Erik I Ejegod

[norwegianne]

Name: Erik I Ejegod

English Name: Eric I of Denmark (or Eric Evergood)

Birth: ca. 1055

Child of: Svein Estridsson & Gunhild Svensdotter

Reign: 1095-1103

Marriage: Queen Bodil

Children: Knut Lavard in marriage, four other children outside - Harald Kesja, Ragnhild (mother to Erik III Lam), Benedikt, Erik Emune

Death: 10. July 1103,
Died and buried on Cyprus

Throne passed to: Niels

Notes:

The fourth of the sons of Svein Estridsson who became a king of Denmark.

Founded the archiepiscopal in Lund in today's Sweden (then in Denmark.).

[Marengo]

I was just wondering, why did this Danish King die on Cyprus?

[norwegianne]

Originally Posted by Marengo

I was just wondering, why did this Danish King die on Cyprus?

He was heading for Jerusalem on a pilgrimage - Salomonsen states that he was very religious - but never made it there, and therefore died on Cyprus. His wife, Queen Bodil, alledgedly continued, and died in Jerusalem on Mount of Olives from illness.

A link to Salomonsens konversationslexikon on Erik Ejegod (in Danish unfortunately)
A link to the Danish biographical entry on Queen Bodil: http://runeberg.org/dbl/2/0460.html (also in Danish)

[Marengo]

My Danish is sadly not very good . But a pelgrimage rather than one of the crusades that I expected. Why didn´t the throne pass to his son Knut?