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Hildegard (c. 754 – 30 April 783), was a Frankish queen consort who was the second wife of
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...
and mother of
Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqu ...
. Little is known about her life, because, like all women related to Charlemagne, she became notable only from a political background, recording her parentage, wedding, death, and her role as a mother.


Origins

She was the daughter of the Germanic Count Gerold of Kraichgau (founder of the Udalriching family) and his wife Emma, in turn daughter of
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
Nebe (Hnabi) of Alemannia and Hereswintha vom Bodensee (of Lake Constance). Hildegard's father had extensive possessions in the dominion of Charlemagne's younger brother Carloman, so this union was of significant importance for Charlemagne, because he could strengthen its position in the east of the Rhine and also could bind the Alemannian nobility to his side.


Life

It is unknown if Charlemagne planned his marriage before the sudden death of Carloman or was just a part of the purposeful incorporation of his younger brother's Kingdom, in detriment of the claims of his nephews. In any event, the wedding between Charlemagne and Hildegard took place at
Aix-la-Chapelle Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...
certainly before 30 April 771, after the repudiation of the Lombardian princess
Desiderata "Desiderata" (Latin: "things desired") is an early 1920s prose poem by the American writer Max Ehrmann. Although he copyrighted it in 1927, he distributed copies of it without a required copyright notice during 1933 and , thereby forfeiting his ...
, Charlemagne's previous wife. It is generally accepted that she was either 12 or 13 upon her marriage to Charlemagne., though her nominal date of birth would place her at 17. Girls could be married at any time after puberty, and in Roman law, which the Church upheld, the age of 12 was well established as being adequate. An intense physical relationship between the spouses was demonstrated by the fact that, during her 12 years of marriage, Hildegard had 8 pregnancies (including one set of twins). Quite remarkably, the chronicles never mention either miscarriages or stillbirths, indicating that she was of sturdy health despite her young age at the time of the wedding. Some children she had died, though as babies soon after birth. Hildegard accompanied Charlemagne on many of his military campaigns. She gave birth to her second child and first daughter, Adelaide, during the siege of
Pavia Pavia (, , , ; la, Ticinum; Medieval Latin: ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy in northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was the ...
, capital of the
Kingdom of the Lombards The Kingdom of the Lombards ( la, Regnum Langobardorum; it, Regno dei Longobardi; lmo, Regn di Lombard) also known as the Lombard Kingdom; later the Kingdom of (all) Italy ( la, Regnum totius Italiae), was an early medieval state established ...
(September 773/June 774), but the child died during the return journey to France. In 778, Hildegard accompanied her husband as far as Aquitaine, where she gave birth to twin boys Louis and Lothair. In 780/781, she traveled with Charlemagne and four of their children to Rome, where the sons Louis and Carloman (the latter renamed Pepin after his baptism by
Pope Adrian I Pope Adrian I ( la, Hadrianus I; died 25 December 795) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 1 February 772 to his death. He was the son of Theodore, a Roman nobleman. Adrian and his predecessors had to contend with periodic ...
) were appointed sub-kings of Aquitaine and Italy respectively. This contributed to the strengthening of the alliance between the Carolingians and the Papacy. Because of her frequent pregnancies, it can be presumed that Hildegard accompanied her husband on further campaigns, at least temporarily. As a mother, Hildegard was a very big influence on her kids religiously. She helped mold her family into the Christian family that Charlemagne wanted while he was off on campaigns. During the time she was pregnant with the twins in 778, Hildegard dove into her interest with astronomy. While with Charlemagne on his Spanish campaign, it is believed that she was the "Astronomer" that is mentioned. The person we think was Hildegard, mapped the locations of where Charlemagne was camped along his marches. Hildegard died on 30 April 783, according to
Paul the Deacon Paul the Deacon ( 720s 13 April in 796, 797, 798, or 799 AD), also known as ''Paulus Diaconus'', ''Warnefridus'', ''Barnefridus'', or ''Winfridus'', and sometimes suffixed ''Cassinensis'' (''i.e.'' "of Monte Cassino"), was a Benedictine monk, ...
, in the wake of her last childbirth. She was buried the following day (1 May 783) in the
Abbey of Saint-Arnould The Abbey of Saint-Arnould, St. Arnold, Saint-Arnoult or Abbey of the Holy Apostles is a Benedictine abbey residing in Metz since the 6th century. The origins of the abbey are a mystery. According to legend, it was founded in the 2nd century by Bi ...
in
Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...
. Following the wishes of Charlemagne, near her grave were burning candles and daily prayers were said for her soul.


