Otger of Harelbeke

Otger (Audacer, Odoacer) is said to have been King of the Morins, Margrave and Forester of Flanders (824), and Count of Thérouanne and Harlebecque. His historicity is not beyond doubt. He is not mentioned in contemporary sources.

Traditionally, Odoacer was seen as the son of Ingelram of Flanders and the father of Baudouin Bras de Fer. This is today regarded as speculative because it is based only on texts from the twelfth century.

The name and origin of the wife of Otger are unknown.

Attempts at Proof

Historian Edward De Maesschalck in his book describes the Counts 861-1384 attempts by medieval writers to show the origins of Count Baldwin. Andreas Marchiennes, prior of the monastery there and columnist, just wrote a 1200 book about the French kings, just after the union in 1191 of the County of Flanders with the county Hainaut . Andrew wanted the then Earl Baldwin VIII of Flanders and Baldwin V of Hainault pleasures seen his daughter Isabella of Hainault was married to the then French king Philip II. He gave a different turn to the pre-fabricated genealogy of the Flemish counts and Liederik, once known as Earl of Harelbeke and later even as the first Count of Flanders, was suddenly a forestari 'or' woudmeester. During the Carolingian period, however, this function never existed.

According to De Maesschalck ruled there is a shire earl named Liederik between 792 and 836, probably in the region of Saint-Omer . Ingelram son of Liederik, was a member of the court staff Charles the Bald and named as shire count in 853 in the region between the Scheldt and Lys .

Sources

• Pierre d'Oudegherst, Annales de Flandre (1789)
• Edward De Maesschalck, Graven van Vlaanderen 861-1384 (2012).
• Medlands