Welf

[818] 26. Sequenti vero anno accepit filiam Hwelfi ducis sui, qni erat de nobilissima progenie Bawariorum, et nomen virginis Judith, quae erat ex parte matris, cuius nomen Eigilwi, nobilissimi generis Saxonici; eamque reginam constituit.

[818] The following year he took the daughter of his duke Huelfi, who was of the most noble lineage of the Bavarians, and the maiden name Judith, who was on the mother's side, whose name was Eigilwi, of the most noble lineage of the Saxons; and he made her queen.

[833] Lectio 1. Anno vigesimo imperante cum magna felicitate Hludowico serenissimo augusto in regno Francorum, venit Kala monasterium, ubi venerabilis abbatissa Hegilwich, genetrix Iudith imperatricis, magno gregi sanctimonialium preerat, actusque et conditionem beatissimae Balthecildis, quia vere erat Dei cultor et sanctorum amator, magno desiderio inquirere cepit sibique reperta recitari iussit. Cuius admirabilem conditionem sanctamque vitae conversationem miratus, tactus illico Dei ac sanctae Baltechildis amore, predictae Hegilwich abbatissae, quae tunc octavo anno ipsum sanctum locum sub regimine sancto gubernabat, suadendo precipit, ut sanctum et venerabile corpus beatissimæ Baltechildis a loco ubi iacebat in sanctam ecclesiam Dei genitricis Mariae, quo multitudo sacrarum virginum die noctuque laudes Deo personabant, transferret, quatinus eiusdem intemeratae semper virginis partem laudis haberet, quam, dum vixerat, summo devotionis studio et omni admiratione dilexerat. His ergo freta iussis sacratissima abbatissa, prout citius oportunitas temporis accessit, quod ipsa iam mente conceperat, desideriis operam dedit

[833] Lesson 1. In the twentieth year of the reign of the most serene and august Louis in the kingdom of the Franks, he came to the monastery of Kala, where the venerable Abbess Hegilwich, mother of the empress Judith, presided over a large flock of nuns. And because she was truly a worshipper of God and a lover of the saints, she began to inquire with great desire into the actions and condition of the most blessed Balthechild, and ordered that what she had found be recited to her. Wondering at her admirable condition and holy life, and moved by the love of God and of Saint Baltechild, he hastened to persuade the aforesaid Abbess of Hegilwich, who was then governing the holy place under holy rule for the eighth year, to transfer the holy and venerable body of the most blessed Baltechild from the place where she lay to the holy church of Mary, the mother of God, where a multitude of holy virgins sang praises to God day and night, so that she might have a share in the praise of that ever-immaculate Virgin, whom, while she had lived, she had loved with the utmost devotion and all admiration. Therefore, trusting in these instructions, the most holy Abbess, as soon as the opportunity of time came, gave effect to the desires which she herself had already conceived in her mind.

Dixerunt Iudith reginam violatam esse a quodam duce Bernhardo, qui erat de stirpe regali, et domni imperatoris ex sacro fonte baptismatis filius, mentientes omnia; suscipientes reginam Iudith, eamque vi velantes et in monasterium mittentes, et fratres eius Chuonradum et Ruodolfum tondentes et in monasterio mittentes.

They said that Queen Judith had been violated by a certain Duke Bernard, who was of royal stock, and the son of the lord emperor baptized from the holy font, lying about everything; they took Queen Judith, veiled her by force and sent her to a monastery, and shaved her brothers Conrad and Rudolph and sent them to the monastery.

Royal Frankish annals p131 (trans. Bernhard Walter Scholz, 1970)

Death: 5 November, year unknown, 833 or later

Anno 819. Mense Februario Ludewicus imperator accepit sibi in coniugium Iudith ad imperatricem.

In the year 819. In the month of February, Emperor Louis took Judith, the empress, to be his wife.

819 32. … Qua tempestate monitu suorum uxoriam meditabatur inire copulam; timebatur enim a multis, ne regni vellet relinquere gubernacula. Tandemque eorum voluntati satisfaciens, et undecumque adductas procerum filias inspitiens, Iudith, filiam Welponis nobilissimi comitis in matrimonium iunxit.

819 32. … At this time, at the advice of his relatives, he was contemplating taking a wife; for many feared that he would not wish to relinquish the reins of the kingdom. And finally, satisfying their wishes, and defying the daughters of the nobles who were brought from everywhere, he married Judith, the daughter of the most noble count of Welpon.

819
… An assembly was held at Aachen after Christmas at which many matters regarding the condition of the churches and monasteries were brought up and settled. Some greatly needed chapters, as yet still lacking, were drawn up and added to the laws. When this was done, the emperor married Judith, daughter of Count Welf, after looking over many daughters of the nobility.

