A Dictionary of Saintly Women/Matilda (1)
St. Matilda (1), March 14, 897-968 (Mahault, Mahtild, Mathildis, Maude, Mechthild, Methildis), Queen of Germany. Wife of Henry I. called the Fowler and the Town-builder (919-936). She was daughter of Count Theodoric, a mighty prince of Saxony, who with his wife Reinhilda lived in the castle of Enger, and here Matilda was born. Not many miles from Enger stood the Benedictine abbey of Herford. It was the oldest foundation in Saxony, and was then ruled by Matilda, mother of Theodoric. While yet in her infancy Matilda (1) was placed under the care of her grandmother to be educated at the monastery. Here she was taught all the useful arts that a good housewife of that day had to practise and to teach. She was diligently instructed in such parts of the Holy Scriptures as the nuns had in their library and in all the history they knew. She learned to read and write Latin and to say and sing prayers and hymns. She excelled in embroidery, and perhaps painted those exquisite miniatures and ornaments with which the transcribers illustrated their careful and beautiful copies of the sacred books. It seems that either the pupils in monasteries were much more seen by visitors than in later times, or that Matilda paid occasional visits to her father's house; for the fame of her beauty, ability and goodness spread throughout the whole land of the Saxons and reached the ears of Duke Otho the Illustrious, who was casting about for a wife for his son Henry.
Otho was the richest and most powerful man in Saxony. He was descended on his father's side from Eckbert, on his mother's from Charlemagne. His son Henry the Fowler was distinguished by unusual gifts of mind and beauty of person. He seems to have been on active service nearly all the days of his youth and to have won and worn his laurels nobly. He refused to join with his brothers in robbing the church at Gandersheim, richly endowed by his father. He made a pilgrimage for his sins to Rome, mostly on foot, at the age of twenty. Returning victorious from his wars, he fell in love with Hatheburg, a young and beautiful widow, who had taken the veil at Altenburg, and without waiting for his father's consent or the advice of his counsellors, married her. The Church declared the marriage null and they agreed to separate in 909.
In the opinion of the Court it was imperative that Henry should marry again. Duke Otho, moved by the fame of Matilda's beauty, talent and virtue, sent Count Thietmar, who had been Henry's tutor, to the abbey to see her. Thietmar brought a favourable report, and Henry went himself to Herford, accompanied by a stately band of young nobles. They encamped in the fields, and Henry, with a few of his companions, in disguise, gained admission into the church and saw Matilda reading the psalms with deep devotion. Struck with her beauty and dignity, he went after service to speak with the Abbess, who conducted him to her own room and remained there long with him in conversation. At last Matilda was sent for. When Henry saw her and heard her sweet voice, he begged that she might be betrothed to him at once. Her grandmother demurred, hesitating to dispose of the lady without the consent of her parents, but was at length talked over by the charming young man, whose noble lineage weighed much with her in his favour. The next day Henry set out with his bride for Saxony. All the way they were welcomed with great demonstrations of respect, and soon afterwards the wedding feast was held with royal splendour at Wallhausen. For three blissful years he rested from his wars and for Matilda the cares of maternity began. Their happiness was almost perfect.
In 912 Henry succeeded his father as Duke of the Saxons, and on the death of Conrad, in 918, he was chosen King of Germany. Herbert, bishop of Mainz, demanded to be allowed to anoint and crown the new king. Henry declined: "It is enough," said he, "that I have been chosen king and bear that title; no Saxon before me has attained so much. I thank God's grace and your love. Let anointing and crowning be kept for a better man."
In the sixth year of his reign he completed the great work of uniting all the German lands into one kingdom: he had succeeded in that for which his predecessor Conrad had so long and vainly striven. Ruotger, who wrote the life of Henry's youngest son Bruno, says the day would not be long enough to tell how Henry caused "die schönste und herrlichste Friede" to bloom in the kingdom which he found in the most deplorable state, constantly attacked on all sides by hostile neighbours and torn by the most savage internal feuds between blood relations.
Matilda lived as queen the self-denying life of the convent. Her hand was always open to the poor and her lips to plead for the oppressed and the unfortunate. Often did she rise in the dead of the night and pour out her soul in prayer, to "renew her friendship with God." The king believed that whatever she did was right, and lent her his aid in all her undertakings. She had several children, who were distinguished by their beauty, ability and good qualities. On account of his extreme likeness to his father, Matilda loved her second son Henry better than her other children, and earnestly desired that he should succeed to the throne.
