Bertha of Kent ( English Bertha ), sometimes St. Bertha (c. 539 , France - 612 , Canterbury ) - the wife of the King of Kent Ethelbert . It is believed that she was canonized after her death in 612 because she was able to convince Ethelbert the first among the kings of heptarchy to adopt Christianity .
| Bertha of Kent | |
|---|---|
| Bertha | |
| Date of Birth | 539 |
| Place of Birth | France |
| Date of death | 612 |
| Place of death | Canterbury , Kent |
| A country | |
| Occupation | Queen of Kent |
| Father | Haribert I |
| Mother | Ingoberg |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1. Arnold Moselsky (from first marriage) 2. Edbald 3. Ethelburg |
Content
Origin and marital status
Bert was the daughter of Haribert I of the Merovingian clan and his wife Ingoberga . According to legend, her first husband was Osbert Mozelsky , from whom she had a son Arnold, the father of Arnulf Metsky , who is considered the ancestor of the Carolingian dynasty and the Arnulfing branch in it.
The second husband of Berta was King Kent Ethelbert. The King of Kent for a long time tried to fight Kevlin Wessex for Bretwald in heptarchy, but to no avail. Having become related with the powerful clan of the Merovingians, in 591 Ethelbert got a bravewald.
Religion
Berta came to her husband with her chaplain , Ludgard (Letard). She did not give up her religion. In 597, St. Augustine whom Ludgard could invite in a letter to Pope Gregory I.
Ethelbert meets Augustine under an old oak tree. According to the old Anglo-Saxon custom, in this way he could get rid of any magic that a Christian would try to impose on him. King greeted Augustine with a speech. According to legend, Augustine baptized Ethelbert on the second day of his stay in Britain, however, judging by the letters of Berthe to Gregory I, this event did not happen earlier than 601 .
By Ethelbert’s order, new Christian churches are being laid down and old Christian churches are being restored. The king’s appeal also affected the inhabitants of the kingdom. Baptismal rites are held throughout Kent for both the nobility and the common people.
In 612, Berta dies. She was buried in the church of St. Martin in Canterbury, which was built during the time of Roman rule and was in ruins until Ethelbert allowed Berthe to conduct services there.
It is believed that after her death, Bert was declared a saint, however, at present, there is no unequivocal answer to this question. Although the Anglican Church honors her, her memorial day is not celebrated.
Notes
- ↑ Settipani C. La Préhistoire des Capétiens : Première partie: Mérovingiens, Carolingiens et Robertiens - Villeneuve-d'Ascq : 1993. - P. 75. - ISBN 978-2-9501509-3-6