Godelina

The Holy Godeleva (c. 1052; † 6 or July 30, 1070 in Gistel ) is a especially in Flanders (Belgium ) revered martyr. She is invoked against fever and sore throat. In Flanders, the anniversary Godelevas, July 6 applies, as Lostag for the weather.

The name is the Old High German female equivalent to Gottlieb and is called " the lovers of God ." The correspondences are in Dutch Godelieve, in French and in English godelieve Godelina.

Life and Legend

The noble Godeleva was born about 1052 at Castle Londefort ( nl. Londesvoorde ) in the county of Boulogne. Her husband, the Flemish nobleman Bertolf ( Berthold) by GHISTELLES, son of the lord of the castle of Gistel, cast them out immediately after the wedding and left her with his mother live. There she had to do farm work and, for example, the crows away from the sown grain. As the bells rang and Godeleva wanted to go to church, they brought to the crows to gather up to their return to the barn. In Bertolfs mother was abused and finally fled in desperation home to their parents, who complained to the Bishop of Tournai and the Count of Flanders. The spiritual and the secular prince ordered Bertolf then, to withdraw and to adequately treat his wife. The result made ​​Bertold though, got rid of her but by letting Godeleva strangle on a journey of Gistel to Bruges from his servants, and throw in a pond. You fall into the pool was represented as an accident. Godeleva was buried in the castle chapel, while Bertolf another woman took, with whom he had a blind daughter, Edith. As Bertolfs second wife died 13 years later, she was buried next to Godeleva. Edith was at her mother's grave implore God to be seeing. Her wish was fulfilled immediately, because, as it turned out, had been praying at the grave Godelevas. Alternatively, it is narrated that Edith had been thrown to the water in which Godelevas body, the eyes have washed and was thus freed of their blindness. As Bertolf learned this, he repented of his sins against Godeleva, made ​​numerous pilgrimages and entered a monastery, where he lived until his death.

Veneration of the saints Godeleva

The Holy Godeleva is honored as virgin, wife, repudiated wife and martyr.

In 1084 her relics were exhumed. From there, her cult spread particularly in Gistel and Flanders, but also in space Boulogne -sur -Mer. Over the pond in which it was thrown after her murder, a fountain, and therefore, the abbey was built Ten Putte.

Every year in Gistel on Sunday from 5 July a procession in honor of the holy place. Here, some 400 extras illustrate the lives of the saints.

Representations of the Holy Godeleva

In the visual arts is a cloth Godelevas attribute that points to her death by strangulation, more often the crown of martyrs. A well-known in the art history presentation of the life and miracles of these saints is a triptych of the anonymous Master of the Legend of the Holy Godelieve, which is named after his account of the saints. The middle image of the work shows her wedding with Bertolf and its betrayal of his wife.

Name winners

• Godelieve Quisthoudt- Rowohl MEP