Béla I of Hungary
Encyclopedia
Béla I the Champion or the Bison (ˈbɛlə; ; , c. 1016–1063) was King of Hungary
from 1060 until his death. He descended from a younger branch of the Árpád dynasty
and spent seventeen years in exile, probably in the court of the Kings of Poland. He came back to Hungary at the request of his brother, King Andrew I who assigned him the government of one third of the kingdom and proclaimed Béla his heir. However, Béla did not want to accept the hereditary rights of his brother's son, Solomon
to the throne (Solomon was born after the original agreement) and he rebelled against his brother. Although he managed to ascend to the throne after defeating King Andrew, he could not strengthen his reign and ensure his sons' succession.
, a cousin of Stephen I, the first King of Hungary. His mother was probably the concubine (a daughter of a member of the Hungarian gens Tátony) of his father, who still followed pagan customs.
, they continued to Poland
where Béla settled down, while his brothers, Levente
and Andre continued on, settling in Kiev
. In Poland, Béla served King Mieszko II Lambert
of Poland and took part in the king's campaigns against the pagan Pomeran
tribes. He gained the epithet "the Champion" in these campaigns. Some chronicles even claim that when a Pomeranian chief challenged Mieszko to single combat, Béla took up the challenge in the king's name. He became a successful military leader, and the king gave his daughter in marriage to him. He may have been baptized just before his marriage, and his Christian name was Adalbert. After his marriage, he probably lived in Poland even during the time of interregnum
when his brother-in-law, King Casimir I of Poland
was obliged to leave the country.
Some authors claim that during the interregnum in Poland, Béla fled to Bohemia
and they identify Béla with "King Stephen's cousin", mentioned in medieval chronicles, whom the Emperor Henry III
, in 1043, assigned to govern the parts of Hungary he had occupied from King Samuel Aba, when the Hungarians refused to accept King Peter's rule.
remained tense, because King Peter had been not only a close ally of the Emperor Henry III, but he also had become a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire. Andrew refused to accept the suzerainty of the Emperor, ruled Hungary independently and prepared for the approaching war. That was the reason why he invited his younger brother, the successful military leader, Béla to his court, and Béla accepted his offer.
In 1048, Andrew conceded one third of Hungary (Tercia pars regni
) in appanage to Béla. The two brothers shared power without incident until 1053, when King Andrew fathered a son, Solomon
. Thereafter, Andrew became determined to secure the throne for his son and to displace his brother. Andrew, therefore, had his son (Béla's nephew) crowned "junior king" (rex iunior) in 1057, despite an earlier agreement between the brothers according to which Béla was the heir to András. Hungarian custom would also dictate that the senior male member of the family inherit the kingdom. Following the coronation, Béla left his brother's court.
Two years later, according to legend, King Andrew called back Béla to his court, and placed before him a crown and a sword, representing royal and ducal power, respectively, and asked Béla to take his choice. Having been forewarned by a court official that choosing the crown would mean his death, Béla instead selected the sword. Shortly afterwards, Béla fled to Poland
where he was received by King Bolesław II the Generous
, nephew of his wife.
Hungarian chroniclers praised Béla for introducing new currency, such as the silver denarius, and for his benevolence to the former followers of his nephew, Solomon. The terms Nobilissimus (most noble) and nobilissima familia (most noble family)
have been used since the 11th century for the King of Hungary and his family, but it were then only a few, among them also Béla I, which were mentioned in official documents as such.
Béla died when his throne's canopy collapsed (contemporaries suspected that the collapse may not have been an accident). After Béla's death, King Henry IV of Germany
installed Solomon as the new king and Béla's male progenies had to flee to Poland again.
of Poland and his wife, Richeza of Lotharingia
Béla I probably had unknown mistress and he had a daughter with her:
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King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
from 1060 until his death. He descended from a younger branch of the Árpád dynasty
Árpád dynasty
The Árpáds or Arpads was the ruling dynasty of the federation of the Hungarian tribes and of the Kingdom of Hungary . The dynasty was named after Grand Prince Árpád who was the head of the tribal federation when the Magyars occupied the Carpathian Basin, circa 895...
and spent seventeen years in exile, probably in the court of the Kings of Poland. He came back to Hungary at the request of his brother, King Andrew I who assigned him the government of one third of the kingdom and proclaimed Béla his heir. However, Béla did not want to accept the hereditary rights of his brother's son, Solomon
Solomon of Hungary
Solomon , King of Hungary . He was crowned as a child during his father's lifetime in order to ensure his succession, but his uncle Béla managed to dethrone his father and ascend to the throne...
to the throne (Solomon was born after the original agreement) and he rebelled against his brother. Although he managed to ascend to the throne after defeating King Andrew, he could not strengthen his reign and ensure his sons' succession.
