Eric IV of Denmark

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Eric IV Ploughpenny
St. Bendt's Church
SpouseJutta of Saxony
Issue
among others...
Names
Eric Valdemarsen
HouseEstridsen
FatherValdemar II of Denmark
MotherBerengaria of Portugal

Eric IV (c. 1216 – 10 August 1250), also known as Eric Ploughpenny or Eric Plowpenny (

King of Denmark
from 1241 until his death in 1250. His reign was marked by conflict and civil wars against his brothers. [1]

Early life

Eric was the son of

Berengária of Portugal.[2]

In 1218, when his older half-brother

Abel. When his father died in 1241, he ascended to the throne.[3]

Rule

His rule was marked by bitter conflicts, especially against his brother, Duke Abel of Schleswig who seems to have wanted an independent position and who was supported by the counts of

Scanian peasants, who rebelled because of his hard taxes on ploughs, among other things. The number of ploughs a man owned was used as a measure of his wealth. This gave the king the epithet "plough-penny" (Danish
: Plovpenning). [4]

Eric had only been king for about a year when he first came into conflict with his brother, Duke Abel of Schleswig, in 1242. The conflict lasted for three years before the brothers agreed on a truce in 1244 and made plans for a joint

crusade to Estonia
. At the same time Eric faced trouble from the religious orders who insisted that they were immune from taxes that Eric might assess. Eric wanted the church lands taxed as any other land holder would be. The Pope sent a
bishops at Odense in 1245. Excommunication
was threatened for anyone, great or small who trespassed upon the ancient rights and privileges of the church. It was a clear warning to Eric that the church would not tolerate his continued insistence at assessing church property for tax purposes. [5]

Infuriated, in 1249 King Eric directed his rage at Niels Stigsen, Bishop of the

Diocese of Roskilde who fled Denmark the same year. Eric confiscated the bishopric's properties in Zealand, including the emerging city of Copenhagen. In spite of intervention from Pope Innocent IV who advocated the reinstatement of the bishop and the return of the properties to the diocese, the dispute could not be resolved. Niels Stigsen died in 1249 at Clairvaux Abbey
. The properties were not restored to the diocese until after the death of King Eric in 1250. [6]

The conflict between King Eric and his brothers had broken out again in 1246. The conflict started when Eric invaded

Canute, Duke of Blekinge
. [7]

King Eric retaliated immediately, reconquering the city of Ribe and occupying Abel's patrimonial city of Svendborg the same year. In 1247, he captured Arreskov Castle (Arreskov Slot) on Funen, as well as taking Christopher and Canute prisoners. A truce was arranged by Eric's sister Sophie of Denmark (ca 1217–1247) who was the wife of Johann I, Margrave of Brandenburg (c. 1213–1266). The terms of the accord left Eric in firm control of all of Denmark. In 1249 the peasants in Scania rose in rebellion against the plough tax. The king restored order with help from Zealand, but the church, Duke Abel, and the German counts in southern Jutland were pushed into an erstwhile alliance against the king.[8] [9]

Regicide

Erik raised an army and sailed to

Gottorp in Schleswig. That evening as the king gambled with one of the German knights, the duke's chamberlain and a group of other men rushed in and took the king prisoner. They bound him and dragged him out of the duke's house and down to a boat and rowed out into the Schlien. They were followed out onto the water by a second boat. When King Erik heard the voice of his sworn enemy, Lave Gudmundsen (ca. 1195–1252), he realized he was to be killed. One of the captors was paid to deliver the king's death blow with an ax. Erik was beheaded and his body dumped into the Schlien. The next morning two fishermen dragged the king's headless body up in their net. They carried the body to the Dominican Abbey in Schleswig; his body was later transferred to St. Bendt's Church, Ringsted
in 1257. [10] [11]

Eric's brother Abel was sworn in as the successor king. Abel contended he had nothing to do with the murder. Within a year and a half, Abel himself was killed. He was succeeded as king of Denmark by his younger brother Christopher. [12]

Marriage and issue

Eric was married on 17 November 1239 with Jutta of Saxony daughter of Albert I, Duke of Saxony (c. 1175–1260).[13] They were the parents of:

References

  1. ^ "Erik 4. Plovpenning, 1216-50". Danmarks Historien. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e Line 2007, p. 581.
  3. ^ "Berengaria (ca. 1197-1221)". Dansk Kvindebiografisk Leksikon. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  4. ^ "Erik Plovpenning". Danmarks Konger. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  5. ^ "Den hellige Erik Plovpenning (1216-1250)". Den katolske kirke. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  6. ^ "Niels Stigsen". roskildehistorie.dk. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  7. ^ "Christoffer 1., ca. 1219-1259". Danmarks Historien. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  8. ^ "Arreskov Slot". danskefilm.dk. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  9. ^ Johann I. (Markgraf von Brandenburg). Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie. Duncker & Humblot. 1881. p. 151. Retrieved August 1, 2020. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  10. ^ "The Monastery of Ringsted and the St. Bendt's Church". Visit Ringsted. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  11. ^ "Lave Gudmundsen". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  12. ^ "Christoffer 2. 1276-1332". Danmarks Historien (Aarhus University). Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  13. ^ "Albrecht I. (Albert)". Deutsche Biographie. Retrieved August 1, 2018.

Other sources

  • Line, Philip (2007). Kingship and State Formation in Sweden: 1130 - 1290. (Brill Publishers).
    ISBN 978-90-47-41983-9
  • Bain, Robert Nisbet (1905) Scandinavia: A Political History of Denmark, Norway and Sweden from 1513 to 1900 (Cambridge: University Press)
Eric IV of Denmark
Born: 1216 Died: 10 August 1250
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Valdemar II
as sole king
Valdemar II
(1232–1241) 		Succeeded by
Abel
Duke of Schleswig
1216–1232
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