| Eric II | |
|---|---|
 | |
| King of Denmark | |
| Reign | 25 June 1134 – 18 September 1137[1] |
| Predecessor | Niels |
| Successor | Eric III |
| Born | c. 1090 |
| Died | 18 September 1137 (aged 46–47) Urnehoved, Denmark |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Thunna (concubine) Malmfred of Kiev |
| Issue | Sweyn III of Denmark (ill.) |
| House | Estridsen |
| Father | Eric I of Denmark |
Eric II the Memorable (Danish:Erik II Emune;c. 1090 – 18 September 1137) wasking of Denmark between 1134 and 1137. He was an illegitimate son ofEric I of Denmark, who ruled the kingdom from 1095 to 1103. Eric the Memorable rebelled against his uncleNiels, King of Denmark, and was declared king in 1134. He punished his adversaries severely, and rewarded his supporters handsomely. He was killed by a subject in 1137 and was promptly succeeded as king by his nephewEric III of Denmark.
Eric the Memorable was born around 1090, to KingEric I of Denmark and an unknownconcubine.[2] He was given some Danish isles by his half-brotherCanute Lavard,[3] and wasjarl ofMøn,Lolland, andFalster.[4] When Lavard was murdered in 1131, Eric joined his half-brotherHarald Kesja in a rebellion against the responsible kingNiels of Denmark.[5] Eric was elected DanishAntiking inScania in April 1131, which prompted Kesja to support Niels in jealousy.[2]
Eric's army lost several battles against Niels and his sonMagnus the Strong,[5] includingJelling inJutland in 1131 andVærbro onZealand, and he fled toScania. His retreat earned him the nicknameHarefoot.[3] Eric unsuccessfully tried to convinceLothair III, Holy Roman Emperor to support his bid for kingship,[5] and had no luck askingMagnus IV of Norway for help.[3] He returned to Scania in 1134, whereArchbishop Asser of Lund joined his cause, and Lothair eventually supported him as well.[2] In 1134, he defeated king Niels' entire army at theBattle of Fotevik in Scania, with the crucial help of German mountedmercenaries,[4] and Niels died within the year.[6]
Eric was proclaimed king at Scania'slandsting assembly at Lerbäckshögen in Kävlingevägen nearLund. Eric subsequently made Lund hiscapital city.[7] With the resounding victory at Fotevik, Eric was given the nicknamethe Memorable to replaceHarefoot.[3] Kesja returned to Denmark and was proclaimed king at Urnehoved inSchleswig. Eric chased him down and killed Harald Kesja and his sons, of whom onlyOlaf Haraldsen escaped with his life.[5][8]
Eric then sought to consolidate and legitimize his rule. He gave titles and privileges to his supporters, and proclaimed Archbishop Asser's nephewEskil (c. 1100-1181), Bishop of theDiocese of Roskilde.[9]
He initiated the process of getting his half-brother Canute Lavardcanonized, and established an abbey atRingsted to document reports of miracles at Canute's grave.[5] Eric wanted to establish thedivine right of kings, and canonizing Canute would support his claim on the throne.[2] Canute was finally canonized in 1170.[10]
Eric was known as a harsh ruler to his enemies.[2] In the summer of 1136, Eric undertook acrusade against the pagan population on theBaltic island ofRügen and its capitalArkona.[3] He ordered his men to dig a canal between the city and the rest of the island. The canal had the effect of drying up the spring which supplied Arkona with drinking water. Arkona was forced to surrender.[11] In 1135, before this success in Arkona, Eric defeated in a naval battle near Denmark's coast thelechitic (West Slavic) troops underpomeranianDuke Ratibor who had sackedRoskilde, and a year later, after the battle ofKonungahela, (nowKungälv inSweden), sacked this city as well.[12] He joined Magnus for an unsuccessful campaign in Norway,[3] where he managed to burn downOslo.[2] When he learned that Eskil had raised the nobles of Zealand against him, Eric raced north to put down the rebellion which spread rapidly acrossFunen and Jutland, and fined Eskil heavily.[2]
Eric was killed on 18 September 1137.The death of Eric, as told byArild Huitfeldt: A harsh and unpopular ruler, Eric died at Urnehovedlandsting in 1137. King Eric was struck down by a local nobleman, Sorte Plov.[13]According to legend, Sorte Plov asked permission to approach the king, carrying a spear in his hand with a block of wood protecting the tip. Having deemed that King Eric wore nomail underneath his tunic, Sorte Plov kicked off the protection, and drove his spear right through the king. King Eric's nephew Erik Håkonssøn stepped forward with sword in hand, but the nobleman told him to calm down, seeing as how he – Erik – was next in line for the throne, being the only adult male in the royal family: "Put away thy mace, young Erik. A juicy piece of meat hath fallen in thy bowl!" According to legend, Sorte Plov escaped with his life.[14] Eric was buried atRibe Cathedral.[5] Erik Håkonssøn was then crownedEric III of Denmark.
Sometime before 1130, Eric marriedMalmfred of Kiev, the daughter of Grand DukeMstislav I of Kiev andChristina Ingesdotter of Sweden.[2] Malmfrid was the former wife of KingSigurd I of Norway. With his concubine Thunna, Eric had the illegitimate son Sweyn, who would later become king asSweyn III of Denmark.[3]
Eric the Memorable Born: c. 1090 Died: 18 September 1137 | ||
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| Preceded by | King of Denmark 1134–1137 | Succeeded by |
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