In 928, Bruno was born, and in the following year her eldest son married Edith (5), daughter of Edward the Elder, king of England.
After a reign of seventeen years, Henry, now sixty years old, was seized with his last illness at the palace at Membleben. Calling the queen to him as he felt his death approaching, he spoke with her a long time in private, and then said aloud: "O, most faithful and beloved, I thank Christ that you survive me. No one ever had a better wife." He thanked her for all her help in restraining his anger, in leading him to justice and mercy in his governing, and in always admonishing him to take the part of the oppressed. He commended her and her children and his parting soul to God, Saturday, July 2, 936. Ever after, the widowed queen observed Saturday as a day of works of mercy. After hearing the king's last words, she went into the church to pray, and was kneeling there when the news of his death was brought to her. It is recorded as one of her miracles that she immediately struck off a pair of curious gold bracelets that she wore, although it had always been believed that they could not be removed without the help of a goldsmith; she gave them to a priest for the first mass for her husband's soul.
Henry was buried at Quedlinburg, which he and his wife had founded. His grave is still to be seen there in the crypt now called the "Old Minster." Great and universal was the mourning for the king. Widukind of Corvei says, "he was the greatest king of his time in Europe, inferior to none in mental and bodily gifts, but he left behind him a son [Otho] greater than himself."
Matilda had for her widow's portion, all Henry's property in Quedlinburg, Pohlde, Nordhausen, Grona and Duderstadt.
The land was once more distracted by wars and the struggle between the brothers for the crown. Most of the nobles agreed with the late king's wish for the election of Otho; but many were resolved to stand by Henry, duke of Bavaria, Matilda's favourite.
All the Frankish and Saxon nobles who favoured Otho met at Aix-la-Chapelle, where he was crowned and anointed king.
Henry remembered that his having been born when his father was on the throne, gave him, in the opinion of some of his countrymen, an advantage over his elder brother, and presuming on his mother's preference for him, he continued for five years to push his claim. At length, under their mother's influence, the brothers made a lasting peace.
One of the first things they did was to join in persecuting their mother. Influenced by mischief-makers, they accused her of robbing the Crown of its revenue and spending it on the poor. To stop her almsgiving, they sent out spies who heaped ignominy on her almoners. She bore all their misdoings with patient humility, and actually gave up most of her possessions that her sons might be spared the sin of taking them away. Meanwhile, nothing prospered with the undutiful brothers, until Queen Edith persuaded the king to bring his saintly mother into honour again. Peace and prosperity were restored.
Matilda, once more at Court, gave larger alms than ever. She visited the poor and the hospitals, and had large fires lighted in winter in the public places for the comfort of the poor. Otho rejoiced his mother's heart by his zeal for religion, being, like his father, passionately fond of relics. During Queen Edith's life, although he was generous in endowing her foundations and those of his mother, their zeal and liberality seemed to him excessive; but after the death of his wife, he found comfort in these works, and allowed himself to be entirely led in them by Matilda.
In 951 Otho married Adelaide (3) and became virtually king of Italy.
In 955 Matilda suffered the heaviest sorrow that had ever fallen upon her in the last illness and death of her son Henry. This seems almost to have broken her heart. He was in the prime of life, not yet forty. He had great virtues and great defects, so that his contemporaries did not know whether to praise or blame him most. He had something of his father's beauty and charm, but he was imperious and had the defect—more unpopular than any vice—of being shy and reserved, so that he did not win hearts as Otho did. Few loved him, but, for this reason, his mother loved him the more. Matilda was at Quedlinburg when she heard of his death. She called the nuns into the church and bade them pray for his soul. She knelt before the altar and supplicated—"Lord, have mercy, have mercy on the soul of Thy servant. Remember how all his days were fall of sorrow...how little joy he had in life...." She prayed for pardon for his sins, and peace for his soul. Then she arose from the altar and went to her husband's grave, and laying her head on it, she talked to him who slept beneath the stone. She said she was glad he had not lived to suffer this bereavement. She entreated him to pray for the soul of the son who had his face and form and his name. Until now she had worn the royal scarlet robe, but from this day she laid it aside and was only seen in mourning, wearing no gold nor ornaments of any kind. She never more took part in any games, although she used to like them; nor allowed any but devotional songs to be sung to her. One of her consolations was to have with her Henry's little boy Otho, now Duke of Bavaria. He was a very beautiful child, and repaid his grandmother's affection with the most endearing confidence and love.
