Laon
Bertrada
Bertrada and her sons founded
the monastery of Prüm,
and made a gift of the village of Schankweiler to the monastery
of Echternach.
Monumenta
Epternacensia in Monumenta Germaniæ
Historica SS 23 p63 (ed. G. H. Pertz, 1874)
[720]
Item eodem anno: Ego Berta43 Deo sacrata et filius meus
Chardradus et Harbertus donamus pro animae nostrae remedio vel
salute ad basilicam sanctae Mariae et sanctorum Petri et Pauli
apostolorum vel caeterorum sanctorum, quae aedificata est in
monasterio Epternaco, ubi domnus et in Christo pater Willibrordus
episcopus abbas esse videtur, vel monachis ibidem Deo servientibus,
donatumque in perpetuum esse volumus et promptissima voluntate
confirmamus, hoc est quod vocatur Creucchovilare44 in
pago Bedensi super fluvio Prumia45 tam casis quam
curticlis, domibus, aedificiis, mancipiis, mobili et immobili,
campis, pratis, pascuis, silvis, cultis et incultis, omnia et ex
omnibus, quantum in ipsa villa visi sumus habuisse, vobis tradimus
atque transfundimus a die presente ad monasterium vestrum, ut semper
vobis permaneant. Si quis vero ut supra, et post
excommunicationem: auri libras 3, argenti pondo 8 coactus
exsolvat.
Actum publice in villa Sismere46.
43) Eadem esse videtur, quae eodem anno prima monasterii Prumiensis
exstitit donatrix, v. ap. Beyer I,8.
44) Schankweiler praefecturae Bidburg.
45) Prüm.
46) Simmern in saltu Hundsrück?
This roughly translates as:
[720] Also in
the same year: I, Bertha43 consecrated to God, and my son
Chardradus and Herbert, donate for the cure or salvation of our souls
to the basilica of Saint Mary and the apostles Saints Peter and Paul
or the other saints, which was built in the monastery of Epternac,
where the lord and father in Christ Willibrordus bishop seems to be
the abbot, or to the monks serving God there, and we wish it to be
donated in perpetuity and confirm it with our most willing will, this
is what is called Creucchovilare44 in the village of Beden
on the river Prumia45 as well as cottages and cottages,
houses, buildings, serfs, movable and immovable, fields, meadows,
pastures, forests, cultivated and uncultivated, everything and from
everything, as much as we were seen to have in the same village, we
hand over to you and transfer from the present day to your monastery,
so that they may always remain with you. But if anyone, as above,
and after excommunication: pays 3 pounds of gold, 8 pounds of silver
under compulsion.
Act publicly in the town of Sismere46.
43) It seems to be the same one who in the same year was the first donor
of the monastery of Prüm, see ap. Beyer I,8.
44) Schankweiler in the prefecture of Bidburg.
45) Prüm.
46) Simmern in the Hundsrück forest?
Mittelrheinisches Urkundenbuch pp10-1 (ed.
Heinrich Beyer, 1860)
8.
Erſte Schenfung der Berta an das Kloſter Prüm. 720. den
23. Juni c.
Hoc traditio quam fecit berta aut bertrada ad brumia
monasterio.
In nomine diuinitatis sanctę trinitatis ego bertrada.
seu berta. seu et filius meus chairibertus recogitans
molimina peccaminum nostrorum ut parua pro magnis. terrena pro
celestibus. caduca pro futuris in ara summi dei omnipotentis offerre
mercamur. ut ab ipsis subleuarc adipiscamur iugi miserationum
domicilii dei. Ideirco desiderio desideramus circa fluuio prumia
monasterio ędificare quod ita et fecimus in honore s. marie.
et s. petri et s. pauli. s. Johannis. et s. martini.
et sub cenobio uel regulare ordine ibidem debcant monachi conuersare
et pro peccatis nostris die noctuque domiui misericordia adtencius
exorare. ut a noxiis sceleribus nostris et filiis meis defunctis
mercamur emundare. propterea donamus ad monasterio quid uocatur prumia
de foreste nostra de ipso monasterio uiso aqua desuctus illo ex arte
usque in ipso uado in prumia. et de ipso uado indricto
usque in melina flumen. deinde per milina fuso aqua usque ubi
nobis obtingit legitimo usque ad uuinavdo curte usque ad illa
marca qui nobis obtingit. et ad stipendia ipsorum seruorum dei donamus
de uilla nostra id sunt. de romairo uilla de nostra portione
medietate. et de prumia medietate similiter. ad saraingas
in moslisi super fluuio mosella totum. de burzis
quicquid est de nostra parte totum. et de blancio quicquid
nobis obtingit totum. bettelingas nostra parte tota donamus.
donatumque in perpetuum esse uolumus uillas superius nominatas ad
monasterio prumia in honore peculiaris patronis nostris s. Marie.
