Oluf-Haraldsen coin-from-Lund-from-the-1140s

Olaf Haraldsen (died ) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

anti-king An anti-king, anti king or antiking (german: Gegenkönig; french: antiroi; cs, protikrál) is a would-be king who, due to succession disputes or simple political opposition, declares himself king in opposition to a reigning monarch.OED "Anti-, 2 ...

who ruled

Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conte ...

for a few years from 1139. He never won control over the rest of Denmark, and he is not included in the

list of Danish monarchs This is a list of Danish monarchs, that is, the kings and queens regnant of Denmark. This includes: * The Kingdom of Denmark (up to 1397) ** Personal union of Denmark and Norway (1380–1397) * The Kalmar Union (1397–1536) ** Union of Denmark ...

used by the Danish monarchy or ''

Den Store Danske Encyklopædi ''Den Store Danske Encyklopædi'' (''The Great Danish Encyclopedia'') is the most comprehensive contemporary Danish language encyclopedia. The 20 volumes of the encyclopedia were published successively between 1994 and 2001; a one-volume suppleme ...

''. He is sometimes called "Olaf II" even though there was a later

Olaf II of Denmark no, Olav Håkonsson , house = Bjelbo , father = Haakon VI of Norway , mother = Margaret I of Denmark , birth_date = , birth_place = Akershus Castle, Oslo , death_date = , death_place = Falsterbo Ca ...

. He was the son of

Harald Kesja Harald Kesja, ''Harald the Spear'',A ''kesja'' is in fact an unidentified weapon, probably a polearm which may have included some kind of hook in addition to the spear blade. See ''Viking halberd''. (1080–1135) was the son of Eric I of Denmark and ...

and thus nephew of King

Eric II of Denmark Eric II the Memorable ( da, Erik II Emune; – 18 September 1137) was king of Denmark between 1134 and 1137. Eric was an illegitimate son of Eric I of Denmark, who ruled Denmark from 1095 to 1103. Eric the Memorable rebelled against his uncle Ni ...

. He seems to have been the only who escaped Eric II's murder of Harald and his sons in 1135. After trying in vain to regain his heritage, Olaf proclaimed himself king in Scania in 1139,Oluf Haraldsen
at Gyldendals Encyklopædi fighting his cousin King

Eric III of Denmark Eric III Lamb ( da, Erik III Lam, – 27 August 1146) was the King of Denmark from 1137 until 1146. He was the grandson of Eric I of Denmark and the nephew of Eric II of Denmark, whom he succeeded on the throne. He abdicated in 1146, as th ...

. The civil war mostly consisted of alternating raids, during which Olaf killed Bishop Rike of

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

, an act that saw him

excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...

by the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

. He was at last defeated by Eric III and was killed in a battle in Middle Scania around 1143. Bricka, Carl Frederik, ''Dansk Biografisk Lexikon'', vol. XII ünch - Peirup 1898, pp.426-42
Available online
/ref> Harald Skrænk, the leader of a peasant rebellion in Scania about 1182, is said to have been Olaf's illegitimate son, but their connection is unsure.

Ancestry

References

House of Estridsen People excommunicated by the Catholic Church 1140s deaths Pretenders to the Danish throne Year of birth unknown {{Europe-royal-stub