents to vote to change municipalities. On 1 January 2018, the municipality switched from

10088-439: Was described as rex totiusque Albionis primicerius in one of his charters, but did not live long enough to enjoy his renewed hold on the northern zone. He was killed in 946. When Eadred succeeded to the throne in 946, Northumbrian as well as Scottish loyalties had proved unstable, though nothing is known for certain of the ambitions of rival rulers at this stage. Eadred "reduced all the land of Northumbria to his control; and

10192-504: Was established on 1 January 1896 when it was separated from the large municipality of Ørland which originally included land on both sides of the mouth of the Trondheimsfjorden . The new municipality of Værnes encompassed the area along the south side of the Trondheimsleia and Trondheimsfjorden and it initially had a population of 1,412. The name was changed to Agdenes on 17 May 1897 by a royal resolution. The administrative centre

10296-537: 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. Towards the end of its portrait of Eric, Fagrskinna cites the Eiríksmál ("Lay of Eric"), an anonymous panegyric written in commemoration of Eric's death and according to

10400-560: Was governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elected a mayor . The municipality fell under the Trøndelag District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal . The municipal council ( Kommunestyre ) of Agdenes is made up of 17 representatives that are elected every four years. The party breakdown of the final municipal council is as follows: The mayors of Agdenes: The municipality

10504-540: Was originally at the village of Værnes where the Agdenes Church is located. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee . On 1 January 1964, the western part of Agdenes ( Ytre Agdenes ) was separated from the rest of the municipality and it was merged with the neighboring municipalities of Snillfjord (population: 681) and Heim (population: 724) to form

10608-427: Was received by a certain nobleman, Gunderic, by whom he was led to king Erichius in the town of York, because this king had as wife a relative of the godly Cathróe Given what is known of Cathróe's own background, this probably means that she was of British ("Cumbrian") or Scottish descent. This contradicts to some extent later saga tradition. According to the early 13th century Egils saga , Eric's consort at York

10712-531: Was succeeded by his son Ragnall, rí na n-innsi (d. 1005), and probably Gofraid's brother Maccus mac Arailt , who is accorded the title "king of very many islands" ( plurimarum rex insularum ). The Chronicle gives no explanation, but it seems as if the abdications of Amlaíb and Eric are described as essentially northern affairs, apparently without much (direct) West-Saxon intervention, let alone invasion. The historical accounts of Eric's death point to more complex circumstances, but Northumbrian politics are to

10816-461: Was to be accepted and consecrated as king, probably with Wulfstan as king-maker, acceptance of the Christian faith would have been set as a condition to royal office. The impression is borne out by Wulfstan's earlier removal of Amlaíb Cuarán and Ragnald on grounds that they had become, in Æthelweard's words, deserti "deserters" (see above). In support of this view, it has sometimes been suggested that

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