Petri et Pauli. Johannis. et s. martini.
seu ceterorum sanctorum quorum pignora ibidem in ipso loco ucnerare
noscuntur. ubi anglo aldus Christo auspice precsse dinoscitur.
Hoc sunt uillas nostras superius nominatas cum omni integrita corum.
Hoc sunt sessi cum uuidriscapis. casis. campis. pratis. pascuis. aquis
aquarumque decur-ibus. siluis. mancipiis. acolabus. uestibus.
utensilibus. uincis. cultis et incultis. mansionibus. mobilibus et
immobilibus. uel quicquid in ipsis uillis antecessores nostri ibidem
tenuerunt. et nos a die presente tenere uisi sumus. totum et ad
integrum sicut superius dixi. ad iam dieto monasterio pro animę
nostrę. uel filiis nostris defunctis remedium uel ętcrna retributione
donamus atque transfundimus de iure nostro in iure et dominatione
ipsorum seruorum dei. ut ibidem perpetualiter proficiat eis in
augmentis et a die presenti ipsi scrui dei qui in ipsa loca ordine
sancta contemplare uidentur. iam dictas uillas habeant. teneant. atque
possideant. et eorum postcris spiritualibus derelinquant ad
possidendum. uel quicquid de ipsas facere uoluerint liberam ac
firmissimam in omnibus habeant potestatem faciendi. Si quis uero nos
aut ullus de heredibus nostris. aut proheredes. uel quislibet opposita
persona contra hunc testamentum a nos factum uenire temptauerit. aut
hoc inmutare uoluerit. quod futurum esse non credimus. inprimitus iram
dei omnipotentis incurrat. et &. petro qui tenet claues
regni cęlorum. et s. Paulo cum quo apostolis domini seu et
ceterorum sanctorum. sic marceseat in radiee. ut non florescat in
ramis. et si ei rami cuenerint. ad nihilum deueniant tamquam
anathematus in radium solis. et quod repetit nullari umquam tempore
cuindicare non ualeat. sed inanis et uacuus cum ipsis maledictionibus
perscueret. et ad huc pro tocius firmitatem. ac si parua munuscula
nostra quem domni optulimus. inlesa perseucret. et insuper iuxta legem
conditoris quod principes sanxerunt. inferat nobis auri libras decem
argenti pondera uiginti. et sic nec quoque factum nostrum ullum
tempore irrumpere ualeat sed presens testamentum a nobis factum omni
tempore firmus permaneat. Unde et nos ipsam cartulam donationis a die
presenti fieri rogauimus. et manus nostras subter decreuimus
affirmare. et uiris magnifieis affirmare rogauimus. facta cartula
donationis publice in uilla prumia sub die quod fecit mensis
Iunius dies uiginti et tres. anno primo regni domni nostri Theoderici
regis.
Signum † Bertradanę quę hanc cartolam fieri rogauit manu sua
facto. Ego charibertus subseripsi. Ego Bernarius. †
Signum † Chrodolande. Ego Theodericus subscripsi.
Aus dem golbnen Buch der Abtei Prüm, in Trier.
This roughly translates as:
8. First
donation of Berta to the Prüm monastery. 23 June 720
This is the tradition that Berta or Bertrada made to the Brumia
monastery.
