Eric II Of Denmark
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Eric II the Memorable ( da, Erik II Emune; – 18 September 1137) was king of Denmark between 1134 and 1137. Eric was an illegitimate son of
Eric I of Denmark Eric I ( – 10 July 1103), also known as Eric the Good ( da, Erik Ejegod), was King of Denmark following his brother Olaf I Hunger in 1095. He was a son of Sweyn II. His mother's identity is unknown. He married Boedil Thurgotsdatter. Biog ...
, who ruled Denmark from 1095 to 1103. Eric the Memorable rebelled against his uncle Niels 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 by his nephew
Eric III of Denmark Eric III Lamb ( da, Erik III Lam,  – 27 August 1146) was the King of Denmark from 1137 until 1146. He was the grandson of Eric I of Denmark and the nephew of Eric II of Denmark, whom he succeeded on the throne. He abdicated in 1146, as t ...
.


Early life

Eric was born around 1090, to King
Eric I of Denmark Eric I ( – 10 July 1103), also known as Eric the Good ( da, Erik Ejegod), was King of Denmark following his brother Olaf I Hunger in 1095. He was a son of Sweyn II. His mother's identity is unknown. He married Boedil Thurgotsdatter. Biog ...
and an unknown concubine.Stefan Pajung
Erik Emune ca. 1090–1137
danmarkshistorien.dk, Aarhus University, 20 January 2010
He was given some Danish isles by his half-brother
Canute Lavard Canute Lavard ( Danish: Knud Lavard; cognate with English Lord) (12 March 1096 – 7 January 1131) was a Danish prince. Later he was the first Duke of Schleswig and the first border prince who was both a Danish and a German vassal, a position ...
, Bricka, Carl Frederik, ''Dansk Biografisk Lexikon'', vol. IV lemens – Eynden 1890
pp.540–542
and was ''
jarl Jarl is a rank of the nobility in Scandinavia. In Old Norse, it meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. ''Jarl'' could also mean a sovereign prince. For example, the rulers of several of the petty k ...
'' of Møn, Lolland, and Falster.Palle Birk Hansen
Forside > Jubilæumslogo > Logohistorier > Peder Bodilsen
,
Næstved Municipality Næstved is a municipality (Danish, '' kommune'') in Region Sjælland on the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in the south of Denmark. The municipality includes the island of Gavnø. It covers an area of 681 km², and has a total population ...
When Lavard was murdered in 1131, Eric joined his half-brother
Harald Kesja Harald Kesja, ''Harald the Spear'',A ''kesja'' is in fact an unidentified weapon, probably a polearm which may have included some kind of hook in addition to the spear blade. See ''Viking halberd''. (1080–1135) was the son of Eric I of Denmark and ...
in a rebellion against the responsible king Niels of Denmark.Erik 2. Emune
at Gyldendals Åbne Encyklopædi
Eric was elected Danish
Antiking An anti-king, anti king or antiking (german: Gegenkönig; french: antiroi; cs, protikrál) is a would-be king who, due to succession disputes or simple political opposition, declares himself king in opposition to a reigning monarch. OED "Anti-, ...
in
Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skåne ...
in April 1131, which prompted Kesja to support Niels in jealousy. Eric's army lost several battles against Niels and his son
Magnus the Strong Magnus the Strong ( sv, Magnus Nilsson; da, Magnus Nielsen Bricka, Carl Frederik, ''Dansk Biografisk Lexikon'', vol. XI aar – Müllner 1897, pp.45Available online/ref>) (about 1106 – 4 June 1134 in the Battle of Fotevik) was a Danish duke wh ...
, including
Jelling Jelling is a railway town in Denmark with a population of 3,658 (1 January 2022), located in Jelling Parish, approximately 10 km northwest of Vejle. The town lies 105 metres above sea level. Location Jelling is located in Vejle municipal ...
in
Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...
in 1131 and Værbro on
Zealand Zealand ( da, Sjælland ) at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020. It is the 1 ...
, and he fled to
Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skåne ...
. His retreat earned him the nickname ''Harefoot''. Eric unsuccessfully tried to convince
Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor Lothair III, sometimes numbered Lothair II and also known as Lothair of Supplinburg (1075 – 4 December 1137), was Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 until his death. He was appointed Duke of Saxony in 1106 and elected King of Germany in 1125 before ...
to support his bid for kingship, and had no luck asking
Magnus IV of Norway Magnus Sigurdsson (c. 1115 – 12 November 1139), also known as Magnus the Blind, was King of Norway (being Magnus IV) from 1130 to 1135 and again from 1137 to 1139. His period as king marked the beginning of the civil war era in Norway, which las ...
for help. He returned to Scania in 1134, where Archbishop Asser of Lund joined his cause, and Lothair eventually supported him as well. In 1134, he defeated king Niels' entire army at the
Battle of Fotevik Battle of Fotevik ( da, Slaget ved Fodevig) was fought between forces of King Niels of Denmark and his son Magnus Nilsson, against those of Erik Emune on 4 June 1134 at the bay of Fotevik in Skåne. At his death, King Eric I of Denmark h ...
in Scania, with the crucial help of German mounted mercenaries, and Niels died within the year.


