Bertha of Artois
Encyclopedia
Saint Bertha of Artois or Saint Bertha of Blangy (mid 7th century - July 4, 725) was a Frankish
and Anglo-Saxon
Abbess
of noble blood.
under King Clovis II
prior to Ebroin
. Her mother Ursana, was the daughter of the King of Kent
(in England
).
At the age of twenty Bertha married Siegfried or Sigfrid, a relation of the king. When her husband Siegfried died in 672, after nearly twenty years of marriage and five daughters, Bertha was determined to become a Religious. In the year 682 or 685 Bertha had founded a convent at Blangy, Artois
(now Blangy-sur-Ternoise
). She retreated there with her two eldest daughters, Deotila and Gertrude. Later, her daughter Deotila succeeded her as Abbess, when Bertha retired to live the life of a recluse
, solely devoted to prayer. St Bertha died at an advanced age of natural causes on July 4, 725. Her feast day is celebrated on July 4. (See "Ste. Berthe et son Abbaye de Blangy", Lille, 1892).
A still later legend represents Gertrude as much persecuted by the attentions of a great noble, Roger, who wished to marry her by force, but she was saved from his violence by her mother's firm courage and trust in God.
Some time before her death Bertha is said to have resigned her office of abbess and to have shut herself up in a little cell built against the church wall.
The whole story of St Bertha, as her biographers agree, is of a very late date but not entirely legendary.
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
and Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
Abbess
Abbess
An abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
of noble blood.
Life
Saint Bertha was the daughter of Count Rigobert, the Mayor of the PalaceMayor of the Palace
Mayor of the Palace was an early medieval title and office, also called majordomo, from the Latin title maior domus , used most notably in the Frankish kingdoms in the 7th and 8th centuries....
under King Clovis II
Clovis II
Clovis II succeeded his father Dagobert I in 639 as King of Neustria and Burgundy. His brother Sigebert III had been King of Austrasia since 634. He was initially under the regency of his mother Nanthild until her death in her early thirties in 642...
prior to Ebroin
Ebroin
Ebroin was the Frankish mayor of the palace of Neustria on two occasions; firstly from 658 to his deposition in 673 and secondly from 675 to his death in 680 or 681...
. Her mother Ursana, was the daughter of the King of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
(in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
).
At the age of twenty Bertha married Siegfried or Sigfrid, a relation of the king. When her husband Siegfried died in 672, after nearly twenty years of marriage and five daughters, Bertha was determined to become a Religious. In the year 682 or 685 Bertha had founded a convent at Blangy, Artois
Artois
Artois is a former province of northern France. Its territory has an area of around 4000 km² and a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras , Saint-Omer, Lens and Béthune.-Location:...
(now Blangy-sur-Ternoise
Blangy-sur-Ternoise
Blangy-sur-Ternoise is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Situated some 9 miles northwest of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise, on the D94 road.-Population:-Notable people:...
). She retreated there with her two eldest daughters, Deotila and Gertrude. Later, her daughter Deotila succeeded her as Abbess, when Bertha retired to live the life of a recluse
Recluse
A recluse is a person who lives in voluntary seclusion from the public and society, often close to nature. The word is from the Latin recludere, which means "shut up" or "sequester." There are many potential reasons for becoming a recluse: a personal philosophy that rejects consumer society; a...
, solely devoted to prayer. St Bertha died at an advanced age of natural causes on July 4, 725. Her feast day is celebrated on July 4. (See "Ste. Berthe et son Abbaye de Blangy", Lille, 1892).
Hagiography
Two buildings which Bertha constructed had fallen down, but an angel in a vision guided her to another spot, and there after many difficulties a nunnery was built, which she entered with her two eldest daughters, Deotila and Gertrude.A still later legend represents Gertrude as much persecuted by the attentions of a great noble, Roger, who wished to marry her by force, but she was saved from his violence by her mother's firm courage and trust in God.
Some time before her death Bertha is said to have resigned her office of abbess and to have shut herself up in a little cell built against the church wall.
The whole story of St Bertha, as her biographers agree, is of a very late date but not entirely legendary.