The Danish Civil War or The Danish war of Kings (Danish: Kongekrigene, Norwegian: De danske kongekrige) was a period of perpetual civil wars fought in the Kingdom of Denmark, first from 1131 to 1134 over the murder of Canute Lavard, then from 1139 to 1143 and finally a war of succession fought from 1146 to 1157, after the abdication of Eric III of Denmark, the only monarch in Danish history to have abdicated. The first phase of the war was fought between King Eric II of Denmark and King Niels joined by Magnus the Strong. The second phase of the war was fought between the son of Eric III, Canute V of Denmark, the son of Eric II of Denmark, Sweyn III of Denmark, and his cousin Valdemar I of Denmark, son of Canute Larvard. The war was the near peak of Holy Roman influence in Denmark, and for