Bloodaxe

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A broad-bladed axe wielded as a weapon, historically used in medieval warfare and combat
2. A heavy axe with a wide blade designed for use as an instrument of war or close combat
3. A substantial fighting axe featuring a thick blade, employed as a weapon in historical battles and armed conflict

Etymology: Eric Haraldsson, a Norwegian king who ruled briefly in York in the mid-900s, is remembered by a nickname that describes his weapon and his reputation. The name is a compound of Old Norse "blóð" ("blood") and "øx" ("axe"), so it means something like "blood-axe." Its earliest uses come from Icelandic sagas written around two centuries after his death, so the nickname reflects how later writers chose to portray him. Whether it was coined in his lifetime or added afterward is not known. Eric's career was a series of exiles and returns. He ruled Norway after his father Harald Fairhair's death, lost it to his half-brother, and then held the Viking kingdom of York from about 947 until he was expelled in 954. He was reportedly killed soon after, probably at Stainmore in Westmorland. The nickname outlasted his kingdoms, and "Bloodaxe" became the name by which he was known in later medieval chronicles.