died, ten years after Harald's ascension to power. He was succeeded by his son Björn (III) Eriksson who ruled the Swedes for 50 years. Contemporary references to the period The only possibly contemporary source for the war is three scaldic verses said to be composed by King Harald's skald Þorbjörn Hornklofi. One of them states that Harald was the enemy of the Geats and apparently won a victory over them. Another says that Harald subdued land and people south of the sea, and tied his ship to the stakes by the shore, without further specification. The verses mention neither Eric nor any Swedes. The historian Curt Weibull has characterised Eric as historically problematic, and doubted that the Swedes had anything to do with Värmland or West Götaland in the late 9th century. A late 9th-century geographical account preserved in an Anglo-Saxon manuscript, by Ohthere of Hålogaland, vaguely says that Norway borders "to Sweoland at the other side of the mountains, until the southern part of the country, and far up to the north". Another account in the same manuscript, by Wulfstan of Hedeby, says that Blekinge, Möre, Öland and Gotland belonged to the Swedes (hyrað to Sweon). Other accounts The Flateyjarbók (late 14th century) has a different account about Eric Anundsson. It says that Björn at Haugi was king when Harald Fairhair became king in Norway. His successor Anund then ruled for at least 40 years, being succeeded by his son Eric who ruled for 47 years. Eric married Ingigerd, a daughter of Harald Fairhair. After some time she was to be sacrificed to the gods for unspecified reasons. The Swedes, therefore, brought the queen to an island where the blót would take place. She was however rescued by her brother Halfdan the Black (Junior) and brought to safety. This incident provoked long-time hostilities between Harald and Eric. Later on, Harald's trustee Hauk Håbrok went to Holmgard in Kievan Rus' to make purchases but had an adventurous confrontation with two champions of Eric who stayed there. A saga about Harald Fairhair's skalds also mentions a Swedish King Eric who was Harald's enemy; he is however given the patronym "Björnsson". See also Early Swedish History Kings of Raumariki References Anundsson, Erik Semi-legendary kings of Sweden 9th-century rulers in Europe Year of birth unknown 9th-century Swedish people