The Latin Life of Lady *Balthild (queen of the Franks, ob. 680, S02359) records the saint's life, death, and one posthumous miracle. Written in Gaul, possibly at the monastery at Chelles (near Paris), 680/690. Overview entry
E06266
Literary - Hagiographical - Lives
The Life of Lady Balthild (Vita domnae Balthildis, BHL 905, CPL 2090)
Summary:
(1) Prologue: the author wishes to relate the life of Balthild in simple language, so that others might imitate her piety.
(2) Her background as a slave, 'from the race of the Saxons' 'beyond the sea,' and how she was bought by Erchinoald, princeps and vir inluster of the Franks. (3) How she sought to maintain her virginity and avoided marriage to Erchinoald; but in time was taken as a wife by Dagobert, king of the Franks. (4) Her pious conduct as queen, (5) and her assumption of the regency, alongside Lord Audoin, Bishop Chrodebert of Paris, and Ebroin, the mayor of the palace, after Dagobert's death. 'We believe that, with God guiding, and in accordance with the great faith of Lady Balthild, these three kingdoms [Neustria, Austrasia, and Burgundy] kept the harmony of peace among themselves.'
(6) Balthild's work against simony and infanticide. (7) Her monastic foundations, including her 'huge nunnery for women' at Chelles, near Paris, and the 'monastery called Corbie,' in the 'parish' of Amiens. (8) Her gifts to Lord Filibert for his monastery at Jumiéges; to Lord Laigobert for the monastery at Cobion; for the monasteries of Fontenelle and Logium; Luxeuil and other Burgundian monasteries; Jouarre and the monastery of sancta *Fara (abbess of Faremoutiers, ob. 642/64, S02682). (9) Her privileges for the 'senior basilicas' (see E07074); her rulings on Christians taken captive; her manumissions, and her sending of freed men and women into monasteries, ordering them to pray for her; and her gifts to the basilicas of *Peter (the Apostle, S00036) and *Paul (the Apostle, S00008) at Rome.
(10) Balthild's retirement to the monastery of Chelles (following the murder of Bishop Sigobrand), (11-12) and her humble and exemplary way of life there. (13) How she had a 'famous vision' portending her own death, in which she ascended with angels a stairway to heaven at the altar dedicated to *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033). (14) How, when her death approached, a 'certain child, her goddaughter, whom she wished to go with her... suddenly went out from her body and preceded her to the grave'; and how upon her own death she was received by a choir of angels and by her friend, the late Lord *Genesius (bishop of Lyon, ob. 679, S02694). (15) How the sisters at Chelles learned of and mourned Balthild's death; how they commended her soul to Christ, 'so that He might guide it to St Mary in the chorus and company of the saints; and how Abbess Bertila 'requested the holy priests that her holy memory should be preserved constantly through many churches in holy sacrifices.'
(16) How 'divine piety had accomplished many wonderful things at her holy sepulchre' for 'whoever comes there with faith,' freeing them from demons or disease; and how his happened 'recently' with a 'certain boy' (puer), (17) who came from Provence with Bishop Leudegandus, and was freed of a demon at her tomb. (18) The author recalls other pious queens of the Franks: *Clotild (queen and widow of Clovis, ob. 545, S01186), who converted her husband and built churches (see E07075); Ultrogoda, queen of Childebert, 'because she was a comforter of the poor and a helper of the servants of God and of monks'; and *Radegund (queen of the Franks and monastic founder, ob. 587, S00182), whom we may read about in her Acts (= E06486 and/or E06487). (19) How Balthild, has 'outdone... in holy striving' these earlier queens. 'Her holy death and her holy rites are celebrated on 30 January, and having been interred, she rests in peace in her monastery at Chelles.'
Text: Krusch 1888, 482-508.
Translation: Fouracre and Gerberding 1996, 118-32.
Summary: B. Savill.
Service for the saint
Eucharist associated with cult
FestivalsSaint’s feast
Cult PlacesCult building - independent (church)
Cult building - monastic
Altar
Burial site of a saint - unspecified
Non Liturgical ActivityBequests, donations, gifts and offerings
Construction of cult buildings
Awarding privileges to cult centres
Composing and translating saint-related texts
MiraclesApparition, vision, dream, revelation
Healing diseases and disabilities
Exorcism
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesWomen
Ecclesiastics - bishops
Relatives of the saint
Monarchs and their family
Aristocrats
Slaves/ servants
Angels
Children
Demons
Source
Version 'A' of the Life (used here) survives in several manuscripts dating from the tenth century onwards. It is apparently the work of a contemporary, writing only shortly after the saint's death in 680: there is a reference in ch. 19 to the Life's events occurring 'in our times,' while the minimal posthumous narrative (featuring only one miracle) suggests a hasty composition. If we take the author's remark about Balthild's still-ruling progenies in ch. 3 as a reference to her own children, the work cannot postdate the death of King Theuderic III in 690 (Fouracre and Gerberding, 1996, 114-15).Discussion
The Life is unusual in its presentation of Balthild's activities as saintly even while she ruled as a queen, long preceding her (in reality, probably forced) retirement into the monastic life. The author describes hardly any miracles effected by or through Balthild: only a heavenly premonition of her own death (ch. 13), and a single posthumous exorcism (chs. 16-17).Bibliography
EditionVita S. Balthildis, ed. B. Krusch, MGH Scriptores rerum Merovingicarum, II (1888), 475-508.
Translation and commentary
P. Fouracre and R.A. Gerberding, Late Merovingian France: History and Hagiography, 640-720 (Manchester, 1996), 97-132.
Further reading
M. Heinzelmann, 'L'hagiographie mérovingienne: panorama des documents potentiels,' in M. Goullet, M. Heinzelmann and C. Veyrard-Cosme, eds., L'hagiographie mérovingienne à travers ses réécritures (Ostfildern, 2010), 83-102.
Benjamin Savill
16/02/2019
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00008 | Paul, the Apostle | Paulus | Certain | S00033 | Mary, Mother of Christ | Maria | Certain | S00036 | Peter, the Apostle | Petrus | Certain | S00182 | Radegund, former queen of the Franks and monastic founder, ob. 587 | Radegundis | Certain | S00518 | Saints, unnamed | sancti | Certain | S01186 | Clotild, queen and widow of Clovis, ob. 545 | Chlotildis | Certain | S02359 | Balthild/Balthildis, queen of the Franks, ob. 680 | Balthildis | Certain | S02682 | Burgundofara, abbess of Faremoutiers, ob. 642/64 | Fara | Certain | S02694 | Genesius, bishop of Lyon (ob. 679) | Genesius | Certain |
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