In the name of the divinity of the Holy Trinity, I Bertrada or
Berta, and my son Chairibertus, reflecting on the efforts of our sins,
whether small for great, earthly for heavenly, transient for future, we
offer them on the altar of the Most High God Almighty, so that we may
obtain from them the yoke of mercy that dwells in the house of God. With
this desire we desire to build a monastery around the river Prumia,
which we did in honor of St. Mary and St. Peter and St. Paul. St. John
and St. Martin. and under the monastery or regular order there the monks
must congregate and for our sins day and night we pray to the Lord's
mercy attentively to cleanse us from our harmful crimes and my deceased
children. Therefore we donate to the monastery what is called Prumia
from our forest from the monastery itself, water drawn from it by art up
to the ford itself in Prumia and from the ford itself indrict up to the
Melina river then through the mill water poured out up to where it
obtains us legitimately up to Uuinavdo court up to that mark which
obtains us and for the stipends of the servants of God we donate from
our town, that is, from Romairo town from our portion half and from
Prumia half similarly to Saraingas in Moslisi on the river Mosella all
of Burzis whatever is from our part all and from Blancio whatever
obtains us all Bettelingas on our part we donate and we wish that the
above-named towns be donated in perpetuity to the monastery of Prumia in
special honor of our patrons St. Mary. Peter and Paul. John. and St.
Martin, or of the other saints whose pledges are known to be paid there
in the same place where the English are known to have been absolved
under the auspices of Christ. These are our towns named above with all
their integrity. This is the seat with the groves, houses, fields,
meadows, pastures, waters and watercourses, forests, serfs, inhabitants,
clothes, utensils, fences, cultivated and uncultivated mansions, movable
and immovable, or whatever in the villages our ancestors held there and
we have been seen to hold from the present day in whole and in full, as
I said above, to the monastery for our souls or our children who have
died, we give and transfer from our right to the right and dominion of
the servants of God, so that there it may perpetually prosper for them
in increase, and from the present day the servants of God who are seen
to contemplate the holy order in the same places may now hold and
possess the said villages and leave them to their spiritual descendants
to possess or whatever they wish to do with them, they have free and
most firm power to do in all things. If any of us or any of our heirs or
pro-heirs or any opposing person tries to come against this testament
made by us or wants to change this which we do not believe will happen,
let him incur the wrath of Almighty God and Peter who holds the keys of
the kingdom of heaven and St. Paul with whom the apostles of the Lord or
the rest of the saints so wither in the rays that it does not bloom on
the branches and if its branches are cut off they come to nothing as if
anathema in the rays of the sun and what he repeats is null and void at
any time he cannot be able to do so but is empty and void with the same
curses and to this for all firmness as if our small gift which we have
offered to the Lord was not damaged he pursues and moreover according to
the law of the founder which the princes have sanctioned he brings us
ten pounds of gold and twenty weights of silver and so neither can he
break our deed at any time but the present testament made by us remains
firm at all times. Wherefore we have asked that the charter of donation
itself be made from the present day, and we have decreed to affirm it
under our hands, and we have asked great men to affirm that the charter
of donation was made publicly in the town of Prumia under the day which
was the twenty-third day of the month of June in the first year of the
reign of our lord King Theoderic.
Sign † Bertradana, who asked that this charter be made with her own
hand. I Charibert signed. I Bernarius. † Sign † Chrodolande. I Theoderic
signed.
From the golden book of the Prüm Abbey in Trier.
Annales
Laurissenses in Monumenta Germaniæ
Historica SS 1 pp136-7 (ed. G. H. Pertz, 1826)
…11) Pippinus uxorem ante a. 742 duxerat, quo Carolum M. natum fuisse
comperimus; uxoris pater et avia, Charibertus (Heribertus) et
Bertradana, monasterium Prumiense fundaverunt, a Pippino et Bertha
muneribus postea adauctum cf. dipll. apud Martene et Durand. Coll.
ampl. I. 23. et Mabillon. Ann. Bened. II. 705.
This roughly translates as:
…11) Pippin
had married before 742, when we learn that Charles M. was born; his
wife's father and grandmother, Charibert (Heribert) and Bertradana,
founded the monastery of Prüm, which was later enlarged by Pippin and
Bertha's gifts. cf. dipll. in Martene and Durand. Coll. ampl. I. 23. and
Mabillon. Ann. Bened. II. 705.
Bertrada
 |
photograph © Jean-Christophe Ballot -
Centre des monuments nationaux, posted in "Pépin the Short
(751-758) and Bertrada (726-783)" on seine-saint-denis
tourisme |
Charibert
Pepin
the Short
Annales
Laurissenses in Monumenta Germaniæ
Historica SS 1 pp136-7 (ed. G. H. Pertz, 1826)
749.
