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''Knésetja'' (lit. "knee-setting"; German ''Kniesetzung'') is the Old Norse expression for a custom in Germanic law, by which adoption was formally expressed by setting the fosterchild on the knees of the foster-father. ==Germanic law== When prince Haakon, the youngest son of Harald Fairhair was brought to the court of Aethelstan, the Norwegian messenger, Haukur, simply placed the child on the king's knees as soon as he came into his presence. By this act, Haakon had been adopted by Aethelstan, which also implied an insult to the English king as the foster-father was usually of lower standing than the real father. Aethelstan became angry and wanted to kill the child on the spot, but Haukur simply said that since he was now the child's foster-father it was up to him whether he wanted to kill him and went away. Aethelstan let the child live and had him baptized. (''Heimskringla'', Harald Harfager's Saga). The same gesture was also part of the formal ceremony of both engagement and marriage in early Scandinavian law. Here, the bride was set on the knees of the groom.〔"Eherecht" in Johannes Hoops, Heinrich Beck (eds.), ''Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde, vol. 6, Walter de Gruyter, 1986, ISBN 978-3-11-010468-4, p. 496.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Knésetja」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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