Eric was born on
Funen. His mother was
Ragnhild, the daughter of King
Eric I of Denmark, Eric was the nephew of
Eric II of Denmark; he fought for Eric II at the decisive
Battle of Fotevik in 1134, and succeeded him to the throne when he was murdered in 1137. Not much is known of Eric's kingship; there is much disagreement among contemporary
chroniclers about his personality, and he is portrayed both as a passive and irresolute man, but also 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 power base in
Scania in 1139 and tried to usurp the throne from there, but Eric defeated and killed him in 1141 near
Helsingborg. During the
Danish Civil Wars, the
Wends raided the Danish coasts and inlets 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 1143, he married
Lutgard of Salzwedel, daughter of
Rudolf I, Margrave of the Nordmark. Eric and Lutgard were married by Rudolf's son
Hartwig, then Provost of
Bremen Cathedral, in 1143 or 1144. In 1146, Eric abdicated for unknown reasons. He was the only Danish monarch in history to do so voluntarily until
Margrethe II in 2024. He entered St. Canute's Abbey, where he died on 27 August 1146 and was buried in the cloister. His abdication has been explained as being rooted either in his realization of his inability to govern, or in an illness which ultimately killed him. ==Legacy==