Eric, Duke Of Södermanland
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Erik Magnusson ( – 1318) was a Swedish duke and the second son of King
Magnus Ladulås Magnus Ladulås (, ) or Magnus Birgersson ( 1240 – 18 December 1290) was King of Sweden from 1275 until his death in 1290. He was a son of Birger Jarl, and became a king after a rebellion against his brother Valdemar, King of Sweden ...
. His duchy consisted of large parts of Sweden, as well as smaller parts of Norway and Denmark. He had a troubled relationship with his brother, King
Birger Magnusson Birger Magnusson (1280 – 31 May 1321) was King of Sweden from 1290 to 1318. His reign was marked by unrest and civil strife; he was imprisoned by his brothers Erik Magnusson (duke), Erik and Valdemar Magnusson, Valdemar following the "Håtuna g ...
, with several uprisings as a result. His son,
Magnus Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
, became the king of Norway and Sweden. The '' Erik's Chronicle'', the oldest Swedish
chronicle A chronicle (, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events ...
, is named for him.


Background

Erik was born around 1282, the second son of King
Magnus Ladulås Magnus Ladulås (, ) or Magnus Birgersson ( 1240 – 18 December 1290) was King of Sweden from 1275 until his death in 1290. He was a son of Birger Jarl, and became a king after a rebellion against his brother Valdemar, King of Sweden ...
of Sweden and his
queen consort A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but hi ...
,
Helvig of Holstein Helvig of Holstein (also known as Hedwig;Philip Line, ''Kingship and state formation in Sweden, 1130-1290'', BRILL, 2007, 9004155783, p. 390. – ) was Queen of Sweden as the consort of King Magnus Ladulås. Her parents were Gerhard I, Count o ...
. In 1284, as his elder brother
Birger Birger is a Scandinavian name from Old Norse, ''bjarga'', meaning "to help, to save, to protect". It is widely used in Norway as Birger but also as Børge. The Swedish variant of ''Birger'' would soon evolve into ''Börje'', however, the prior for ...
was designated as the future king, Erik was granted the title of
duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
, receiving
Södermanland Södermanland ( ), locally Sörmland, sometimes referred to under its Latinisation of names, Latinized form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a Provinces of Sweden, historical province (or ) on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Österg ...
and part of
Uppland Uppland is a historical province or ' on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The name literally ...
as his
fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...
. However, it was not until Birger's coronation in 1302 that Erik formally assumed his duties as duke. Erik is reported as being more skilled and intelligent than his elder brother Birger. He was also bold and ambitious, and his social skills won him many allies. His younger brother
Valdemar Magnusson Valdemar Magnusson ( – 1318) was a Swedish prince, heir to the throne of Sweden, and the duke of Finland. Background Valdemar was born . He was the third son of Magnus III and Helvig of Holstein. He became Duke of Finland in 1302 at the co ...
, the duke of
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
, became his close ally and helped him in all his projects.


Life

King Birger, who feared his brothers' plans, forced them to sign a paper, in 1304, so as to render them less dangerous. They then fled to
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
, but in 1305, they reconciled with the king and regained their duchies. Erik was also in possession of
Kungahälla Kungahälla (, , ) was a medieval settlement in southern Bohuslän at a site which is located in Kungälv Municipality in Västra Götaland County in Sweden. It is the site of the former fortification at Ragnhildsholmen (''Borgen på Ragnhi ...
, which he had been given during his exile by the Norwegian king, and northern
Halland Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Skåne, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Br ...
which he had been given by the Danish king
Eric VI of Denmark Eric VI Menved (1274 – 13 November 1319) was King of Denmark (1286–1319). A son of King Eric V and Agnes of Brandenburg, he became king in 1286 at age 12, when his father was murdered on 22 November by unknown assailants. On account of his ...
. Duke Erik planned to topple Birger's
marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...
Torkel Knutsson Torkel (Tyrgils or Torgils) Knutsson (died 1306) was Lord High Constable of Sweden, member of the Privy Council of Sweden (''Riksråd''), and virtual ruler of Sweden during the early reign of King Birger Magnusson (1280–1321). Biography To ...
who was in the way of his ambitious plans. As the clergy were in opposition to the marshal, they joined Erik. They prevailed on the weak Birger in 1306 to execute Torkel, who was a faithful counsellor. Little more than half a year later, Birger was imprisoned by his brothers (September 1306), and his brothers took control of Sweden. Birger's brother-in-law, Eric VI of Denmark arrived with his army to support Birger.
Haakon V of Norway Haakon V Magnusson (10 April 1270 – 8 May 1319) (; ) was King of Norway from 1299 until 1319. Biography Haakon was the younger surviving son of Magnus the Lawmender, King of Norway, and his wife Ingeborg of Denmark. Through his mother, ...
, however, was on the side of the younger brothers. In 1308, Erik and Valdemar were forced by the Danish king to release Birger, but they did so under humiliating conditions. When Birger was free, he sought aid in
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
, and the strife began anew. The course of events turned against duke Erik. By concluding a peace treaty with the Danish king, unbeknownst to Haakon V, Erik lost Haakon's trust. Håkon wanted to have Kungahälla back, but Erik refused.


