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ARNKELL AND ERLEND, 6TH AND 7TH EARLS, 910-941

CONTEMPORARY PRINCES:
NORWAY: 863 Harald Fairhair; 934 Eric Bloodaxe; 940 Hakon the Good
NORMANDY: 912 Rolf the Sea King; 927 William Longsword
SCOTAND: 904 Constantine III;
ENGLAND: 901 Edward the Elder; 924 Athelstan; 940 Edmund;

In their time Athelstan of England ravaged as far as Caithness (934). [From Skene's "Celtic Scotland"]. By way of reprisal these two Earls joined the forces of Eric Bloodaxe, to assist that king to recover his kingdom of Northumbria. Sailing first to the Western Isles, they obtained reinforcements there, and then cruised along the coasts of Ireland, Cornwall, and the South of England, plundering as they went. Eventually they were brought to a decisive engagement, and Eric and the two Earls fell in battle (anno 941), being the first year of King Edmund's reign.

Gunnhild, Eric's queen, deemed it unsafe to continue longer in England, so gathering all the coin and valuables within reach, she, with her household guards, steered for the Orkneys, of which forcible possession was taken, until later on they elected to depart for Denmark.

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