Reign
When King Eric died suddenly in fever in 1216, the teen-aged John was hailed king by the Swedish aristocracy against the will of the Pope in Rome. John was crowned in 1219 and remained king until his death on March 10, 1222. John died unmarried and childless. In 1222, the rival dynasty's young heir, Erik Eriksson ascended the throne at the age of 6 to reign as King Eric XI of Sweden.
During the brief reign of King John, a Swedish presence was established in Estonia. John's cousin, Earl Karl Döve (the brother of Birger Brosa) and his chancellor, Bishop Karl Magnusson led an expedition to Saaremaa in Estonia which ended in a defeat in the Battle of Lihula on August 8, 1220. Defeat in the Battle of Lihula left no Swedish presence and discouraged the Swedish expansion to Estonia for more than 300 years. The events were described in the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia and the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle.
Read more about this topic: John I Of Sweden
Famous quotes containing the word reign:
“I am monarch of all I survey;
My right there is none to dispute;
From the center all round to the sea
I am lord of the fowl and the brute.
O Solitude! where are the charms
That sages have seen in thy face?
Better dwell in the midst of alarms,
Than reign in this horrible place.”
—William Cowper (1731–1800)
“Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.”
—John Milton (1608–1674)
“No one would have doubted his ability to reign had he never been emperor.”
—Tacitus (c. 55–c. 120)