Ecclesiastical Patron

Hildegard made several donations to the monasteries of St. Denis and
St. Martin of Tours Martin of Tours ( la, Sanctus Martinus Turonensis; 316/336 – 8 November 397), also known as Martin the Merciful, was the third bishop of Tours. He has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints in France, heralded as the ...
. She was a friend of Saint Leoba, who reportedly lived some time with her at court. She intervened in Hildegard's religious education and also offered her spiritual advice.Rosamond McKitterick: ''Karl der Grosse'', Darmstadt 2008, p. 91. Together with her husband she commissioned the Godescalc Evangelistary, where for the first time she was explicitly mentioned as Queen -also of the Lombards- through the joint signature of documents with her husband.Silvia Konecny: ''Die Frauen des karolingischen Königshauses. Die politische Bedeutung der Ehe und die Stellung der Frau in der fränkischen Herrscherfamilie vom 7. bis zum 10. Jahrhundert'', Vienna 1976, p. 65. Hildegard enjoyed in her own lifetime from a high reputation, as was demonstrated in her obituary written by Paul the Deacon. However, these compliments are to be regarded with some skepticism. In her
Epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
were included phrases that may have been introduced to flatter Charlemagne: for example, the reference to the fact that Hildegard was the epitome of beauty, wisdom and virtue. This were common words used by medieval writers to their rulers. Pope Adrian I, in a letter to Charlemagne, expressed his condolences over the untimely death of Hildegard. Together with her husband, she was the main benefactress of the Monastery of Kempten (founded in 752), who received financial and political support. From Italy they brought after the conquest of the Kingdom of the Lombards in 773/774 the relics of the Roman
martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
s Saints Gordianus and Epimachus to Kempten, whom, along with the Virgin Mary, are the patrons of the monastery. Hildegard was extensively mentioned in Kempten as one of the founders; her bust graced the pin crest and some coins of the later Imperial Abbey. In the late Middle Ages it was alleged that Hildegard was buried in Kempten, as well as her son Louis the Pious; there was built the so-called Hildegard Chapel (''Hildegardkapelle''), which quickly became a place of pilgrimage and where several miracles are reported. This explains why the Queen was revered as a saint in the
Allgäu The Allgäu (Standard German: , also Allgovia) is a region in Swabia in southern Germany. It covers the south of Bavarian Swabia, southeastern Baden-Württemberg, and parts of Austria. The region stretches from the pre-alpine lands up to the ...
and always presented with an aureola. In the 17th century the building of another Hildegard Chapel at the ''Fürstäbtliche'' of Kempten was projected, but this was abandoned after the secularization. Even in modern times, the memory of Hildegard and her importance in the urban development at Kempten is still very noticeable: The central square in front of
St. Lorenz Basilica St. Lorenz Basilica is a baroque minor Basilica in Kempten, Bavaria, named after the Christian martyr Lawrence of Rome. It is the former abbey church of the Benedictine Kempten Abbey. It is currently used as the parish church of the Roman Catho ...
was named the Hildegard Square (''Hildegardplatz'') in her honor. In 1862 a Neo-Gothic Hildegard fountain (''Hildegardsbrunnen'') was erected in the square, which was closed in the 1950s. An idealized portrait painted by Franz Weiß was part of the facade of the local ''Landhaus''. Also, in 1874 was founded the ''Hildegardis-Gymnasium Kempten'' Lyceum, originally exclusively for girls. At the Lindau Road, close to the school, was also located another Hildegard Fountain. On the facades of some houses were shown the image of the Queen, and on the edge of the Kempten forest there was the Hildegard Oak (''Hildegardseiche'') for several years until it was replaced by a new plantation. Until the 1950s, many girls born in Kempten were named after Hildegard.


Political Life

Hildegard used her position as Queen consort to obtain for her siblings several territorial and monetary benefits; as far was known, she was the only of Charlemagne's wives or concubines who managed to obtain for a relative an office after her marriage.Rosamond McKitterick: ''Karl der Grosse'', Darmstadt 2008, p. 91. In addition, was also assumed that she, like other medieval queens, held several roles, such as ruling the court or being the representative (or regent) of the sovereign during his absence. This could mean that she was in close contact with all the government decision of her husband.


Contextualization

In a time when polygamy was very common, Hildegard was married to Charlemagne as a monogamous wife until her death. She has mostly been looked upon as only a wife and mother and nothing more, much like the women who lived at this time no matter the class. But she was more than that. Her life was more defined by what she did rather than what she was. When Charlemagne married her, he was coming out of his second divorce. She was his first wife that he stayed with till she died. This started a trend of Charlemagne staying with whoever he was married to for his last three wives.