War

A war broke out between Haakon V of Norway and Erik in 1309, and the kings of Norway and Denmark concluded peace, and allied against the dukes. Through his strategic skills, Erik managed to ride out the storm, and defeated the Norwegians, and also the Danes who arrived as far as
Nyköping Nyköping () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Nyköping Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden, with 32,759 inhabitants as of 2017. The city is also the capital of Södermanland County. Including Arnö, the locality on the ...
in 1309. He attacked Norway and reconquered Kungahälla, which he had lost to Haakon in 1310. Finally, there was peace at
Helsingborg Helsingborg (, , ), is a Urban areas in Sweden, city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania County, Scania (Skåne), Sweden. It is the second-largest city in Scania (after Malmö) and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, ninth ...
, in which Sweden was divided between Birger and his brothers. Erik received
Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Vä ...
,
Dalsland Dalsland () is a Swedish traditional province, or ''landskap'', situated in Götaland in southern Sweden. Lying to the west of Lake Vänern, it is bordered by Värmland to the north, Västergötland to the southeast, Bohuslän to the west, ...
,
Värmland Värmland () is a ''Provinces of Sweden, landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Name Several Latinized version ...
and
Kalmar County Kalmar County () is a Counties of Sweden, county or ''län'' in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kronoberg County, Kronoberg, Jönköping County, Jönköping, Blekinge County, Blekinge and Östergötland County, Östergötland. To the ...
, as well was northern
Halland Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Skåne, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Br ...
as a fief from Denmark, but he promised to return Kungahälla to Norway.


Marriage

Despite never returning Kungahälla and breaking almost all his promises to Haakon V, Erik still managed to gain his favor. In 1312, Erik married Haakon's 11-year-old daughter, Ingeborg Haakonsdatter, in a double wedding in Oslo. At the same ceremony, Erik's brother Valdemar married Ingeborg Eriksdottir, the daughter of King Eric II of Norway. In 1316, Duke Erik and Ingeborg had a son,
Magnus Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
, who would later become king of both Sweden and Norway. In 1317, they had a daughter, Euphemia, who married Albert II of Mecklenburg; their son, also named Albert, would eventually become king of Sweden. Duke Erik seemed close to reaching his goals: he was now in possession of a composite territory consisting of some parts of all the three Scandinavian kingdoms, centered on the coast of
Skagerrak The Skagerrak (; , , ) is a strait running between the North Jutlandic Island of Denmark, the east coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea. The Skagerrak contains some of the busiest shipping ...
-
Kattegat The Kattegat (; ; ) is a sea area bounded by the peninsula of Jutland in the west, the Danish straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the Swedish provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Scania in Swede ...
with
Varberg Varberg () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Varberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 35,782 inhabitants in 2019. Varberg and all of Halland are well known for their "typical west coast" sandy beaches. In Varberg th ...
as his ducal seat, he had a son who was the heir apparent of the kingdom of Norway, and he was the '' de facto'' ruler of Sweden.


Treachery

However, his career was stopped and his life was shortened by the treachery of his brother King Birger, the ''de jure'' ruler of Sweden. During a call on his brother in
Nyköping Nyköping () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Nyköping Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden, with 32,759 inhabitants as of 2017. The city is also the capital of Södermanland County. Including Arnö, the locality on the ...
, the so-called Nyköping Banquet, Erik and his brother Valdemar were arrested and chained, the night between 10 and 11 December 1317. No one knows for certain what happened to the two brothers; it was widely assumed that they were starved to death – and for whatever cause, both died within months of being imprisoned. At the imprisonment of their husbands, their wives became the leaders of their spouses' followers. On 16 April 1318, the two duchesses entered into a treaty in
Kalmar Kalmar (, , ) is a city in the southeast of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 41,388 inhabitants in 2020 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of ...
with Esger Juul,
Archbishop of Lund List of (arch)bishops of Lund. Until the Reformation in Denmark, Danish Reformation the centre of a great Latin (arch)bishopric, Lund has been in Sweden since the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658. The Diocese of Lund is now one of thirteen in the Ch ...
and
Christopher Christopher is the English language, English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek language, Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or ''Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Jesus ...
, brother of Eric VI of Denmark and Duke of Halland-Samsö, to free their husbands. Later the same year their husbands were confirmed to have died.


Legacy

King Birger was subsequently ousted by his brothers' supporters in 1318 and sent into exile to his brother-in-law King Eric VI of Denmark. Erik's son, Magnus was elected king of Sweden on 8 July 1319 and acclaimed as hereditary king of Norway in August of the same year under the regencies of his grandmother Queen Helvig and his mother Duchess Ingeborg. In all of Scandinavia, the deaths of Erik and Valdemar caused great dismay and sorrow, which caused many people to forgive their misdeeds, and only to remember their positive qualities. However, their ambitions had caused great troubles for Sweden. The time of civil war between the brothers were one of the grimmest eras in Swedish history. Erik's life was portrayed in a positive light in Erik's Chronicle (''Erikskrönikan'') created by his supporters. Erik's Chronicle is the oldest surviving Swedish chronicle written between about 1320 and 1335. It is one of Sweden's earliest and most important narrative sources. Its authorship and precise political significance and biases are debated, but it is clear that the chronicle's main protagonist and hero is Erik.''Erikskrönikan'' (Project Runeberg)
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References


Sources

* Lindqvist, Herman ''Historien om Sverige. Från islossning till kungarike'' (Norstedts: 1997) * Harrison, Dick ''Jarlens sekel: en berättelse om 1200-talets Sverige'' (Ordfront. 2002) * Bergman, Mats ''Nyköpingshus. En rundvandring i historia och nutid'' (Almqvist & Wiksell. 1992) * Mannervik, Cyrus ''Sagor och sägner – Från Nordens forntid och medeltid'' (AV Carlsons. 1958) {{DEFAULTSORT:Erik Magnusson 1280s births Year of birth uncertain 1318 deaths Eric 1282 Norwegian royalty Dukes of Västergötland Dukes of Södermanland Sons of kings Rebel princes