Batilda

Batilda was born in England , perhaps came from a noble Anglo-Saxon family. In her youth she was captured by pirates and was sold into slavery to the Franks. In the 640s , Batilda was in the house of Erhinoald , the mayor of Neustria , where she was seen by Clovis II , king of Neustria and Burgundy . Around 648, Batilda married Clovis II, who gave birth to three sons - the future Frankish kings Chlothar III , Childeric II and Theodoric III . Associated with the Pipinids , the dynasty of the Mayordom, Batilda gained significant political influence, contributing to the strengthening of royal power and the role of the mayordom.

After the death of her husband, who died between September 11 and November 16, 657 , Batilda ruled the state with her young son Hlothara III. Erhinoald died soon and Batilda in 658 transferred the post of mayor of Neustria to Ebroin . Since the post of mayordom was vacant in neighboring Burgundy , Ebroin, with the support of Batilda, gained power over both kingdoms, and in 661, Australia was annexed to them. Strengthening the power of Ebroin caused discontent of the Burgundian, whose representatives did not have access to the royal palace, and the Neustrian nobility. Batilda supported the conspiracy of the Paris Bishop of Siegebrand against the omnipotent Ebroin, but the conspiracy was uncovered. The bishop was executed, and the queen, after reaching Hlothar III, came of age.

In 664, when Hlotar came of age, Batilda retired to the Shell monastery she founded near Paris, where she lived until her death (estimated date January 30, 680 ), not accepting tonsure . Batilda was buried in the Church of the Holy Cross in the Shell monastery; her relics were acquired and transferred on July 3, 1631.

While in power, Batilda patronized the Jumiège and Fontenel Abbeys in Normandy, the Monastery of Lyceum in Lorraine , and also founded two new royal monasteries in Schell (657–660) and Corby (657–661). In these monasteries a Benedictine charter was introduced, as a result of which they gained considerable independence from their bishops and secular authorities.

With the support of Batilda, the rite of the mass , established in Luxeuil, was adopted in the largest cathedrals of the country: Saint-Denis , Soissons , Tours , Orleans , Saint-Germain-l'Oserua . Batilda forbade the sale of Christians into slavery. All these measures, combined with the personal piety of the Queen, helped strengthen the position of Christianity among the Frankish nobility (many of whom were Christians only formally) and earned Batilda a reputation as a saint . Her veneration has been known since the 9th century : in 833, her relics were transferred to the newly built monastery church, canonization was carried out by Pope Nicholas I.

Batilda is one of the characters of the French legend of the relaxed from Jumiège .

In honor of Batilda, the asteroid (441) Batilda , discovered in 1898, is probably named.

Primary sources

• Fredegar . Chronicle, Prince IV / / The Fourth Book of the Cronicle of Fredegar with its continuations. - London: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd, 1960.
• Continuators of Fredegar = Continuationes chronicarum quae dicuntur Fredegarii // The Fourth Book of the Cronicle of Fredegar with its continuations . - London: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd, 1960.
• Franks History Book = Das Buch von der Geschiche der Franken . // Quellen zur Geschichte des 7. und 8. Jahrhunderts. Ausgewaehlte Quellen zur deutschen Gechichte des Mittelalters. - Darmstadt, 1982. - T. 4a.

Research

• Baltilda or Batilda // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• Baltilda // Small Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : in 4 volumes - St. Petersburg. 1907-1909.
• Bathhild - article in the Orthodox Encyclopedia

• CLOVIS II 639–657, CLOTAIRE III 657–673, CHILDERICH II 662–675, CHILPERICH II 715–718 . Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. Date of treatment February 6, 2012.
• Bathilde von Frankenkönigin (German) . Genealogie Mittelalter: Mittelalterliche Genealogie im Deutschen Reich bis zum Ende der Staufer. Date of treatment February 6, 2012. Archived May 24, 2012.
• St. Batilda - article in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Family Tree of Merovingians