Children

Although
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...
already had an older son ( Pepin the Hunchback) from his first union with Himiltrude, he was not considered an heir after the rebellion in which he participated in 792. In his will of 806 (the called ''Divisio Regnorum''), he divided his domains between the three surviving sons of Hildegard. Because her son,
Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqu ...
, succeeded
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...
as Emperor, Hildegard is often called "mother of Kings and Emperors". *
Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...
(772/773 – 4 December 811 in Bavaria), the eldest son according to Paul the Deacon, who recorded his parentage.''Pauli Gesta Episcop. Mettensium'', ''Monumenta Germaniæ Historica Scriptorum'' II, p. 265. His father associated him in the government of Francia and Saxony in 790, and crowned joint King of the Franks at Rome on 25 December 800, but died before his father. * Adelaide (September 773/June 774 in Italy – July/August 774, buried Metz, Abbey of Saint-Arnould). Born during the siege of Pavia, she was named after an early deceased sister of
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...
. She died during the return journey to France. She is named daughter of King Charles by Paul the Deacon, when recording her place of burial, who also wrote an epitaph to "''Adeleidis filia Karoli regis''" specifying that she was born in Italy. * Rotrude (775 – 6 June 810), named after her paternal great-grandmother. "''Hruodrudem et Bertham et Gislam''" are named daughters of King Charles and Hildegard by Einhard. Angilbert's poem ''Ad Pippinum Italiæ regum'' names (in order) "''Chrodthrudis...Berta...Gisla et Theodrada''" as daughters of King Charles. She was betrothed in 781 with Constantine VI, Emperor of Byzantium, and received the name ''Erythro'' in preparation for her future wedding. The betrothal was broken in 787, and she, like all her sisters, remained unmarried. From a liaison with Rorgo of Rennes she had one son, the latter Louis, Abbot of Saint-Denis. * Carloman (777 – 8 July 810 in Milan, buried Verona, San Zeno Maggiore), renamed ''Pepin'' in Rome on 15 April 781 by Pope Adrian I, and crowned
King of Italy King of Italy ( it, links=no, Re d'Italia; la, links=no, Rex Italiae) was the title given to the ruler of the Kingdom of Italy after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The first to take the title was Odoacer, a barbarian military leader ...
that day. He also predeceased his father. * Louis (Chasseneuil-du-Poitou, Vienne, 16 April/September 778 – 20 June 840 in Ingelheim, buried Metz, Abbey of Saint-Arnould). He is named, and his parentage recorded, by Paul the Deacon, which specifies that he was his parents' third son, born a twin with Lothair. Crowned King of
Aquitaine Aquitaine ( , , ; oc, Aquitània ; eu, Akitania; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne ( oc, Guiana), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former administrative region of the country. Since 1 Janu ...
in Rome on 15 April 781 by Pope Adrian I, his father named him as his successor at Aix-la-Chapelle, crowning him as joint
Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...
on 11 September 813. * Lothair (Chasseneuil-du-Poitou, Vienne, 16 April/September 778 – 779/80). He is named, and his parentage recorded, by Paul the Deacon, which specifies that he was his parents' fourth son "''qui biennis occubuit''", born a twin with Louis, and also wrote an epitaph to "''Chlodarii pueri regis''" naming "''Karolus...rex genitorque tuus, genitrix regina...Hildigarda''" and specifying that he was a twin. * Bertha (779/80 – after 11 March 824), named after her paternal grandmother. An offer by
Offa of Mercia Offa (died 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æth ...
to arrange a marriage between her and his son,
Ecgfrith Ecgfrith ( ang, Ecgfrið) was the name of several Anglo-Saxon kings in England, including: * Ecgfrith of Northumbria, died 685 * Ecgfrith of Mercia Ecgfrith was king of Mercia from 29 July to December 796. He was the son of Offa, one of the m ...
, led to Charlemagne breaking off diplomatic relations with Britain in 790, and banning British ships from his ports. Like her sisters, she never married, but from her liaison with Angilbert, a court official, she had two sons: Hartnid (about whom little is known) and the historian
Nithard Nithard (c. 795–844), a Frankish historian, was the son of Charlemagne's daughter Bertha. His father was Angilbert. Life Nithard was born sometime around the year Charlemagne was crowned '' Imperator Augustus'' in December 800. He was probably ...
, Abbott of St. Riquier. * Gisela (before May 781 – after 800, maybe after 814). Named after her surviving paternal aunt, she was baptized in Milan in May 781. * Hildegard (March/April 783 in Thionville – 1/8 June 783, buried Metz, Abbey of Saint-Arnould), named after her mother (an unusual practice at that time), she is named daughter of King Charles by Paul the Deacon, when recording her place of burial, and also wrote an epitaph to "''Hildegardis filiæ aroli regis'" specifying that she lived 40 days and her mother died after giving birth to her.


