Radegund

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 is 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.

Radegund was extensively written about and to by the poet Venantius Fortunatus and the bishop, hagiographer, and historian Gregory of Tours. The three of them seem to have been close and Fortunatus' relations with Radegund seem to have been based on friendship. 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 had 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.

References

*Gregory of Tours, "Glory of the Confessors", translation by R. Van Dam (Liverpool, 1988)
*Gregory of Tours, "History of the Franks", translation by L. Thorpe (Penguin, 1974: many reprints)
*Venantius Fortunatus, " [http://mw.mcmaster.ca/scriptorium/radegund.html The Life of the Holy Radegund] ", translation by J. McNamara and J. Halborg
* [http://www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/college/history/radegund.html History of St Radegund] from the Jesus College, Cambridge, web site

External links

* [http://home.infionline.net/~ddisse/radegund.html Other Women's Voices] Useful guide to some of the works on Radegund including links to on-line materials.