Battle of Fotevik: Difference between revisions

'''Battle of Fotevik''' (Danish: ''Slaget ved Fodevig'') was fought between forces of King [[Niels of Denmark]] together with those of his son [[Magnus I of Sweden|Magnus Nilsson]] against those of [[Eric II of Denmark|Erik Emune]] on June 4, 1134 at the bay of Fotevik in [[Skåne]]. ▼

At his death, King [[Eric I of Denmark]] had two known sons who were candidates for King of Denmark, [[Canute Lavard]] and Erik Emune. King Eric's younger brother, was selected to succeed him and became King Niels. In January 1131, [[Canute Lavard]] was trapped in a forest near [[Ringsted]] in [[Zealand]] and executed. Canute, as the only legitimate son of King [[Eric I of Denmark]], was a likely candidate for the throne. Some sources consider it to have been a murder committed by Magnus Nilsson, some attribute it to King Niels himself. Niels and Magnus soon found themselves in a civil war against Lavard's half-brother [[Eric II of Denmark|Eric Emune]]. The death of Canute Lavard provoked a civil war that lasted intermittently until 1157.▼

At the Battle of Fotevik, the forces of King Niels were taken by surprise by a contingent of German soldiers on horses. Cavalry attack on a large scale had previously only rarely been used in Scandinavia. Magnus Nilsson was slain together with the six (possibly five) bishops and a large amount of the priests accompanying the invading army. A half brother of Canute Lavard, [[Harald Kesja]], together with eight of his sons who had sided with King Neils were subsequently captured and decapitated near [[Vejle]] in [[Jutland]]. ▼

After the battle, King Niels fled with the remnants of his fleet to [[Schleswig]]. King Niels was murdered on June 25, 1134 by the city's burghers. The battle was a decisive victory for Eric, who became the next King of Denmark as [[Eric II of Denmark|Eric II]].<ref>[http://www.foteviken.se/skane/art_lex/history/foteviken/f1.htm ''Slaget vid Foteviken år 1134'' (Museum of Foteviken)]</ref>▼