Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 45. Chapters: Earls of Orkney, Ladejarl dynasty, Halfdan the Black, Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney, Eiríkr Hákonarson, Thorfinn the Mighty, Halfdan the Old, Harald Maddadsson, Raum the Old, Haakon Sigurdsson, Rognvald Eysteinsson, Torf-Einarr, George Douglas-Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney, Bjørn Farmann, Sigurd Eysteinsson, Earldom of Orkney, Sigurd Syr, Rögnvald Brusason, Einar Sigurdsson, Erengisle Suneson, Earl of Orkney, Olof Trätälja, Paul and Erlend Thorfinnsson, Brusi Sigurdsson, Håkon Eiriksson, Sigurd the Stout, Rögnvald Kali Kolsson, Sveinn Hákonarson, Augvald, Ferking, Vellekla, Gudrød the Hunter, Sigurd Hart, Haakon Paulsson, Harald Grenske, Håkon Grjotgardsson, Hákonarmál, Olaf Haraldsson Geirstadalf, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, Sigurd Haakonsson, Jon Haraldsson, Háleygjatal, Halfdan Hvitbeinn, Halfdan Haraldsson the Black, Jarls of Lade, Tryggve Olafsson, Gudrød Bjørnsson, Eystein Glumra, Olaf Geirstad-Alf, Thorfinn Turf-Einarsson, Earl of Orkney, Halfdan the Mild, Eystein Halfdansson, George FitzMaurice, 6th Earl of Orkney, Ragnhild Eriksdotter, Harald Eiriksson, Paul Haakonsson, Ragnvald the Mountain-High, Harald Granraude, Thomas FitzMaurice, 5th Earl of Orkney, Magnus II, Earl of Orkney, Huntiof, King of Nordmøre, Gilbert, Earl of Orkney, Gandalf Alfgeirsson, Cecil FitzMaurice, 8th Earl of Orkney, Heinrik Haraldsson, Harald Haakonsson, Sigtryg Eysteinsson, Sumarlidi Sigurdsson, Jón Magnússon, Earl of Orkney, David Haraldsson, Kjotve the Rich, Gryting, King of Orkdal, Magnús Jónsson, Earl of Orkney, Eirik of Hordaland, Erlend Haraldsson, Magnus III of Orkney, Ingjald Olofsson, Magnus Magnusson, Earl of Orkney. Excerpt: Eiríkr Hákonarson or Eric of Norway or Eric of Hlathir(960s ¿ 1020s) was earl of Lade, ruler of Norway and earl of Northumbria. Eiríkr was the bastard eldest son of earl Hákon Sigurðarson, and brother of the legendary Aud Haakonsdottir of Lade. He participated in the Battle of Hjörungavágr, the Battle of Svolder and the conquest of England. The principal sources on Eric's youth are Fagrskinna and Heimskringla. They relate that Eric was the son of Hákon Sigurðarson and a woman of low birth whom Hákon bedded during a sojourn in Uppland. Hákon cared little for the boy and gave him to a friend of his to raise. On one occasion when Eric was eleven or twelve years old he and his foster father had harboured their ship right next to earl Hákon. Then Hákon's closest friend, Skopti, arrived and asked Eric to move away so that he could harbour next to Hákon as he was used to. When Eric refused, Hákon was infuriated by the boy's pride and sternly ordered him away. Humiliated, Eric had no choice but to obey. In the following winter he avenged the humiliation by chasing down Skopti's ship and killing him. This was Eric's first exploit, as commemorated by his skald Eyjólfr dáðaskáld who mentions the incident in his Bandadrápa. The above verse gives some idea of the difficulty faced by historians in using skaldic poetry as a source. The verse, assuming it is correctly attributed, informs us that Eric killed a man named Skopti in a sea battle in his youth. But we are entirely dependent on the kings' sagas to tell us who this Skopti was and what reasons Eric had to fight him. Many skaldic verses give even less specific information in even more ornate language. The sagas say that after killing Skopti, Eric sailed south to Denmark where he was received by king Harald Bluetooth. After ...
