Everything about Radegunde totally explained
Radegund (also spelled
Rhadegund) (c
520–
587) was a
6th century Frankish princess, who founded the
Convent of Our Lady of Poitiers. Canonized in the
9th century, she's the
patron saint of several English churches and of
Jesus College, Cambridge.
Life history
Radegund was born to King
Berthar, one of the three kings of
Thuringia (a kingdom located in present day
Germany), c 520.
Radegund's uncle,
Hermanfrid, killed
Berthar in battle, orphaning her. Then, after allying with the
Frankish King
Theuderic,
Hermanfrid defeated his other brother
Baderic. However, having crushed his brothers and seized control of Thuringia,
Hermanfrid reneged on his deal with
Theuderic to share sovereignty.
In
531 Theuderic returned to Thuringia with his brother
Clotaire I. Together they defeated
Hermanfrid and conquered his kingdom.
Clotaire I also took charge of Radegund, taking her back to
Merovingian Gaul with him and making her his wife.
Radegund was one of
Clotaire I’s six wives or concubines (the other five being Guntheuca who was the widow of his brother Chlodomer,
Chunsina,
Ingund, Ingund’s sister
Aregund and Wuldetrada the widow of Clotaire's grand-nephew Theudebald). She bore him no children, and, after
Clotaire I had her brother assassinated, she turned to
God, founding a
nunnery in
Poitiers.
Her chaplain was the poet
Venantius Fortunatus and she was a friend of
Gregory of Tours. She died on
13 August,
586 and her funeral, which both men attended, was three days later.
Canonization
She was
canonized as a
saint in the ninth century.
Five English
parish churches are dedicated to her, and she'd a
chapel in the old
St Paul's Cathedral, as well as in
Gloucester,
Lichfield, and
Exeter Cathedrals.
Saint Radegund's Abbey, near Dover, was founded in her honour in 1191. She is also the
patron saint of
Jesus College, Cambridge, which was founded on the site of the
12th century nunnery of Saint Mary and Saint Radegund.
The
St Radegund public house in
Cambridge is named in her honour.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Radegunde'.
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