Transcamster Bog
commemorates the 1070th anniversary of the defeat of Eric Bloodaxe. Eric
Bloodaxe spent his youth as a Viking pirate. He succeeded his father Harald
Fairhair as King of Norway in 931. The Norwegians soon tired of his tyrannical
rule, and his younger brother Haakon overthrew him in 933. Eric left Norway and
spent his time raiding Scotland and conquering Northumbria, a kingdom that
included parts of present-day Scotland and England. He was King of Northumbria
from 947 to 948, was overthrown, and returned to reign from 952 to 954. In 954,
one of his many enemies, a Viking named Maccus, finally killed him.
The artist Tina Olah drew the artwork depicting Maccus killing Eric Bloodaxe for this stamp. It is issued imperforate and without gum (requires glue).
Cinderella philatelists will know that Eric Bloodaxe had previously appeared on two stamps issued by Lundy in 1954. This is one of them:
To
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