Reign

Eric was proclaimed king at Scania's '' landsting'' assembly at Lerbäckshögen in Kävlingevägen near Lund. Eric subsequently made Lund his
capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses t ...
. With the resounding victory at Fotevik, Eric was given the nickname ''the Memorable'' to replace ''Harefoot''. Kesja returned to Denmark and was proclaimed king at Urnehoved in
Schleswig The Duchy of Schleswig ( da, Hertugdømmet Slesvig; german: Herzogtum Schleswig; nds, Hartogdom Sleswig; frr, Härtochduum Slaswik) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km ...
. Eric chased him down and killed Harald Kesja and his sons, of whom only
Olaf Haraldsen Olaf Haraldsen (died ) was a Danish anti-king who ruled Scania for a few years from 1139. He never won control over the rest of Denmark, and he is not included in the list of Danish monarchs used by the Danish monarchy or ''Den Store Danske Encykl ...
escaped with his life. Eric then sought to consolidate and legitimize his rule. He gave titles and privileges to his supporters, and proclaimed Archbishop Asser's nephew
Eskil Eskil is a town and district of Aksaray Province in the Central Anatolia Region, Turkey, Central Anatolia region of Turkey, situated on the southern shore of Lake Tuz. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 28,952 of which 22,125 ...
(c. 1100-1181), Bishop of the
Diocese of Roskilde The Diocese of Roskilde ( da, Roskildes Stift) is a diocese within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark. The seat of the Bishop is Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde. History The Diocese of Roskilde was formed in 1922 when the Diocese of Zeala ...
. He initiated the process of getting his half-brother Canute Lavard
canonized Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of s ...
, and established an abbey at
Ringsted Ringsted is a city located centrally in the Danish island of Zealand. It is the seat of a municipality of the same name. Ringsted is situated approximately 60 km from Copenhagen. Tourism and transport Ringsted is one of Denmark's busies ...
to document reports of miracles at Canute's grave. Eric wanted to establish the divine right of kings, and canonizing Canute would support his claim on the throne. Canute was finally canonized in 1170. Eric was known as a harsh ruler to his enemies. In the summer of 1136, Eric undertook a crusade against the pagan population on the
Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages * Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...
island of
Rügen Rügen (; la, Rugia, ) is Germany's largest island. It is located off the Pomeranian coast in the Baltic Sea and belongs to the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The "gateway" to Rügen island is the Hanseatic city of Stralsund, where ...
and its capital Arkona. 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. But in 1135, before this success in Arkona, Eric defeated in a naval battle near Denmark's coast the lechitic (west-slavic) troops under pomeranian Duke Ratibor who had sacked
Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...
, and a year later, after the battle of Konungahela, (now
Kungälv Kungälv () (old no, Konghelle) is a city and the seat of Kungälv Municipality in Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 22,768 inhabitants in 2010. In 2021, the main Kungälv - Ytterby - Kareby conurbation had a combined population approachin ...
in Sweden), sacked this city as well. He joined Magnus for an unsuccessful campaign in Norway, where he managed to burn down
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...
. When he learned that Eskil had raised the nobles of Zealand against him, Eric raced north to put down the rebellion which spread rapidly across
Funen Funen ( da, Fyn, ), with an area of , is the third-largest island of Denmark, after Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy. It is the 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 469,947 as of ...
and Jutland, and fined Eskil heavily.


Death

Eric was killed on 18 September 1137. The death of Eric, as told by
Arild Huitfeldt Arild Huitfeldt (Arvid) (11 September 1546 – 16 December 1609) was a Danish historian and state official, known for his vernacular Chronicle of Denmark. Life Huitfeldt was born into an aristocratic family from Scania, part of the Kingdom of D ...
: A harsh and unpopular ruler, Eric died at Urnehoved ''landsting'' in 1137. King Eric was struck down by a local nobleman, Sorte Plov. 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 no
mail The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal sys ...
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. Huitfeldt, Arild. ''Danmarks Riges Krønike''. Eric was buried at
Ribe Cathedral Ribe Cathedral or Our Lady Maria Cathedral ( da, Ribe Domkirke or ''Vor Frue Maria Domkirke'') is located in the ancient city of Ribe, on the west coast of southern Jutland, Denmark. It was founded in the Viking Era as the first Christian church in ...
. Erik Håkonssøn was then crowned
Eric III of Denmark Eric III Lamb ( da, Erik III Lam,  – 27 August 1146) was the King of Denmark from 1137 until 1146. He was the grandson of Eric I of Denmark and the nephew of Eric II of Denmark, whom he succeeded on the throne. He abdicated in 1146, as t ...
.


Issue

Sometime before 1130, Eric married
Malmfred of Kiev Malmfred of Kiev (between 1095 and 1102 – died after 1137) was a Norwegian and Danish queen consort, wife first to King Sigurd I of Norway and second to king Eric II of Denmark. Life Malmfred was born to Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kiev and Prin ...
, the daughter of Grand Duke
Mstislav I of Kiev Mstislav I Vladimirovich Monomakh (Russian: Мстислав Владимирович Великий, uk, Мстислав Володимирович Великий; February, 1076 – April 14, 1132), also known as Mstislav the Great, was t ...
and
Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden Princess Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden ( Swedish: ''Kristina Ingesdotter'') (11th century – 18 January 1122) was a Swedish princess and a princess consort of Veliky Novgorod, Rostov and Belgorod, by marriage to Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kie ...
. Malmfrid was the former wife of King
Sigurd I of Norway Sigurd Magnusson (1089 – 26 March 1130), also known as Sigurd the Crusader (Old Norse: ''Sigurðr Jórsalafari'', Norwegian: ''Sigurd Jorsalfar''), was King of Norway (being Sigurd I) from 1103 to 1130. His rule, together with his half-brothe ...
. With his concubine Thunna, Eric had the illegitimate son Sweyn, who would later become king as Sweyn III of Denmark.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eric 02 Of Denmark 1090s births 1137 deaths House of Estridsen 12th-century murdered monarchs Danish murder victims People murdered in Denmark Year of birth uncertain Burials at Ribe Cathedral Illegitimate children of Danish monarchs 12th-century kings of Denmark