Battle of Fotevik

Battle of Fotevik (Danish: Slaget ved Fodevig) was fought between forces of King Niels of Denmark together with those of his son Magnus Nilsson against those of 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 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.