Eric III of Denmark
Eric III Lamb (Danish:
Erik III Lam) (c. 1120 – 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 the first and only Danish monarch to do so. His succession led to a
period of civil war between Sweyn
III, Canute
V, and Valdemar
I.
Biography
Eric was born on Funen. His mother was princess Ragnhild
of Denmark, the daughter of late Eric
I of Denmark,
and his father the Danish nobleman Hakon
Sunnivasson, a great-grandson of King Magnus the Good of
Norway and Denmark.
Eric was the nephew of Eric
II of Denmark, fighting for him at the decisive Battle of Fotevik in
1134,
and succeeded Eric II to the throne when he was murdered in 1137. Not much is
known of Eric's kingship.
Contemporary chroniclers highly disagree about the personality of this king, and
he portrayed both as a passive and irresolute man, as well as an eager and brave
fighter.
Eric had to fight for his kingship against his cousin Olaf
Haraldsen, sometimes called Olaf II. Olaf established a base of power
in Scania in
1139 and tried to conquer the throne from there, until Eric defeated and killed
him in 1141 near Helsingborg.
During the civil wars, the Wends
raided the Danish coasts and sounds without much Danish resistance. Eric
supported Magnus
the Blind and Sigurd
Slembe in the Norwegian
civil war.
He worked to aggrandize the church, especially St. Canute's
Abbey in Odense,
and had a close relationship with bishop Eskil
of Roskilde.
In 1146, Eric abdicated, as the only Danish king in history,
for unknown reasons. He entered St. Canute's Abbey where died there on 27 August
1146, and was buried at the cloister.
His abdication has been explained as being rooted either in his realization of
his inability to govern,
or an illness which ultimately killed him.
Legacy
His nickname “Lam” means "lamb". This is taken to either reference the Lamb of
God as he was seen as a pious man,
as describing his mildhearted and generous nature,
or indicating a weak and soft king.
He married Lutgard
of Salzwedel in 1144, which indicated an increasing German
influence on Denmark. He and Lutgard did not have any children, though Eric had
the son Magnus out of wedlock. After Eric died, Lutgard married Rudolf
of Salzwedels.
Ancestry
| Ancestors of Eric III of Denmark |
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