Editing Eric Bloodaxe (section)

====Edmund and the two Olafs====
[[File:Midland Map - 5 Boroughs 912 Ad.svg|thumb|The Five Boroughs and the English Midlands in the earlier part of the 10th century<ref>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.</ref>]]

However, Æthelstan died in 939 and his successor [[Edmund I of England|Edmund]], only 18 years of age,<ref name="ftn39">''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' (MS D) 940 for 939.</ref> was unable to retain control of Northumbria. In 939 or 940, almost as soon as Edmund had come to power, 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 the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' (MS E) dates his death&nbsp;– incorrectly it seems&nbsp;– to 942.<ref name="ftn40">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).</ref> 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."<ref name="ftn41">''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' (MS D) 941.</ref> Amlaíb shared the throne with his nephew [[Ragnall mac Gofraid|Ragnald]] (Rögnvaldr), son of Gofraid. There are indications that [[Wulfstan I|Wulfstan, Archbishop of York]] and 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 the Danelaw|Five Boroughs]] of [[Danelaw]], which so impressed contemporaries that a poem was written in honour of the achievement and included in the ''Chronicle''.<ref name="ftn42">''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' (MS D) 942. The borders of Mercia are here given as [[Dore, South Yorkshire|Dore]], [[Whitwell Gate]] and the [[Humber]].</ref> In response, Amlaíb launched a successful raid on [[Tamworth, Staffordshire|Tamworth]] (Mercia), probably sometime later that year.<ref name="ftn43">''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' (MS D) 943. The entry for this year consists of three items: (1) the raid on Tamworth, probably in (late) 942, (2) the Leicester debacle (beginning with ''Her'', as if intended for 943) and (3) the reconciliation between Olaf and Edmund. The first two items, clumsily incorporated as they seem, are unique to the ''Chronicles'' and appear to derive from a northern source. These broadly overlap with information found in the ''Historia regum'', a later representative of this northern recension. The ''Historia regum'', which is often unreliable on matters of chronology but which contains valuable detail not found elsewhere, adds that Olaf first went south to the Mercian town of [[Northampton]] (''Hamtona'') before he proceeded to Tamworth. Downham, "Chronology". pp. 34–41 (where she takes issue with earlier views since Beaven, who rejected the chronology of the D-text of the ''Chronicle'' in favour of less reliable sources such as ''Historia regum'').</ref> However, in 943, when Amlaíb had marched on to [[Leicester]], one of 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.<ref name="ftn44">''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' (MSS A, E) 945.</ref> The chronicler [[Æthelweard (historian)|Æthelweard]] is clearer on the point of agency, writing that it was Wulfstan and the ealdorman ({{lang|la|dux}}) of the Mercians who deposed these 'deserters'&nbsp;– perhaps born again pagans&nbsp;– and forced them to submit to Edmund.<ref name="ftn45">Æthelweard, ''Chronicon'' IV, ch. 6''. ''</ref> 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 was described as {{lang|la|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.