In 965, the whole royal family, including Matilda's children and grandchildren, met round the aged queen for the last time on earth, at Bruno's palace at Cologne. Bruno's former tutor, Bishop Balderech of Utrecht, stood up in the joyous family circle and blessed the grey-haired queen, saying that in her were fulfilled the words of Psalm cxxviii., "The Lord will bless thee out of Zion, that thou mayest see the happiness of Jerusalem all thy life long, and see thy children's children."
When, in 966, Otho was going for the third time to Italy, he paid a visit to his mother, who was living quietly and piously at Nordhausen. He stayed with her several days, and when he was going away, they went to mass together. Feeling she should never see him again, she got him to promise sundry things concerning which she was anxious. She went with him to the gate and saw him mount and ride off, and then she returned into the church, and kneeling down, she kissed the place where he had stood. Some of the attendants ran after the Emperor and told him of this proof of his mother's affection. He hastened back and found her weeping where they had knelt together. He threw himself down beside her, expressing the tenderest gratitude for her love and solicitude; again and again they embraced with tears until at last the mother said, "We are only making ourselves unhappy. Go, in the peace of Christ." So they parted for the last time.
In 908, while making the round of the land to visit the religious houses she had built, the Queen was seized, at Nordhausen, with fever. The devoted nuns begged her to stay with them that her relics might be their possession; but she preferred to die at Quedlinburg and rest by her husband. As death was approaching, she sent for the Abbess Richburg of Nordhausen, her former chamber-woman and confidante, and spoke long with her. Otho's illegitimate son William, archbishop of Maintz, attended the dying saint and heard her last confession. She wished to give him something in remembrance of her, but her attendants reminded her that she had given away everything to the poor, except the sheets which had been reserved for her burial. She ordered them to be given to the archbishop, saying he would want them before she did, for a difficult journey he must shortly undertake. This proved true, for he died suddenly, twelve days before his grandmother, on his way to his diocese.
On the Saturday of her death, she called her people about her and dismissed them with advice and blessing. She talked for a long time with her gifted grand-daughter Matilda (2), abbess of Quedlinburg, comforting her with the assurance that Otho had promised for himself and his descendants to protect this monastery.
At the point of death, Matilda had her hair-cloth spread on the ground, made the attendants lift her on it, and strewing ashes on her head, said: "Only in sackcloth and ashes is it meet for a Christian to die." So she died and was buried in the church of St. Servatius at Quedlinburg, by the side of her husband.
Besides other children undistinguished in history, Matilda had: (1) Otho I., king of Germany, 936; of Italy, 951; Emperor, 962; called, for his beauty and charming disposition, "Amor Mundi," for his noble deeds and successful rule, "the Great;" he married (1st) in 929, B. Edith of England; (2ndly) St. Adelaide of Burgundy; (2) Henry, duke of Bavaria; (3) St. Bruno, born 928, archbishop of Cologne, chancellor of the empire; called the Duke Archbishop, because he held for a time, in his brother's interests, the dukedom of Lorraine; he is called by Widukind of Corvei, "the great Bishop;" Bruno was a very learned man, and as capable and faithful a servant and subject as any king ever had: he died Oct. 11, 965; (4) Gerberga, married (1st) in 928, Gislebert, duke of Lorraine, and (2ndly) Louis IV., king of France, called d'Outremer; (5) Hedwig, married Hugh, count of Paris, they had a son Hugh Capet, ancestor of the kings of France.
Matilda's chief foundations were monasteries at Quedlinburg, Nordhausen (to benefit the souls of her husband and her son Henry), Enger and Polden. Quedlinburg as well as Herford, where she was brought up, enjoyed the privilege of Reichsunmittelbarkeit, that is, none but the Emperor had authority over it. This privilege ceased only with the dissolution of the empire in 1802.
AA.SS. Giesebrecht, Deutschlands Kaiserzeit. Clarus, Die Heilige Mathilde.