Saint Radegund

Radegund (Latin: Radegundis; also spelled Rhadegund, Radegonde, or Radigund; c. 520 – 13 August 587) was a Thuringian princess and Frankish queen, who founded the Abbey of the Holy Cross at Poitiers. She is the patroness saint of several churches in France and England and of Jesus College, Cambridge (whose full name is "The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, near Cambridge"). Radegund was born about 520 to Bertachar, one of the three kings of the German land Thuringia. Radegund's uncle, Hermanfrid, killed Bertachar in battle, and took Radegund into his household. After allying with the Frankish King Theuderic, Hermanfrid defeated his other brother Baderic. However, having crushed his brothers and seized control of Thuringia, Hermanfrid reneged on his agreement with Theuderic to share sovereignty. In 531, Theuderic returned to Thuringia with his brother Clotaire I (also known as Chlothar). Together they defeated Hermanfrid and conquered his kingdom. Clotaire I also took charge of Radegund, taking her back to Merovingian Gaul with him. He sent the child to his villa of Athies in Picardy for several years, before marrying her in 540. Radegund was one of Clotaire I's six wives or concubines (the other five being Guntheuc who was the widow of his brother Chlodomer, Chunsina, Ingund, Ingund's sister Aregund and Waldrada the widow of Clotaire's grand-nephew Theudebald). She had no children with him. Radegund was noted for her almsgiving. By 545 Radegund's brother was the last surviving male member of the Thuringian royal family. Clotaire had him murdered. Radegund fled the court and sought the protection of the Church, persuading Medardus, the bishop of Noyon, to ordain her as a deaconess; she founded the monastery of Sainte-Croix in Poitiers c. 560, where she cared for the infirm. Radegund was widely believed to have the gift of healing.