… Pippinus coniugem duxit Bertradam cognomine Bertam, Cariberti
Laudunensis comitis filiam
…11) Pippinus uxorem ante a. 742 duxerat, quo Carolum M. natum fuisse
comperimus; uxoris pater et avia, Charibertus (Heribertus) et
Bertradana, monasterium Prumiense fundaverunt, a Pippino et Bertha
muneribus postea adauctum cf. dipll. apud Martene et Durand. Coll.
ampl. I. 23. et Mabillon. Ann. Bened. II. 705.
This roughly translates as:
749.
… Pippin married Bertrada, also called Berta, daughter of Charibert,
count of Laon
…11) Pippin had married before 742, when we learn that Charles M. was
born; his wife's father and grandmother, Charibert (Heribert) and
Bertradana, founded the monastery of Prüm, which was later enlarged by
Pippin and Bertha's gifts. cf. dipll. in Martene and Durand. Coll. ampl.
I. 23. and Mabillon. Ann. Bened. II. 705.
Royal Frankish annals p40 (trans. Bernhard
Walter Scholz, 1970)
755
… When King Aistulf was surrounded in the city of Pavia, he promised to
respect the rights of St. Peter. Then King Pepin, after obtaining forty
hostages and confirming the treaty by oaths, returned to Francia.
The monk Carloman, however, remained sick at Vienne with Queen
Bertrada; he languished for many days and died in peace.
R On the order of the king his body was taken to the monastery of St.
Benedict, where Carloman had received the monastic habit.
pp46-8
768
… Setting off again on his campaign, he arrived with the Lady Queen
Bertrada at the city of Saintes. Here he left the queen with her retinue
and entered Perigord. When Waifar had been killed, Pepin returned in
triumph to Saintes.
770
The Lord King Charles held an assembly at the city of Worms, and
Carloman and Queen Bertrada met at Seltz. In the same year the Lady
Queen Bertrada traveled through Bavaria to Italy.
R But Bertrada, the mother of the kings, after a talk with her younger
son Carloman at Seltz, traveled to Italy in the interest of peace. She
settled the business for which she went there, and after prayers at the
threshold of the holy apostles in Rome, returned to her sons in Gaul.1
1. Seltz is near Wissembourg in Alsace. Bertrada went first to King
Desiderius of Lombardy and arranged for the marriage between Charles and
Desiderata, daughter of the Lombard king, a marriage to which the pope
was opposed. Charles, who had already an illegitimate son by a noble
girl named Himiltrude, sent Desiderata back home after one year of
marriage and late in 771 or early in 772 married Hildegard, a lady of
aristocratic Bavarian descent. Bertrada’s passage through Bavaria,
mentioned only by O, may have aimed at a reconciliation with Tassilo;
BML, pp. 59, 64, 66.
The Fourth Book of the Chronicle of Fredegar with its
continuations p102 (trans. J. M. Wallace-Hadrill, 1960)
It now happened
that with the consent and advice of all the Franks the most excellent
Pippin submitted a proposition to the Apostolic See, and having first
obtained its sanction, was made king, and Bertrada queen.
pp117-8 (trans. J. M. Wallace-Hadrill, 1960)
Next year1
he again called together the whole Frankish host and marched through the
district of Troyes and the town of Auxerre to the fortress of Gordon,2
and thence with his Queen Bertrada boldly over the Loire to Bourges.
There he had a residence built and, as the custom was, again ordered the
holding of a Mayfield. After taking counsel with his nobles, he left
Queen Bertrada in Bourges with certain Franks and counts that he
trusted. The king himself set out with the remaining Franks and nobles
in pursuit of Waiofar. But as he could not catch Waiofar and it was
already winter, he returned with his army to Bourges, where he had left
Queen Bertrada.
… King Pippin
spent the whole winter with Queen Bertrada in his residence at Bourges.
… In
mid-February of the next year … King Pippin himself again set off with
the main Frankish army after Waiofar. Queen Bertrada came to Orleans and
thence by boat along the Loire to the stronghold of Chantoceaux4
on the river’s bank.
1 767
2 near Sancerre (Cher)
4 Maine-et-Loire
12 July 783, in the monastery of
Cauciaco
Annales Mettenses Priores p71 (ed.
