524 
So far I have followed the Flores Historiarum of Roger 
of Wendover, because he gives fuller details respecting these 
kings ; and appears to have been better informed as to their 
history than other chroniclers, who differ from him with 
regard to the date of the expulsion of Anlaf and Regnald, 
placing it in A.D. 944. This however, may have been a 
second expulsion, for Henry of Huntingdon, says that in 
the first year of Eadred, A.D. 946, Anlaf, who had been 
expelled from the kingdom of Northumbria, returned with 
a great fleet, and was received with great joy by his people 
and restored to his kingdom, which he held with great power 
for four years ; that, however, in the fourth year the North- 
umbrians rebelled against him, and chose for their king, 
Eric, the son of Harold. The Saxon Chronicle corroborates 
these circumstances, but places the dates somewhat later ; 
for after stating that, A.D. 947, the Northumbrians swore 
fealty to Eadred, but shortly after broke their oaths, and 
chose Eric for their king ; and that, A.D. 948, Eadred 
ravaged Northumbria, and forced the people to abandon Eric; 
it says that, A.D. 949, Anlaf Cwiran came to Northumbria, 
and that, A.D. 952, the Northumbrians expelled king Anlaf, 
and received Eric, Harold's son. The surname Cwiran, here 
given to Anlaf, does not indicate a different person ; it is 
one which was given to him in allusion to his constantly 
returning after every defeat and expulsion. After mentioning 
his deposition by the Northumbrians to make way for Eric, 
Henry of Huntingdon adds, "he again for a short time 
held the kingdom," and this statement the inscription on the 
cross at Leeds confirms : for all the notices in the Chronicles 
appear to relate to Anlaf, the son of Sitric, except that of 
the year 941, which mentions an Anlaf destroying Tiningham, 
and dying soon after ; and as his death probably occurred in 
that neighbourhood, and there is no ground for supposing 
that he was a Christian, I feel satisfied that this fragment 
