Eric X of Sweden

Eric X
King Eric X on his gravestone
Born	c.  1180
Died	10 April 1216(1216-04-10) Näs Castle on the island of Visingsö
Burial	Varnhem Abbey Church
Spouse	Richeza of Denmark
House	House of Eric
Father	Canute I of Sweden
Mother	possibly Cecilia Johansdotter

Eric "X", Swedish: Erik Knutsson; Old Norse: Eiríkr Knútsson (c. 1180 – 10 April 1216) was the King of Sweden between 1208 and 1216. Also known as Eric the Survivor (Swedish: "Erik som överlevde"), he was, at his accession to the throne, the only remaining son of King Canute I of Sweden and his queen. The name of his mother is not known, but may have been Cecilia.

Nothing is known about his youth, but he may have been born around 1180 in Eriksberg royal manor. When Eric's father, King Canute I, died peacefully in 1195 or 1196, his four sons were youthful but not children. One of them had been hailed as heir to the throne by the grandees of the kingdom when Canute was still alive. Whether this was Eric we do not know, nor do the sources disclose the names of his three brothers. In spite of the precautions of King Canute, his sons were passed over in favour of Sverker Karlsson, the head of the rival dynasty of the Sverkers. Perhaps this was due to the influence of the mighty second-of-the-realm, Jarl Birger Brosa. As far as we know the succession took place without bloodshed.

King Canute's sons continued to live in the Swedish royal court and were raised by King Sverker. Several years later, after the death of Birger Brosa, the brothers and their supporters brought forward claims to the throne. King Sverker did not acquiesce, at which point Eric and his brothers escaped to Norway where they stayed over the winter of 1204-05. Eric and his brothers had kin ties with the Norwegian Birkebeiner party since Jarl Håkon Galen was married to their cousin, and sought their support. In 1205, the brothers returned to Sweden with Norwegian backing. However, they were overcome by King Sverker in the Battle of Älgarås in Tiveden, where all three of Eric's brothers were killed. Eric survived and once again fled to Norway where he remained for three years. In 1208 he returned to Sweden under unknown circumstances but apparently with Birkebeiner assistance. Sverker on his side received troops from King Valdemar Sejr of Denmark. In January 1208 Eric nevertheless defeated Sverker in the Battle of Lena and slew the Danish commander Ebbe Sunesen, whose troops suffered great losses. Popular tradition depicted the event as a battle between Sweden and Denmark where "two Danes ran for one Swede, and their backs were badly spanked by the Swedish men." A Danish folksong describes how "the horses of the lords return bloodied, and the saddles are empty".