Early years
Béla was the second son of Duke VazulVazul
Vazul was a Hungarian noble of the Árpád family, Duke between March and Gran or Prince of Nitra, with realm between Morava and Esztergom ....
, a cousin of Stephen I, the first King of Hungary. His mother was probably the concubine (a daughter of a member of the Hungarian gens Tátony) of his father, who still followed pagan customs.
In exile
After their father's death, the three brothers were obliged to leave the country. Fleeing first to BohemiaBohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, they continued to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
where Béla settled down, while his brothers, Levente
Levente
Levente , eldest son of Vazul, a ruler in Hungary's Árpád dynasty and the last member of this family never to become a Christian....
and Andre continued on, settling in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
. In Poland, Béla served King Mieszko II Lambert
Mieszko II Lambert
Mieszko II Lambert was King of Poland during 1025–1031, and Duke from 1032 until his death.He was the second son of Bolesław I the Brave, but the eldest born from his third wife Emmilda, daughter of Dobromir, possible ruler of Lusatia. He was probably named after his paternal grandfather, Mieszko I...
of Poland and took part in the king's campaigns against the pagan Pomeran
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
tribes. He gained the epithet "the Champion" in these campaigns. Some chronicles even claim that when a Pomeranian chief challenged Mieszko to single combat, Béla took up the challenge in the king's name. He became a successful military leader, and the king gave his daughter in marriage to him. He may have been baptized just before his marriage, and his Christian name was Adalbert. After his marriage, he probably lived in Poland even during the time of interregnum
People's uprising in Poland
The Popular Uprising in Poland, 1038 , was a popular uprising in 1038 in the Kingdom of Poland of the early Piast rulers, mainly in the Greater Poland and Silesia regions....
when his brother-in-law, King Casimir I of Poland
Casimir I of Poland
Casimir I the Restorer , was a Duke of Poland of the Piast dynasty and the de facto monarch of the entire country from 1034 until his death....
was obliged to leave the country.
Some authors claim that during the interregnum in Poland, Béla fled to Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
and they identify Béla with "King Stephen's cousin", mentioned in medieval chronicles, whom the Emperor Henry III
Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
, in 1043, assigned to govern the parts of Hungary he had occupied from King Samuel Aba, when the Hungarians refused to accept King Peter's rule.
Duke of Tercia pars Regni
In the meantime, after a bloody pagan revolt which ended the rule of King Peter, Béla's brother ascended the throne in Hungary as King Andrew I. However, his relations with the Holy Roman EmpireHoly Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
remained tense, because King Peter had been not only a close ally of the Emperor Henry III, but he also had become a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire. Andrew refused to accept the suzerainty of the Emperor, ruled Hungary independently and prepared for the approaching war. That was the reason why he invited his younger brother, the successful military leader, Béla to his court, and Béla accepted his offer.
In 1048, Andrew conceded one third of Hungary (Tercia pars regni
Tercia pars regni
The Tercia pars regni or Ducatus is the denomination for territories occasionally governed separately by members of the Árpád dynasty within the Kingdom of Hungary in the 11th-12th centuries...
) in appanage to Béla. The two brothers shared power without incident until 1053, when King Andrew fathered a son, Solomon
Solomon of Hungary
Solomon , King of Hungary . He was crowned as a child during his father's lifetime in order to ensure his succession, but his uncle Béla managed to dethrone his father and ascend to the throne...
. Thereafter, Andrew became determined to secure the throne for his son and to displace his brother. Andrew, therefore, had his son (Béla's nephew) crowned "junior king" (rex iunior) in 1057, despite an earlier agreement between the brothers according to which Béla was the heir to András. Hungarian custom would also dictate that the senior male member of the family inherit the kingdom. Following the coronation, Béla left his brother's court.
Two years later, according to legend, King Andrew called back Béla to his court, and placed before him a crown and a sword, representing royal and ducal power, respectively, and asked Béla to take his choice. Having been forewarned by a court official that choosing the crown would mean his death, Béla instead selected the sword. Shortly afterwards, Béla fled to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
where he was received by King Bolesław II the Generous
Bolesław II the Generous
Bolesław II the Generous, also known as the Bold and the Cruel , was Duke of Poland and third King of Poland .He was the eldest son of Casimir I the Restorer and Maria Dobroniega, daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir I of Kiev....