Veneration

Hildegard of the Vinzgau is honored in the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
on
30 April Events Pre-1600 *311 – The Diocletianic Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire ends. *1315 – Enguerrand de Marigny is hanged at the instigation of Charles, Count of Valois. *1492 – Spain gives Christopher Columbus his ...
.


Sources

*
Einhard Einhard (also Eginhard or Einhart; la, E(g)inhardus; 775 – 14 March 840) was a Frankish scholar and courtier. Einhard was a dedicated servant of Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious; his main work is a biography of Charlemagne, the ''Vita ...
: ''
Vita Karoli Magni ''Vita Karoli Magni'' (''Life of Charlemagne'') is a biography of Charlemagne, King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor, written by Einhard.Ogg, p. 109 The ''Life of Charlemagne'' is a 33 chapter long account starting with the full of the Mero ...
'' (Chapter 18). * Notker the Stammerer: ''Gesta Karoli Magni'' (Book I, Chapter 4) *
Paul the Deacon Paul the Deacon ( 720s 13 April in 796, 797, 798, or 799 AD), also known as ''Paulus Diaconus'', ''Warnefridus'', ''Barnefridus'', or ''Winfridus'', and sometimes suffixed ''Cassinensis'' (''i.e.'' "of Monte Cassino"), was a Benedictine monk, ...
: Epitaphium Hildegardis reginae * '' Royal Frankish Annals'' (years 780, 781 and 783) * Thegan of Trier: ''Vita Hludowici'' (Chapter 2) * '' Annales Mettenses priores'' (years 780 and 783) * '' Annales mosellani''


''Epitaphium Hildegardis reginae''

Note: translated with help from the footnotes recorded i
Karl Neff: ''Critical and explanatory edition of the poems of Paul the Deacon'' in: ''Sources and Studies on Latin Philology of the Middle Ages'', Ludwig Traube, 3rd volume, 4th book, Munich 1908 (ed.)


References


Bibliography

* Reinhard Barth: ''Karl der Große'', Munich 2000. * Matthias Becher: ''Karl der Große'', Munich 1999. * Hans-Werner Goetz: ''Frauen im frühen Mittelalter. Frauenbild und Frauenleben im Frankenreich'', Weimar (u.a.) 1995. * Achim Thomas Hack: ''Alter, Krankheit, Tod und Herrschaft im frühen Mittelalter'', (= '' Monographien zur Geschichte des Mittelalters'' 56), Stuttgart 2009. * Martina Hartmann: ''Die Königin im frühen Mittelalter'', Stuttgart 2009. * : ''Karl der Große'', Stuttgart 2010. * Ingrid Heidrich: ''Von Plectrud zu Hildegard. Beobachtungen zum Besitzrecht adliger Frauen im Frankenreich des 7. und 8. Jahrhunderts und zur politischen Rolle der Frauen'', in: ''Rheinische Vierteljahresblätter'' 52 (1988), pp. 1–15. * Silvia Konecny: ''Die Frauen des karolingischen Königshauses. Die politische Bedeutung der Ehe und die Stellung der Frau in der fränkischen Herrscherfamilie vom 7. bis zum 10. Jahrhundert'', Vienna 1976. * Rosamond McKitterick: ''Karl der Grosse'', Darmstadt 2008. * Michael Richter: ''Karl der Große und seine Ehefrauen. Zu einigen dunkleren Seiten Karls des Großen anhand von Quellen des ausgehenden achten und beginnenden neunten Jahrhunderts''. pp 17–24, in: Franz-Reiner Erkens (ed.): ''Karl der Große und das Erbe der Kulturen'', Berlin 2001. * Rudolf Schieffer: ''Die Karolinger'', 3rd revised Edition, Stuttgart 2000. * Klaus Schreiner: ''„Hildegardis regina“. Wirklichkeit und Legende einer karolingischen Herrscherin'', in: ''Archiv für Kulturgeschichte'' 57 (1975), pp. 1–70. , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Hildegard of the Vinzgau Udalriching dynasty 750s births 783 deaths Wives of Charlemagne 8th-century Frankish nobility 8th-century births 8th-century deaths 8th-century Christian saints Saints from the Carolingian Empire Medieval French saints Female saints of medieval France French Roman Catholic saints Christian royal saints Roman Catholic royal saints