Harald Kesja, --1135--, prince, was a nonmarital son of Erik Ejegod and born long before his father became king. When Erik was about to begin his pilgrimage, he appointed H. as regent (1102).H. was a strong warrior, who used his «Kesje» with great skill, the heavy broad-blade spear; thus he must have got his byname like other warriors, who were named after their kesje, spear or sword. But he showed himself at the same time as a not noble person, who misused the power for robbery and violence. Asser who had just become an archbishop, had to be his co-regent, but he had no influence on H. H. was hated by people, and when the message came that Erik Ejegod had died (1104),no one wanted him to be king; his paternal uncle Niels was elected. H.'s descent gave him however a prominent place among the Danish magnates, and he married Ragnhild, a daughter of the late Norwegian king Magnus Barfod and a stepdaughter of the Danish queen Margrethe Fredkulla. Like his younger brother Knud (Lavard) he took part in Niels' unlucky expedition to the Wendic chief Henrik; upon a shield he was carried badly wounded out from the fight at Ljutka. What else is heard about him during king Niels' weak rule is not very honourable. He boldly continued his robberies. From the castle Roskilde Havn (harbour), where he probably was the king's chief, he plundered far and wide. He was especially brutal towards the citizens of Roskilde, until they in their indignation went against H. and forced him to take flight. He was also ruthless and arrogant to his own brother Erik (Emune). Under the pretext that Erik was born in adultery, he denied him any part of the ancestral estate; Erik then harrassed his farms and brought the property to Arnakke, probably close to the present town Nyborg, but he soon had to flee from H.; H. feared however a new attack from Erik and put parts of his property which he couldn't bring with him, on fire. Their brother Knud Lavard, who was Denmarks hertug (duke) and most outstanding man, summoned both and judged that Erik had the right to inherit his father. H. was also know for his immorality; his wife had to put up with his many mistresses and nonmarital sons, who were considered a rising gang of robbers. After Knud Lavard's murder (7. Jan. 1131) H. actually went on the Thing as an accuser of Niels and Magnus, but he did not use much power in order to revenge his murdered brother. Erik on the other hand became at once a leader of the revengers. He denied the Danish crown for H.'s sake; but before the year had gone, he let himself be paid tribute, and H. was in rage when seeing himself neglected by his younger brother.But he followed however, together with his sons Bjørn Jernside(Ironside) and Erik Diakon,in 1132 Erik on the expedition to Jutland and took part in the lucky fight at Sejrø; but after Erik's defeat at Onsild and his flight from Jutland he joined Niels, although his two sons still were among Erik's trusted men.In order to fight his brother H. fortificated his castle at Roskilde; but German workers from Roskilde made catapults for Erik, and the stones crushed H.'s strong defence tower; H. escaped with difficulty to Jutland, and the castle was destroyed. At the castle site were later found a hidden silver- and gold-treasure and a number of coins from that period. When king Niels after the battle at Værebro drove Erik out of Danmark (1133), H. took a brutal revenge towards the Germans in Roskilde; but the rumor about their mutilation enraged the German emperor Lothar, so Magnus Nielsen had to prevent the trouble by a humiliating submission. H. took part in the last battle of the civil war at Fodevig in Skåne. Here Erik Emune killed Magnus og gave Niels a terrible defeat (4. Juni 1134). H. lost his son Magnus in the battle, but escaped with great riscs together with king Niels. They went hastily west through the country. On the way Niels appointed H. co-king, but his luck was short. H. was wise enough not to follow the old king to Schleswig, and after his kill he was paid tribute by the Jutlanders and took up residence in the area near the old royal castle in Jelling. Unexpectedly Erik went in the beginning of 1135, in spite of ice and frost, against him, surprised him in Skiping (Skibet) at Vejle Å (river) and let his own brother be decapitated. The year before he had ignominiusly let H.'s oldest sons, Bjørn Jernside and Erik Diakon drown in Slien, although they had not joined H., but only advised their father to leave Denmark. At Skibet Erik took H.'s other sons prisoner; only Oluf got away and later returned as a throne pretender, causing a new civil war.Erik now carried through the extermination of H.s descenders.He brought H.'s 8 sons east and sailed them to an island where they were murdered and thrown into a hollow. Their names were Sivard,Erik, Svend, Niels, Harald, Benedict, Mistivint and Knud. Besides 12 sons H. had 3 others. According to the legends Magnus, Oluf, Harald and Knud were born in wedlock. H. Olrik, Knud Lavard. (translated from Hans Olriks Danish text: grethe bachmann) Hans Olrik. Kilde: Dansk Biografisk Lexicon Carl Fr. Bricka Project Runeberg (1887-1905)
translation grethe bachmann © copyright
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