Eirekr náði útan fœra
erkistól of Saxa merki;
hljótum vér, þats hag várn bœtir,
hingat norðr at skjǫldungs orðum.
Eirekr náði fœra útan erkistól of merki Saxa; vér hljótum hingat norðr at orðum skjǫldungs, þats bœtir hag várn.
Eiríkr was able to bring back from abroad an archbishopric over the border of the Saxons; we receive here in the north according to the king’s bidding that which improves our [spiritual] situation.
[2] erkistól ‘an archbishopric’: An archbishopric for the Scandinavian countries was established in Lund (now in Sweden, then a part of Denmark) in 1104. Although Knýtl attributes this to Eiríkr’s relations with Pope Paschalis (1099-1118), in fact it was his relations with Pope Urban II (1088-99) that secured among other favours a Dan. archbishopric. Paschalis was merely carrying out the wishes of his predecessor. According to Saxo (2005, II, 12, 5, 2, pp. 72-5), Eiríkr secured the promises of the curia to establish the archbishopric in Denmark before he returned to his native country.