Battle of Stainmore

The Battle of Stainmore was a conflict between Eric Bloodaxe and opponents possibly led by Oswulf I of Bamburgh or a Maccus son of Olaf. Eric was killed, ending the independence of Scandinavian York, which became part of England. King Eadred of England would choose Oswulf to rule this land as earl of Northumbria.

Background

Olaf Sihtricson first became the ruler of Northumbria in 941 and led a successful rain on Tamworth in 943 after which Edmund I of England retaliated and at first the two rulers made peace. This ended the following year when Edmund attacked Northumbria and Olaf was forced out, succeeding in being named king of Dublin.^[1]

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 948 the Northumbrians choose Eric Bloodaxe as their king, reneging on a pledge the Northumbrians had previously made to King Eadred of England. Eadred responded by raiding Northumbria and after a counterattack led by Eric destroyed his rearguard at Castleford Eadred threatened to return, prompting the Northumbrians to abandon Eric as their king.^[2]

Olaf was invited by the Northumbrians to return as king in 949,^[1], once again betraying their loyalty to Eadred.^[2] Olaf would again be replaced by Eric in 952.^[1]

Battle

In 954 Eric was again removed by the Northumbrians and was killed at Stainmore,^[3] possibly while making for Dublin or the Isles.^[4]

English sources state that Eric was killed by an Earl Maccus, son of Olaf, which may or may not be a reference to Olaf Sihtricson. Roger of Wendover writes Eric was killed after being betrayed by Oswulf I of Bamburgh.^[5] Scandinavian sources state Eric died leading an outnumbered army against his foes.^[3]

Aftermath

Eric's death ended the independence of Scandinavian York which became part of England.^[4][6] King Eadred of England choose Oswulf as earl of Northumbria.^[7]

After Eric's death, his wife Gunnhild left England with their five sons and joined her brother Harald Bluetooth in Jutland. From here they began a campaign to reclaim the throne of Norway, which Eric had had a claim to, and would ultimately succeed when Harald Greycloak became king after the battle of Stord c.960.^[8]

References

Sources

• BBC History Magazine (September 2017). "Bloodaxe's Final Stand". BBC History Magazine. BBC: 34. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
• Cannon, J. A. (2009a). "Erik Bloodaxe". The Oxford Companion to British History. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-956763-8. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
• Cannon, J. A. (2009b). "Stainmore, battle of,". The Oxford Companion to British History. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-956763-8. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
• Costambeys, Marios (2004). "Erik Bloodaxe [Eiríkr Blóðöx, Eiríkr Haraldsson]". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/49265. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
• Hudson, Benjamin T. (2004). "Óláf Sihtricson [Óláfr Sigtryggsson, Amlaíb Cúarán]". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/20671. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
• Peterson, Gary Dean (21 June 2016). Vikings and Goths: A History of Ancient and Medieval Sweden. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-2434-1. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
• Stenton, Frank M. (7 June 2001). Anglo-Saxon England. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-280139-5.
• Williams, Ann (2004). "Eadred [Edred]". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/8510. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

54°31′26″N 2°13′34″W / 54.524°N 2.226°W / 54.524; -2.226

This article related to the history of the United Kingdom or its predecessor states is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e