Editing Sweyn III of Denmark (section)

==Early life==
Sweyn was the illegitimate son of King [[Eric II of Denmark|Erik II the Memorable]] and the concubine Thunna. Sweyn travelled with Eric II to [[Norway]] in the mid-1130s, when his father fought [[Niels of Denmark|King Niels]] to win the Danish throne. When Eric II died in 1137, he was succeeded by [[Eric III of Denmark|Eric III]], and Sweyn was sent to the court of [[Conrad III of Germany]]. Here he befriended Conrad's nephew [[Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick]].<ref name="bricka"/>

Sweyn travelled to Denmark, where he and his cousin [[Valdemar I of Denmark|Valdemar]] sought to [[canonize]] Sweyn's uncle and Valdemar's father [[Canute Lavard]] in 1146, under protest from Archbishop [[Eskil of Lund]] in [[Scania]].<ref name="bricka"/> At the [[abdication]] of Eric III in 1146, Sweyn was elected king by the [[magnate]]s on [[Zealand (Denmark)|Zealand]] while [[Canute V of Denmark|Canute V]] was crowned by their counterparts in [[Jutland]].<ref name="gyldendal">[http://www.denstoredanske.dk/Danmarks_geografi_og_historie/Danmarks_historie/Danmark_f%c3%b8r_Reformationen/Svend_3._Grathe Svend 3. Grathe] at Gyldendals Åbne Encyklopædi</ref>