[830] 36 Alio vero anno perrexit domnus imperator de Aquisgrani palatio, pervenit ad Compendium, ibique venit obviam ei Pippinus filius eius cum magnatis primis patris sui, Hilduvino archicapellano, et Iesse Ambianensi episcopo, Hug et Matfrido, Elisachar abbate, Gotefrido, et multis aliis perfidis, et voluerunt domnum imperatorem de regno expellere; quod prohibuit dilectus aequivocus filius eius. Supradicti impii obicientes ei multa contraria, quod impium est fari vel credi. Dixerunt Iudith reginam violatam esse a quodam duce Bernhardo, qui erat de stirpe regali, et domni imperatoris ex sacro fonte baptismatis filius, mentientes omnia; suscipientes reginam Iudith, eamque vi velantes et in monasterium mittentes, et fratres eius Chuonradum et Ruodolfum tondentes et in monasterio mittentes.

[830] 36 In another year the lord emperor went from the palace of Aachen, arrived at Compendium, and there came to meet him his son Pepin with the chief nobles of his father, Hilduin the archchaplain, and Jesse bishop of Ambien, Hugh and Matfrid, abbot Elissachar, Gottfried, and many other treacherous men, and they wanted to expel the lord emperor from the kingdom; which his beloved equivocal son forbade. The aforesaid impious men accused him of many contrary things, which it is impious to say or believe. They said that Queen Judith had been violated by a certain Duke Bernard, who was of royal stock, and the son of the lord emperor baptized from the holy font, lying about everything; they took Queen Judith, veiled her by force and sent her to a monastery, and shaved her brothers Conrad and Rudolph and sent them to the monastery.

Royal Frankish annals pp131-5 (trans. Bernhard Walter Scholz, 1970)

[Aug. 829] At that time Alamannia was handed over to Charles by decree. Lothair, as if he had at last found a good reason to complain, called upon his brothers and the whole people to restore authority and order in the empire. They all suddenly converged on Louis at Compiègne, [April 830] made the queen take the veil, tonsured her brothers, Conrad and Rudolf, and sent them to Aquitaine to be held by Pepin.¹² Bernard took to his heels and escaped to Septimania. His brother Herbert was captured, blinded, and imprisoned in Italy. When Lothair had taken over the government, he held his father and Charles in free custody. He ordered monks to keep Charles company; they were to get him used to the monastic life and urge him to take it up himself.
But the state of the empire grew worse from day to day, since all were driven by greed and sought only their own advantage. On account of this the monks we have mentioned above, as well as other men who deplored what had happened, began to question Louis to see if he were willing to reconstruct the government and stand behind it if the kingdom were restored to him. Above all he was to promote religious worship, by which all order is protected and preserved. Since he readily accepted this, his restoration was quickly agreed upon. Louis chose Guntbald, a monk, and secretly sent him to his sons Pepin and Louis. Guntbald went ostensibly on religious business, but he promised that Louis would increase the kingdom of both Pepin and Louis if they would assist the men who wanted him back on the throne. The [Nijmegen Oct. 830] promise of more land made them only too eager to comply. An assembly was convoked, the queen and her brothers were returned to Louis, and the whole people submitted again to his rule. …
[833] Aquitaine was taken from Pepin and given to Charles, and the nobility which was on King Louis’ side did homage to Charles. This event infuriated the malcontents whom I mentioned. They let it be known that the government was poorly run and incited the people to demand fair rule. They freed Wala, Helisachar, Mathfrid, and the others who had been sent into exile and urged Lothair to seize power. Under the same pretext and by continual petitions, they also won over to their side Gregory, pontiff of the supreme Roman See, so that his authority would help them do what they planned.
The emperor with all his forces confronted the three kings, his sons, with their immense army, and Pope Gregory with his entire Roman entourage. They all gathered in Alsace and set up camps at Mount Siegwald. By promising various favors the sons prevailed upon the people to defect from their father. After most of his men [30 June] had fled Louis was eventually captured. His wife was taken from him and sent into exile to Lombardy, and Charles was held with his father under close guard.
Pope Gregory, filled with regret over his journey, returned to Rome later than he had planned. Lothair had seized the empire again, but what he had so unjustly and easily won, he justly lost again even more easily, the second time around. Pepin and Louis saw that Lothair intended to seize the whole empire and make them his inferiors, and they resented his schemes. Hugo, Lambert, and Mathfrid also disagreed as to which of them should be second in the empire after Lothair. They began to quarrel, and, since each of them looked out for his own, they entirely neglected the government. When the people saw that, they were distressed. Shame and regret filled the sons for having twice deprived their father of his dignity, and the people [Feb. 834] for having twice deserted the emperor. Therefore, they all now agreed on his restoration and headed for St.-Denis, where Lothair was then holding his father and Charles.
Seeing that this flare-up was more than he could deal with, Lothair took up arms before the others had assembled, released his father and Charles, and hurried by forced marches to Vienne. When the emperor was returned to them, a large number of men present were ready to use force in support of the father against the son. They flocked with the bishops and the whole clergy into the basilica of St.-Denis, offered praise to God in all piety, placed crown and arms upon their king, and then assembled to deliberate on the remaining matters.
Louis refrained from pursuing Lothair, but sent envoys after him who were to order him to leave promptly across the Alps. When Pepin came to him, Louis received him graciously, thanked him for what he had done toward his restoration, and allowed him to return to Aquitaine as Pepin requested. There was a gathering of the emperor’s vassals who used to run the government and had fled. With these men he marched quickly to Aachen to spend the winter there. Finally, his son Louis came to him. The emperor received him joyfully and told him to stay with him for his protection.
When in the meantime those who guarded Judith in Italy heard that Lothair had fled and Louis ruled the empire, they seized Judith and escaped. They arrived safely at Aachen and delivered her as a welcome present to the emperor. But she was not admitted to the royal bed until she had established her innocence of the offenses with which she had been charged. In the absence of an accuser she did so by an oath taken with her kinsmen before the people.²³
12. At a general assembly at Compiègne in May 830, which was dominated by Lothair, Louis the Pious admitted his guilt, consigned his controversial spouse to the nunnery of Saint-Croix at Poitiers, and promised to rule in the future with the better counsel of his vassals. Louis remained emperor in name only; Lothair was again co-emperor and now the real ruler. Louis was held in honorable captivity, probably in St.-Midard’s at Soissons, but was able to influence affairs.
23. Judith was brought back to Francia not by her guards but by supporters of Louis the Pious; Simson, II, 101-2. Judith purged herself after the general assembly of Aix-la-Chapelle in 831; there had been no further charges of this kind in 833;

