Bertrada of Laon

Bertrada or Bertha the younger, Berta, Berhta, in other languages ​​also Berthruda (* 725; . † 12-13 July 783 in Choisy ( Oise ) ), the daughter of Count Heribert of Laon and granddaughter of Bertrada the elderly was, the founders of the Abbey of Prüm.

Life

It was the 741 the Frankish king Pippin the Younger Woman († 768), by 747 the mother of Charlemagne. Pippin and they were so closely related to each other that the current law precluded a marriage; the connection was not until 749, after the birth of Charlemagne, legalized.

When Pippin was 751 crowned king, she took the title regina on ( Queen ). Your name was mentioned several times from 752 next to Pippin in deeds of gift for the home monastery of Prüm. She accompanied Pippin 754 on his Italian campaign and was anointed again to the Queen on 28 July 754 by Pope Stephen II. Supposedly have had the intention to divorce Bertrada, but then 762 have been dissuaded by Pope Paul I of it Pippin. 767 and 768, she accompanied Pippin Aquitaine in his field trains.

After the death of Pepin 768 row broke out between her sons Charles and Carloman, she could not settle despite its great influence. 770 they allied with Duke Tassilo III. of Bavaria, traveled to the Lombard court to Italy to thread the marriage of her son Charles to a daughter of Desiderius, whose name is unknown and who mistakenly was called Desiderata and thereby protect the weakened by rebellions and inheritance dispute Frankish Empire to the south. Then they traveled on to Rome. Presumably to pray at the tombs of the Apostles and Pope Stephen III. report of concessions that Desiderius had made her.

After Charlemagne 's death (December 4, 771 ) to Charlemagne sparked by Bertradas influence. He repudiated his Lombard wife against Bertradas desire and led a more independent policy. Bertrada but stood up to her death in high esteem.

Bertrada died on 12-13. July 783 in Choisy -au -Bac and was buried in " Cauciaco ". A little later her body to the " ecclesia sancti Dionysii mart iris" ( church of the holy martyr Dionysius ) was placed in the Abbey of Saint Denis and finally buried by the side of her husband.

Progeny

Bertrada and Pippin had six children:

• Charles the Great (c. 747, † 814)
• Carloman I ( * 751, † 771 )
• Gisela (* 757, † 810) was 788 Abbess of Chelles
• Pippin (* 759, † 761 )
• Rothaid, buried in Abbey of Saint Arnulf of Metz
• Adelheid, buried in St. Arnulf in Metz

Saga

Stronger than on their actual life based Bertradas recognition on the Carolingian legend cycle, in which they named " Bertha with the big foot" (Latin: Regina pede aucae = the queen with the goose-foot ) was merged with the goddess Perchta. The legend of the Holy Genevieve de Brabant goes back to this story.

The Berthasage remained at around 20 frames received, including:

• The Chroniques Saintongeoise from the first half of the 13th century
• The epic Berte from grans pies of Adenet le Roi, which was created in 1275,
• A Franco- Italian epic poem " Berta da li pe grandi "
• In chapbooks and prose novels in Italy ( Reali di Francia, 1370 ),
• In France,
• In Flanders ( Metten agree Berte voeten )
• And in Germany

In these stories she is given partly as a daughter of Flore and Blanziflor ( Flore and Blanscheflur ), but almost always exposed as a bride in the forest and replaced with an incorrect Bertha until the real place and because of their feet, one of which is larger than the others can be identified.

Romantic workings of the story is available from:

• Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué in Charlemagne's birth and early years, 1816
• Karl Simrock in Bertha, the spinner, 1845
• Martina Kempff in the king -maker novel about the mother of Charlemagne, Munich 2005

Swell

• Annales regni Francorum ( Annales Lauri Senses maiores )
• Lorsch Annals ( Annales Laureshamenses )