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Saint Bertha or Saint Aldeberge (b. Estimated around c. 565 〔Janet L. Nelson, ‘Bertha (b. c.565, d. in or after 601)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2006 (accessed 19 May 2015 )〕 – d. in or after 601) was the queen of Kent whose influence led to the Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England. She was canonized as a saint for her role in its establishment during that period of English history. ==Life== Bertha was a Frankish princess, the daughter of Charibert I and his wife Ingoberga, granddaughter of the reigning King Chlothar I and great-granddaughter of Clovis I and Saint Clotilde, the latter dying when Bertha was 5 years old.〔(Gregory of Tours (539-594), History of the Franks, Book 4 ) at fordham.edu〕 Her father died in 567, her mother in 589. Bertha had been raised near Tours.〔(Taylor, Martin. ''The Cradle of English Christianity'' )〕 Her marriage to pagan King Æthelberht of Kent was conditioned on her being allowed to practice her religion.〔(Wace, Henry and Piercy, William C., "Bertha, wife of Ethelbert, king of Kent", ''Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the sixth Century'', Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., ISBN 1-56563-460-8 )〕 She brought her chaplain, Liudhard, with her to England.〔Bede, ''Ecclesiastical History''〕 Bertha restored a Christian church in Canterbury, which dated from Roman times, dedicating it to Saint Martin of Tours. It was the private chapel of Queen Bertha before Augustine arrived from Rome. The present St Martin's at Canterbury continues in the same building as the oldest church in the English-speaking world and is part of the Canterbury World Heritage site.〔("Canterbury", World Heritage Site )〕 Augustine of Canterbury, whose Gregorian mission was sent by Pope Gregory I to preach the Gospel in England in 596, owed much of his favorable reception to the influence of Bertha.〔(Thurston, Herbert. "Bertha." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 7 May 2013 )〕 Without her support, monastic settlements and the cathedral would likely have developed elsewhere.〔("Queen Bertha", Canterbury Historical and Archaeological Society )〕 In 601, Pope Gregory addressed a letter to Bertha, in which he complimented her highly on her faith and knowledge of letters.〔 Anglo-Saxon records indicate that Saint Bertha had two children: Eadbald of Kent, and Æthelburg of Kent. She is named in the genealogies of various of the medieval accounts of the 'Kentish Royal Legend'. The date of her death is disputed.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bertha of Kent」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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