Berhard von Simson, 1905)
[783]
Eodem anno beatae memoriae domna Bercta regina obiit in monasterio
Cauciaco IIIIto Idus Iulii. Inde translata est in pagum
Parisiacum, sepultaque est in basilica sancti Dionisii martiris iuxta
sepulturam viri sui, gloriosi Pippini regis.
This roughly translates as:
[783] In the
same year, Queen Bertha of blessed memory died in the monastery of
Cauciaco on the 4th day of the Ides of July [12 July]. From there she
was transferred to the village of Paris, and buried in the basilica of
Saint Dionysius the Martyr next to the burial place of her husband, the
glorious King Pepin.
Annales
Laurissenses in Monumenta Germaniæ
Historica SS 1 p164 (ed. G. H. Pertz, 1826)
783.
… Et in eodem anno obiit bonae memoriae domna Berta regina 4. Idus
Iul.**
** [et sepulta est in Cauciaco. Sed inde translata
Parisius, sepnlta est iuxta viram suum in ecclesia sanct Dionysii
martyris. 9b]
This roughly translates as:
783.
… And in the same year died the goodly Queen Bertha, 4th day of the Ides
of July.**
** [and was buried in Cauciaco. But from thence she was translated to
Paris, and buried beside her husband in the church of St. Dionysius the
Martyr. 9b]
Royal Frankish annals p61 (trans. Bernhard
Walter Scholz, 1970)
783
… In the same year the Lady Queen Bertrada of good memory died on July
12.
initially in the monastery of
Cauciaco, and then translated to the basilica
of Saint-Denis in Paris
- Annales Laurissenses in Monumenta
Germaniæ Historica SS 1 pp136-7 (ed. G. H. Pertz, 1826);
Medieval
Lands (BERTRADA)
- Annales Laurissenses in Monumenta
Germaniæ Historica SS 1 pp136-7 (ed. G. H. Pertz, 1826);
Medieval
Lands (PEPIN); wikipedia
(Pepin the Short)
- Medieval
Lands (PEPIN); wikipedia
(Pepin the Short)
- Royal Frankish annals pp40-8 (trans.
Bernhard Walter Scholz, 1970); The Fourth Book of the Chronicle of Fredegar with
its continuations p102, pp117-8 (trans. J. M.
Wallace-Hadrill, 1960); Medieval
Lands (BERTRADA); wikipedia
(Bertrada of Laon)
- Annales Mettenses Priores p71 (ed.
Berhard von Simson, 1905); Annales Laurissenses in Monumenta
Germaniæ Historica SS 1 p164 (ed. G. H. Pertz, 1826); Royal Frankish annals p61 (trans.
Bernhard Walter Scholz, 1970)
- Annales Laurissenses in Monumenta
Germaniæ Historica SS 1 p164 (ed. G. H. Pertz, 1826); Annales Mettenses Priores p71 (ed.
Berhard von Simson, 1905); "Pépin the Short (751-758) and Bertrada
(726-783)" on seine-saint-denis
tourisme; Medieval
Lands (PEPIN)
Charibert
Bertrada
Annales
Laurissenses in Monumenta Germaniæ
Historica SS 1 pp136-7 (ed. G. H. Pertz, 1826)
749.
… Pippinus coniugem duxit Bertradam cognomine Bertam, Cariberti
Laudunensis comitis filiam
…11) Pippinus uxorem ante a. 742 duxerat, quo Carolum M. natum fuisse
comperimus; uxoris pater et avia, Charibertus (Heribertus) et
Bertradana, monasterium Prumiense fundaverunt, a Pippino et Bertha
muneribus postea adauctum cf. dipll. apud Martene et Durand. Coll.
ampl. I. 23. et Mabillon. Ann. Bened. II. 705.
This roughly translates as:
749.
… Pippin married Bertrada, also called Berta, daughter of Charibert,
count of Laon
…11) Pippin had married before 742, when we learn that Charles M. was
born; his wife's father and grandmother, Charibert (Heribert) and
Bertradana, founded the monastery of Prüm, which was later enlarged by
Pippin and Bertha's gifts. cf. dipll. in Martene and Durand. Coll. ampl.
I. 23. and Mabillon. Ann. Bened. II. 705.
Count of Laon
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