1. Overview
Eric IV (c. 1216 - August 10, 1250), widely known as Eric Ploughpenny (Erik PlovpenningDanish), reigned as King of Denmark from 1241 until his assassination in 1250. His rule was characterized by extensive internal conflicts, primarily against his younger brothers, Abel and Christopher. A defining aspect of his reign was his imposition of heavy taxes, notably the "plough tax," which levied charges based on the number of ploughs a peasant owned. This tax led to significant peasant uprisings in Scania and earned him his enduring epithet. Additionally, Eric IV engaged in prolonged disputes with the Catholic Church over its traditional tax exemptions, further straining domestic relations. While attempting to assert royal authority and maintain Danish influence in regions like Estonia and Holstein, his reign was ultimately destabilized by these internal feuds and his stringent fiscal policies. His life ended abruptly when he was murdered by his brother Abel's men, a regicide that plunged Denmark into further succession turmoil.
2. Early Life
Eric IV's early years were shaped by his royal lineage and the political landscape of Denmark. He was the second legitimate son of Valdemar II of Denmark, known as the Victorious, and his second wife, Berengária of Portugal. Born around 1216, he was an elder brother to Abel of Denmark and Christopher I of Denmark, both of whom would later challenge his rule.
2.1. Birth and Family
Eric was born in approximately 1216. His mother, Berengária of Portugal, passed away in 1221, leaving him and his younger brothers, Abel and Christopher, motherless at a young age. His family was part of the powerful House of Estridsen, which had long held the Danish throne. He also had an older half-brother, Valdemar the Young, who was designated as co-ruler before Eric.
2.2. Duke of Schleswig and Co-Regent
Eric's political career began early. In 1218, his older half-brother, Valdemar the Young, was crowned as co-ruler and heir alongside their father, Valdemar II. At this time, Eric was granted the title of Duke of Schleswig. However, Valdemar the Young died prematurely in 1231. Following this, Eric was crowned king on May 30, 1232, at Lund Cathedral, serving as co-ruler and designated heir to his father. After his coronation, Eric ceded the Duchy of Schleswig to his younger brother, Abel, a decision that would later become a source of profound conflict. Upon the death of his father, Valdemar II, in 1241, Eric ascended to the throne as the sole King of Denmark.
3. Reign
Eric IV's rule as King of Denmark was a period marked by intense internal strife, primarily driven by his attempts to consolidate royal power and finances, which led to significant conflicts with both his own family and various segments of Danish society.
3.1. Conflicts with His Brothers
The reign of Eric IV was severely plagued by persistent disputes and civil wars, particularly with his ambitious younger brother, Duke Abel of Schleswig. Abel sought a more independent position for Schleswig and garnered support from the counts of Holstein. The initial conflict between Eric and Abel erupted in 1242, barely a year into Eric's sole reign. This dispute lasted for three years before a truce was agreed upon in 1244, temporarily halting hostilities and leading to plans for a joint crusade to Estonia.
However, the fragile peace was shattered in 1246 when the conflict reignited. Eric invaded Holstein, aiming to reassert his father's control over the county. Duke Abel, who was married to a daughter of Adolf IV, Count of Holstein, and had previously served as guardian to his young brothers-in-law, John I and Gerhard I, successfully compelled King Eric to abandon his conquest. The following year, Abel, supported by the Holsteiners, launched devastating incursions into Jutland and Funen, carrying out widespread burning and pillaging as far north as Randers and Odense. Abel also secured crucial backing from the Hanseatic League city of Lübeck, as well as from his other brothers, Christopher, Lord of Lolland and Falster, and Canute, Duke of Blekinge.
King Eric swiftly retaliated, reconquering the city of Ribe and occupying Abel's ancestral city of Svendborg in the same year. In 1247, he captured Arreskov Castle (Arreskov Slot) on Funen and successfully imprisoned Christopher and Canute. A temporary truce was brokered by Eric's sister, Sophie of Denmark (c. 1217-1247), who was married to Johann I, Margrave of Brandenburg. The terms of this accord seemingly left Eric in firm control of all of Denmark, but the underlying tensions with his brothers persisted.
3.2. Conflicts with the Church and Peasants
Eric IV's attempts to centralize power and increase royal revenue led to significant and often harsh policies, most notably the controversial "plough tax." This tax, which was levied based on the number of ploughs a farmer owned (as a measure of their wealth), placed a considerable burden on the peasant population. This stringent policy earned him the derogatory epithet "Ploughpenny" (PlovpenningDanish). In 1249, the oppressive nature of this tax directly fueled a widespread peasant rebellion in Scania. Although Eric, with aid from forces in Zealand, managed to restore order, the unrest underscored the deep dissatisfaction among his subjects regarding his fiscal policies.
Simultaneously, Eric IV faced staunch opposition from the Catholic Church, which insisted on its traditional immunity from royal taxation. Eric, aiming to extend the crown's financial reach, sought to tax church lands in the same manner as other landholders. This led to a major dispute. In 1245, Pope Innocent IV dispatched a papal nuncio to mediate negotiations between the king and the bishops at Odense. The Church issued a severe warning, threatening excommunication for anyone, regardless of status, who dared to infringe upon its ancient rights and privileges. This was a clear message to Eric that the Church would not tolerate his continued insistence on taxing its property.
Infuriated by the Church's resistance, King Eric directed his wrath towards Niels Stigsen, the Bishop of the Diocese of Roskilde, forcing him to flee Denmark in 1249. Eric then confiscated the bishopric's extensive properties in Zealand, including the emerging city of Copenhagen. Despite further intervention from Pope Innocent IV, who advocated for the bishop's reinstatement and the return of the confiscated properties to the diocese, the dispute remained unresolved. Bishop Niels Stigsen died in 1249 at Clairvaux Abbey, and the properties were not restored to the diocese until after Eric IV's own death in 1250. These conflicts with both the peasantry and the Church highlighted Eric's authoritarian approach to governance and his disregard for the welfare of his subjects, ultimately contributing to a formidable alliance against him that included the Church, Duke Abel, and the German counts in southern Jutland.
