January 7th - St. Canute Lavard, Martyr
(also known as Knud)

Born at Roskilde, c. 1096; died 1131; canonized in 1169; feast of the
translation of his relics is July 25 in Denmark.

Nephew of King Saint Canute of Denmark and the second son of King Eric the
Good of Denmark, Canute spent part of his youth at the Saxon court. When he
came of age and returned to Denmark with ideals of feudalism and military
organization, his uncle King Niels (Nils) of Denmark made him duke of
southern Jutland. Canute ruled from Schleswig, which he fortified, and
defended the whole territory against the Wends. In fact, most of his life
was spent fighting against the viking pirates, but he finally brought peace
and order to the territory. Canute also encouraged and aided the missionary
activities of Saint Vicelin, evangelizer of the Wends, who was afterwards
bishop of Staargard, now Oldenburg.

While duke of Schleswig, Canute was recognized by Emperor Lothair III in
1129 as sovereign over the western Wends. This infuriated his uncle, King
Niels, who began to regard Canute as a rival. Two years later, this jealousy
led to Canute's murder in an ambush by Magnus Nielssen and Henry Skadelaar
(his cousins) in the forest of Haraldsted near Ringsted in Zealand.