ERICK, styled XIII. The Duke of Pomerania and nephew to Queen Margaret of Waldemar, who had united Sweden, Norway, and Den mark under her sceptre, was anoluted by the General States of the three kingdoms assembled at Calmar in 1396 to bo her successor. He married in 1410 Philippa, daughter of Henry IV. of England, and in 1412, after 31argeret's death, he assumed the reins of government. Bet he soon gave proofs of incapacity, and his capricious and tyran nical sway disgusted the Swedes, to whom he preferred his Danish subjects. Becoming entangled in a tedious war with the dukes of Holstein and Mecklenburg and the Hansa Towns, in order to carry it on he loaded his subjects with taxes, while their commerce was ruined.
He violated the articles of the Calmar union, stripped Sweden of its archives, which he took with him to Denmark, and filled most military and civil office. in Sweden with Danes end other foreigners. The Dalecarlians were the first to revolt, being led by a nobleman of the name of Englebrecht. They were joined by the North Hallanders and others, and at last they obliged the senate of the kingdom assembled at Midgets:I, to renounce its allegiance to Erick. Erick made a hasty peace with the Hansa Towns, collected a fleet with troops on board, and sailed for Stockholm. After repeated attempts,
he was obliged to make a convention with the insurgents, by which the kin retained garrison+ iu the three castles of Stockholm, Calmar, and Nykoping ; all other situations in the kingdom being filled by Swedish nativoe. At the same time ho promised to respect the articles of the Calmar union, and returned to Denmark. But his bad faith kept alive the discontent, and in 1438 the leaders of the Swedes entered into secret negociations with the chief men iu Denmark, who were likewise dissatisfied with Erick, and a general revolt ensued.
Erick had already withdrawn from Denmerk into the island of Goth laud with his treasures. The Danes chose for their king Christopher, duke of Bavaria, king Erick's sister's son, and the Swedish Diet assembled at Arbog,a offered him likewise their crown under the stipu lations of the Calmar union. Erick was allowed 'by Christopher to retain possession of the island of Gothland ; but after Christopher's drath in 1448 Charles Knutson, who succeeded to the throne of Sweden, besieged Erick in the town of Wiaby. Erick escaped into Pomerania, with the assistance of Christian, king of Denmark, who sent him to the island of Rugen, where he ended his days.