, nephew of his wife.
King of Hungary
In 1060, Béla returned to Hungary and defeated King Andrew I to become the new king. After his brother's death and Béla's victory at the Theben Pass, Béla was crowned king on 6 December 1060. During his brief reign he concerned himself with crushing pagan revolts in his kingdom.Hungarian chroniclers praised Béla for introducing new currency, such as the silver denarius, and for his benevolence to the former followers of his nephew, Solomon. The terms Nobilissimus (most noble) and nobilissima familia (most noble family)
Nobilissima familia (Hungary)
The terms Nobilissimus and nobilissima familia have been used since the 11th century for the King of Hungary and his family...
have been used since the 11th century for the King of Hungary and his family, but it were then only a few, among them also Béla I, which were mentioned in official documents as such.
Béla died when his throne's canopy collapsed (contemporaries suspected that the collapse may not have been an accident). After Béla's death, King Henry IV of Germany
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
installed Solomon as the new king and Béla's male progenies had to flee to Poland again.
Marriage and children
# 1039-1043: unknown daughter (b. unknown, d. after 1052) of King Mieszko II LambertMieszko II Lambert
Mieszko II Lambert was King of Poland during 1025–1031, and Duke from 1032 until his death.He was the second son of Bolesław I the Brave, but the eldest born from his third wife Emmilda, daughter of Dobromir, possible ruler of Lusatia. He was probably named after his paternal grandfather, Mieszko I...
of Poland and his wife, Richeza of Lotharingia
- King Géza I of HungaryGéza I of HungaryGéza I was King of Hungary from 1074 until his death. During King Solomon's rule he governed, as Duke, one third of the Kingdom of Hungary. Afterwards, Géza rebelled against his cousin's reign and his followers proclaimed him king...
(c. 1044 – 25 April 1077) - King Ladislaus I of Hungary (c. 1048 – 29 July 1095)
- Duke Lampert of HungaryLampert of HungaryLampert was a member of the Árpád dynasty; Duke of one-third of the Kingdom of Hungary .Lampert was the third son of the future King Béla I of Hungary and his Polish wife...
(after 1050 – c. 1095) - Sophia (after 1050 – 18 June 1095), wife firstly of Markgraf Ulrich I of Carniola, and secondly of Duke Magnus IMagnus, Duke of SaxonyMagnus was the duke of Saxony from 1072 to 1106. Eldest son and successor of Ordulf and Wulfhild of Norway, he was the last member of the House of Billung.-Rebellion:...
of Saxony - Euphemia (after 1050 – 2 April 1111), wife of Prince Otto I of Moravia
- IlonaJelena Lijepa-Biography:Helen was born a Hungarian princess and was the daughter of Árpád dynasty's King Bela I, sister to King Ladislaus I of Hungary, granddaughter of Polish King Mieszko II Lambert, and a great-granddaughter of Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria....
(after 1050 – c. 1091), wife of King Demetrius Zvonimir of Croatia - Anna Lanke (? – 1095), wife of Rostislav of TmutarakanRostislav of TmutarakanRostislav Vladimirovich was a landless prince from the Rurikid dynasty of Kievan Rus’. He was baptized as Mikhail.During his minority, Rostislav ruled Rostov in the land of the Merya. His father Vladimir of Novgorod was the eldest son of Yaroslav I of Kiev. If Vladimir had not predeceased his...
Béla I probably had unknown mistress and he had a daughter with her:
- Sophia (after 1050 – after 1116), wife of Comes (count) Lampert de genere Hont-Pázmány http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/HUNGARY.htm
Sources
- Engel, Pat. Realm of St. Stephen : A History of Medieval Hungary, 2001
- Kosztolnyik, Z.J., Five Eleventh Century Hungarian Kings, 1981
- Kristó, Gyula - Makk, Ferenc: Az Árpád-ház uralkodói (IPC Könyvek, 1996)
- Korai Magyar Történeti Lexikon (9-14. század), főszerkesztő: Kristó, Gyula, szerkesztők: Engel, Pál és Makk, Ferenc (Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1994)
- Magyarország Történeti Kronológiája I. – A kezdetektől 1526-ig, főszerkesztő: Benda, Kálmán (Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1981)
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