Richardis
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Saint Richardis | |
|---|---|
Roman Catholic Church | |
| Major shrine | Andlau Abbey |
| Feast | 18 September |
| Attributes | dressed in Imperial robes with crown and palm, and surrounded by flames; dressed as a nun, with crown laid aside, and burning pieces of wood, as well as a bear and a ploughshare |
| Patronage | Andlau; protection against fire |
Saint Richardis (
Life
She was born in
Charles' reign was marked by internal and external strife, caused primarily by the constant plundering of
By 887, Charles appears to have succumbed to fits of
Protected by her family, she then withdrew to
The Legend of Richardis
After her lifetime, a legend grew up around the life of Richardis. The legend relates that, despite being a virtuous wife, her husband continued to accuse her of misconduct. This he did for over ten years. In a bid to assure him of her innocence, she finally assented to an ordeal by fire. Though she was barefoot and wearing a shirt covered in wax, the flames nevertheless refused to touch her. Disheartened by her husband's continued mistrust, Richardis left the imperial palace and wandered into the forest. There she was visited by an angel, who ordered her to found a convent in a certain spot, which a bear would indicate to her. In Val d'Eleon, at the banks of the river, she saw a bear scratching in the dirt. There she built the abbey of Andlau.
An alternative legend recounts that Richardis found the mother bear grieving over her dead cub in the forest. When Richardis held the cub, it returned to life. After the working of this miracle, both mother and cub remained devoted to the saint for the rest of their lives.[10]
However, the abbey had already been founded seven years before her divorce from Charles the Fat, and the area had long been associated with the bear. Incorporating the mythos of the bear, the nuns at Andlau long maintained a live bear and allowed free board and passage to passing bear-keepers. To this day images of the saint are still often accompanied by that of a bear.
Veneration
Richardis was later canonised and remains translated in November 1049 by Pope Leo IX to a more impressive tomb in the newly rebuilt abbey church. The present tomb dates from 1350.
Richardis is patron of Andlau, and of protection against fires. Her iconography refers to her status as an empress and nun and to her ordeal by fire. The bear and ploughshare refer to the foundation legend of Andlau Abbey.
See also
- List of Catholic saints
- List of Holy Roman Empresses
Notes
- ISBN 978-1-317-87248-1.
- ISBN 978-1-59884-996-7.
- ^ Both Richardis and Charles stated in 887 under oath at the time of the charge of adultery that their marriage was unconsummated.
- ISBN 978-90-04-50853-8.
- ISBN 978-1-4008-4434-0.
- ISBN 978-1-351-68158-2.
- ^ Monumenta germaniae Historica, tomus V; Bernoldi Chronicon , Pag 421 Archived 2015-01-28 at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 978-1-139-45954-9.
- ^ Ragnow, Marguerite (2006). The Worldly Cares of Abbess Richildis: Power, Property, and Femail Religious in 11th-century Anjou. University of Minnesota.
- ^ Patron Saints Index: Saint Richardis Archived 2012-06-15 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed 2012-07-13.
Sources
- Ekkart Sauser (2000). "Richardis (Richarde, Richgarda, Richkart): hl. Kaiserin". In Bautz, Traugott (ed.). Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL) (in German). Vol. 17. Herzberg: Bautz. cols. 1141–1142. ISBN 3-88309-080-8.
- Wilhelm Wiegand (1889), "Richgard", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 28, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 420–421
