Koppány

Who was Koppány?

Koppány was a Hungarian nobleman of the tenth century. Brother of the ruling prince of Hungary, Géza of the Árpád dynasty, Koppány ruled as Prince of Somogy in the region south of Lake Balaton. Following the death of Géza he claimed the right of succession: inheritance of the crown was determined by the principle of agnatic seniority, and Koppány was the oldest surviving member of the House of Árpád. However, his claim to power was challenged by Géza's son Vajk, Koppány's nephew, who had by then been baptized a Christian and given the name of István.

István claimed a divine right to succession and wanted to complete his father's work in turning Hungary into a European Christian kingdom; Koppány in contrast stood for the old tribal values of the ancient Magyars. In 998 AD the supporters of István and followers of Koppány fought near Veszprém. István's army, bolstered by the support of a regiment of Bavarian knights, won a decisive victory over Koppány. The Illuminated Chronicle narrates that he was killed by Vecelin, the commander of the royal army. According to the legend his body was cut in four pieces, which were sent to be displayed on the walls of the four major strongholds of the Kingdom as a warning to all troublemakers.