Harald Kesja

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Harald Kesja, Harald the Spear, (1080-1135) was the son of Eric I of Denmark. He was married to Ragnhild Magnusdotter, the daughter of King Magnus III of Norway. Eric appointed Harald the ruler of Denmark in 1103, when he went to Jerusalem, but Harald had to decline because of his uncle Niels of Denmark, who was elected king in 1104.

Harald was courageous, but violent, cruel and debauched. Among his 15 sons, only four were born in wedlock. Harald plundered far and wide from his stronghold Haraldsborg at Roskilde. In 1132, he allied with his half-brother Eric Emune in order to avenge his third brother Canute Lavard, but he later turned to the murderer Magnus Nilsson and fought with him at the Battle of Fotevik in Skåne, 1134. He fled after the defeat but he was taken captive near Vejle on Jutland and decapitated together with six of his sons.

One of his sons, Björn Ironside Haraldsson married Katarina Ingesdotter the daughter of Inge I of Sweden. Björn was the father of Christina Bjornsdatter, a Swedish queen.

This article contains content from the Owl Edition of Nordisk familjebok, a Swedish encyclopedia published between 1904–1926 now in public domain.