3.3. Territorial Expansion and Conflicts
Beyond internal conflicts, Eric IV also engaged in military campaigns aimed at expanding or maintaining Danish influence in external territories. In 1249, Eric raised an army and sailed to Danish Estonia to secure his base there, indicating his commitment to protecting Danish interests and holdings in the Baltic region.
His campaigns also extended to Holstein, as evidenced by his invasion in 1246, an attempt to restore his father's historical control over the county. While this particular campaign was met with strong resistance from his brother Abel and the Holstein counts, it demonstrates Eric's persistent efforts to assert Danish suzerainty over neighboring territories. Just before his death in 1250, Eric again led his army into Holstein, intending to prevent the capture of the border fortress of Rendsburg and to forcefully remind the German counts of his authority as king. These military endeavors reflect his objective to strengthen Denmark's geopolitical position, though they often contributed to the overall instability of his reign due to the accompanying internal power struggles.
4. Assassination
King Eric IV's reign came to a brutal and abrupt end with his assassination on August 10, 1250. Having concluded his campaign in Estonia in 1249, Eric was on his way back to Denmark in 1250. He diverted his army to Holstein to defend the strategic border fortress of Rendsburg and to assert his dominance over the German counts. During this journey, his brother, Duke Abel of Schleswig, extended an invitation for Eric to stay at his residence in Gottorp in Schleswig.
That evening, as Eric was engaged in a game of chance with a German knight, Duke Abel's chamberlain, accompanied by a group of other men, suddenly stormed in and seized the king. They bound Eric, dragged him from the duke's house, and forced him into a boat, which then rowed out into the Schlien, a narrow inlet of the Baltic Sea. A second boat followed closely behind. As the boats moved across the water, King Eric recognized the voice of his sworn enemy, Lave Gudmundsen (c. 1195-1252), and realized that his death was imminent. One of his captors was reportedly paid to deliver the fatal blow with an axe. Eric was beheaded, and his body was thrown into the Schlien.
The following morning, two local fishermen discovered the king's headless body in their nets. They transported his remains to the Dominican Abbey in Schleswig. Seven years later, in 1257, Eric IV's body was transferred and interred at St. Bendt's Church, Ringsted, a significant royal burial site in Denmark.
Following Eric's assassination, his brother Abel was sworn in as the new king. Despite strong suspicions, Abel vehemently denied any involvement in the murder. However, Abel's own reign was short-lived; he was killed within a year and a half. He was subsequently succeeded as King of Denmark by his younger brother, Christopher I of Denmark. The regicide of Eric IV thus marked a turbulent period in Danish history, leading to further instability and a contentious succession within the royal family.
5. Marriage and Issue
Eric IV was married to Jutta of Saxony on November 17, 1239. Jutta was the daughter of Albert I, Duke of Saxony (c. 1175-1260). Together, Eric and Jutta had six children:
| Child | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sophia | 1241 | 1286 | Married Valdemar of Sweden, King of Sweden, in 1260. Their descendants included Christian I of Denmark. |
| Canute | 1242 | Died young | |
| Ingeborg | 1244 | 1287 | Married Magnus VI of Norway, King of Norway, on September 11, 1261. |
| Jutta | 1246 | 1284 | Became an Abbess of St. Agnes' Priory, Roskilde. |
| Christopher | 1247 | Died young | |
| Agnes | 1249 | 1288/95 | Became an Abbess of St. Agnes' Priory, Roskilde. Reputedly married to Eric Longbone, Lord of Langeland. |
6. Legacy and Assessment
The reign of Eric IV left a complex and largely negative legacy on Danish society and politics, predominantly marked by his relentless pursuit of increased royal power at the expense of stability and popular welfare. His approach to governance was characterized by a heavy-handed application of fiscal policies, most notably the "plough tax," which earned him the telling epithet "Ploughpenny." This tax, designed to extract wealth from the peasantry, was deeply unpopular and directly provoked the significant peasant rebellion in Scania in 1249. From a perspective valuing democratic development and human rights, this tax exemplifies an oppressive measure that burdened the common people, leading to justifiable unrest and highlighting the king's disconnect from the struggles of his subjects.
Furthermore, Eric's persistent conflicts with the Catholic Church over its tax exemptions strained relations between the crown and religious institutions. While his aim may have been to centralize power and revenue, his actions, such as the confiscation of church properties and the expulsion of Bishop Niels Stigsen, represented an infringement on established ecclesiastical rights and contributed to a powerful opposition faction against him. His reign was also severely destabilized by bitter civil wars against his brothers, particularly Duke Abel of Schleswig. These internal conflicts not only diverted resources and attention from pressing national concerns but also caused widespread disruption and suffering across the kingdom through campaigns of burning and pillaging in Jutland and Funen.
Eric IV's attempts at territorial expansion and maintenance, such as his campaigns in Holstein and Estonia, were often overshadowed by the internal strife he generated. Ultimately, his assassination in 1250, orchestrated by his own brother's allies, underscored the deep-seated animosity and political instability that defined his rule. His death did not bring peace but rather paved the way for further turmoil, as his immediate successor, Abel, also met a violent end shortly thereafter. In historical assessment, Eric IV is largely remembered as a ruler whose arbitrary and burdensome policies, coupled with his relentless internal conflicts, left Denmark in a state of unrest and contributed to a period of instability within the royal succession. His governance did little to foster social progress or protect the rights of his people, marking his reign as a period of considerable hardship for many Danes.