Eric Bloodaxe

Gone Medieval

History Hit

History

4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 1 April 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Eric Bloodaxe was an epic Viking Warrior, and he could certainly cut down his enemies, but was he as 'great' in reality as his romantic bad-boy legend?

Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by historian John Sadler to discuss Eric Bloodaxe's brutal rise to power, his early displays of violent ambition, and how he earned his infamous nickname during a bloody raid in Scotland. They also revel in the sagas and historical records that shape Eric's legend, shedding light on the turbulent politics of medieval Scandinavia and England.

More Gone Medieval episodes on the Vikings:

https://shows.acast.com/gone-medieval/episodes/viking-travels

https://shows.acast.com/gone-medieval/episodes/how-to-live-like-a-viking

Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. It was edited by Jo Troy, the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hello, I'm Matt Lewis.
0:02.6	And I'm Dr. Eleanor Yonaga.
0:04.2	And we're just popping up here to tell you some insider info.
0:08.0	If you would like to listen to Gone Medieval ad-free and get early access and bonus episodes,
0:13.3	sign up to History Hit.
0:14.5	With the History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries.
0:20.6	Such as my new series on everyone's favorite
0:22.8	conquerors, the Normans, or my recent exploration of the castles that made Britain. There's a new
0:29.9	release to enjoy every week. Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com forward slash subscribe, or find a link in the show notes for this episode.
0:45.0	Hello, I'm Dr. Eleanorianica and welcome to Gone Medieval from History Hit, the podcast that delves
0:54.9	into the greatest millennium in human history. We uncover the greatest mysteries, the gobsmacking
1:02.0	details, and the latest groundbreaking research from the Vikings to the Normans, from kings to
1:08.1	popes, to the Crusades. We delve into the rebellions, plots, and murders
1:14.2	that tell us who we really were.
1:17.5	And how we got here.
1:23.5	10th century Norway.
1:29.3	A world of unbridled ambition and bloodshed.
1:35.3	Ragenhild the mighty, wife of Harold Fairhair, the first king to unite his country, gives birth to a son.
1:43.3	The boy Eric is destined for greatness from the start.
1:48.0	But it is his own actions that will earn him a name that will echo through the ages.
1:55.6	Blood Axe.
1:58.0	From his earliest years, Eric shows a fierce appetite for battle and conquest.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from History Hit, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of History Hit and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.