This enraged the rival House of Erik as well as some of Birger Brosa's offspring, and Johan was contemptuously known as the "breech-less jarl".

The Danish King Valdemar Sejr also opposed the choice, since the posthumous son of Erik Knutsson was a nephew of his.

The background to this is the activities of the German Order of the Sword Brothers and the Danish King Valdemar Sejr in the still pagan Baltic region.

The enterprise was initially successful and King Johan established a base in Leal (Lihula).

From this stronghold the Swedish soldiers made forays to the countryside, built churches and forced the locals to accept baptism.

He died unmarried and childless, and left a favourable memory in Swedish historiography: "He was young of years and very gentle.

[7] In the same year 1222, the rival dynasty's young heir Erik Eriksson ascended the throne at the age of 6.