- Eric III of Denmark
Erik III Håkonssøn Lam (probably born around 1100-1105 on
Funen (Fyn ), diedAugust 27 ,1146 inOdense ) was theking of Denmark from 1137 until he abdicated in 1146. He was the grandson ofEric I of Denmark .Being the nephew of
Eric II he succeeded to the throne after the latter’s murder. In general his rule was a peaceful one, however for some years he had to fight against his cousinOluf , sometimes called Oluf II (or Olaf II) who made himself a base of power inScania in 1139 and from there tried to conquer the throne until he was defeated and killed 1141 nearHelsingborg .Erik III is the first Danish king who seems to have been strongly influenced by
German culture . He had spent his early youth among German knights whose ideals marked most of his later life. Also his queen,Lutgard of Salzwedel, was a German.Contemporary chroniclers highly disagree about the personality of this king who is sometimes portrayed as a passive and irresolute man, sometimes as an eager and brave fighter. His nickname “Lam” means "lamb", as in “weak” or “meek”, not "lame" as in "infirm".
Denmark seems to have been a stable country during his kingship, however, and some contemporary sources speak very highly of him. The reasons for his
abdication (the only one by a Danish king) are unknown; he entered a convent and died the same year, and the illness which killed him may well have been the main reason.
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