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Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 1999-11 > 0942735919


From: Settipani < >
Subject: Re: Berthe, Merovingian Princess
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 08:05:19 +0100


The ancestry of Berta, merovingian or not, can be the subject of a
lenghty book. But in a few words, I can give the reason which make
probable, for Chaume (who nerver make of Plectrude a merovingian
princess), and others, including myself, her merovingian affiliation :
We know that the villa of Rommersheim is the common property, inherited
of their respective fathers, of King Pippin and his wife Berta, daughter
of count Charibert.
So, given merovingian successoral practice, one person have two
children, one being Pippin’s father ancestor and the other Berta’s
father ancestor.
Otherwise, we know that Rommersheim was previously in the hands of Berta
« of Prum » and that she had in 721 one only surviving son named
Charibert.
So the first conclusion is that Berta’s son Charibert is the same that
Charibert, father of queen Berta. The second is that Berta of Prum was
akin of Charles Martel. E. Hlawitschka has build an elaborate theory
which make of Berta the sister of Plectrude, the second wife of Pippin,
charles’father. He denied so merovingian ancestry for Berta. So the
standard theory. But this theory is a misconception. He does so only
because he fails to find a « natural » link between Berta of Prum and
Charles Martel on the ground of ecclesiastical prohibitions. But this
failure is due to his inadequate search..
Merovingian blood for Berta is expected for onomastic reasons (her name
<Berta>, her son’s name <Charibert>, her grandson name <Theoderic> are
all merovingian names). And this explain the merovingian names given by
Charlemagne to is children (not only first sons, Clovis and Clotaire,
but another son, Theoderic, and a daughter, Clotilde).
A good explanation is that one :
The king Theoderic III has a wife Doda. This Doda could be a daughter of
Ansegisel, son of another Doda. So, Ansegisel, presumably share
Rommersheim between his son, Pippin of Herstal and his daughter Doda,
king Theoderic’s wife. Then Pippin’s son, Charles Martel inherited that,
and so Berta, Doda’s daughter. This explain why King Clothar IV, son of
Theoderic III, was called the cousin of Charles Martel in Ademar of
Chabannes’ chronicle.

CS

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