Radegund [13230]

   Another name for Radegund was Rhadegund, Radegonde, Radigund).

  General Notes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radegund



Radegund was born to King Berthar <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertachar>, one of the three kings of Thuringia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuringia> (a kingdom located in present day Germany), some time in the first half of the 6th century.
Radegund's uncle, Hermanfrid <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermanfrid>, killed Berthar <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berthar> in battle, orphaning her. Then, after allying with the Frankish <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franks> King Theuderic <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theuderic_I_of_Austrasia>, Hermanfrid <> defeated his other brother Baderic <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baderic>. However, having crushed his brothers and seized control of Thuringia, Hermanfrid <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermanfrid> reneged on his deal with Theuderic <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theuderic_I_of_Austrasia> to share sovereignty.

In 531 Theuderic <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theuderic_I_of_Austrasia> returned to Thuringia with his brother Clotaire I <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clotaire_I>. Together they defeated Hermanfrid <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermanfrid> and conquered his kingdom. Clotaire I <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clotaire_I> also took charge of Radegund, taking her back to Merovingian <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merovingian> Gaul <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaul> with him and making her his wife.

Radegund was one of Clotaire I <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clotaire_I>'s four wives (the other three being Chunsina , Ingund and Ingund's sister Aregund ). She bore him no children, and, after Clotaire I <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clotaire_I> had her brother assassinated, she turned to God, founding a nunnery in Poitiers <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poitiers>.

Her chaplain was the poet Venantius Fortunatus <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venantius_Fortunatus> and she was a friend of Gregory of Tours <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_of_Tours>. She died on 13 August 586 and her funeral, which both men attended, was three days later.

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 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Paul%27s_Cathedral>, as well as in Gloucester <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloucester_Cathedral>, Lichfield <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichfield_Cathedral>, and Exeter Cathedrals <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exeter_Cathedral>. Saint Radegund's Abbey, near Dover, was founded in her honour in 1191. She is also the patron saint of Jesus College, Cambridge <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_College%2C_Cambridge>, which was founded on the site of the twelfth-century nunnery of Saint Mary and Saint Radegund.

  Noted events in her life were:

• Canonized, 9th century. Canonized in the 9th century, she is the patron saint of several English churches and of Jesus College, Cambridge .

Radegund married Chlothar I (Clothaire I) the Old, of the Franks King of the Franks [5877] [MRIN: 8324], son of Clovis (Chlodovech) I the Great of the Franks King of Franks [5937] and Chrotechilde (Clothilde)(Clothilda)of Burgundy [5938], about 532. (Chlothar I (Clothaire I) the Old, of the Franks King of the Franks [5877] was born in 501 in Loire-Alantique Co., Fra, died on 23 Nov 561 in Loire-Alantique Co., Fra and was buried in St Medard Abbey, Soisson, Aisne, France.)