LOUIS I. (778-840), surnamed the “Pious,” Roman emperor … In 819 he married Judith, daughter of Welf I., count of Bavaria, who in 823 bore him a son Charles, afterwards called the Bald. Judith made unceasing efforts to secure a kingdom for her child; and with the support of her eldest step-son Lothair, a district was carved out for Charles in 829. Discontent at this arrangement increased to the point of rebellion, which broke out the following year, provoked by Judith’s intrigues with Bernard, count of Barcelona, whom she had installed as her favourite at court. Lothair and his brother Pippin joined the rebels, and after Judith had been sent into a convent and Bernard had fled to Spain, an assembly was held at Compiègne, when Louis was practically deposed and Lothair became the real ruler of the Empire. Sympathy was, however, soon aroused for the emperor, who was treated as a prisoner, and a second assembly was held at Nimwegen in October 830 when, with the concurrence of his sons Pippin and Louis, he was restored to power and Judith returned to court.
Further trouble between Pippin and his father led to the nominal transfer of Aquitaine from Pippin to his brother Charles in 831. The emperor’s plans for a division of his dominions then led to a revolt of his three sons. Louis met them in June 833 near Kolmar, but owing possibly to the influence of Pope Gregory IV., who took part in the negotiations, he found himself deserted by his supporters, and the treachery and falsehood which marked the proceedings gave to the place the name of Lügenfeld, or the “field of lies.” Judith, charged with infidelity, was again banished; Louis was sent into the monastery of St Medard at Soissons; and the government of the Empire was assumed by his sons. The emperor was forced to confess his sins, and declare himself unworthy of the throne, but Lothair did not succeed in his efforts to make his father a monk. Sympathy was again felt for Louis, and when the younger Louis had failed to induce Lothair to treat the emperor in a more becoming fashion, he and Pippin took up arms on behalf of their father. The result was that in March 834 Louis was restored to power at St Denis; Judith once more returned to his side and the kingdoms of Louis and Pippin were increased.

Aprilis. … XIII Kl. maii, Judith augusta apud Turonos diem ob. in monasterio s. Martini, ubi et corpus ejus humatum est.

April. … 13th day of the Kalends of May, Empress Judith died at Tours in the monastery of St. Martin, where her body was buried.

Anno 843. … Eodem anno Iudhit imperatrix, mater Karoli, predata a filio substantia omni, Turonis civitate migravit a seculo.

In the year 843. … In the same year, Empress Judith, mother of Charles, robbed of all her property by her son, passed away from the world in the city of Tours.

Death: 3 September, year unknown

Welf Family

Heilwig

Judith of Bavaria

Welf I