The Henry Project: The Ancestors of King Henry II of England
Lothair
II
King of Lorraine, 855-869.
When Lothair I died in 855, his son Lothair II received the northern part of his father's kingdom, which, lacking a more suitable name, was called "Lothaire's kingdom" (regnum Lotharii), which eventually became known as Lotharingia, or Lorraine. Much of Lothair's reign was occupied by his attempts to set aside his wife Theutberge, and have his mistress Waldrade recognized as his legitimate wife. After his death, his son by Waldrade, Hugues, was unable to attain his father's position.
Date of Birth: say 835.
[Brandenburg (1964), 2; Werner
(1967), table; Settipani (1993), 270]
Place of Birth: Unknown.
Date of Death: 8 August 869.
Place of
Death: Piacenza (buried in
the church of St. Antoninus the martyr).
["..., usque Placentiam 8. Idus Augusti pervenit; ibique
dominica die superdiurnans, circa horam nonam inopinate exanimis
paene effectus est et obmutuit, atque in crastino hora diei
secunda moritur, et a paucis suorum qui a clade remanserat in
quodam monasteriolo secus ipsam civitatem terrae mandatur."
Ann. Bertin., s.a. 869, 101]
Father:
Lothair I, emperor.
["Dispositoque inter filios, qui secum
morabantur, regno, ita ut Lotharius cognomen eius Franciam,
Karlus vero Provinciam optinerent, ..." Ann.
Bertin., s.a. 855, 45]
Mother: Ermengarde, d. 20 March 851, daughter of Hugues, count of Tours.
["Hlotharius ymperator genuit Hludovicum
Hlotharium et Karolum ex Hirmingardi regina." Witgeri
Genealogia Arnulfi Comitis, MGH SS 9: 303]
Spouses:
(1) m. 855, Theutberge,
daughter of count Boso.
["Hlotharius rex filius Hlotharii
imperatoris accepit uxorem Teutbergam." Annales
Laubacenses, s.a. 855, MGH SS 1: 15; "Lotharius
imperator, qui mutato habitu Prumiae monachus factus fuerat,
obiit 3. Kal. Octob.; cui aequivocus filius suus Lotharius
successerat, qui eo anno Tiethbergam, sororem Hucberti abbatis,
duxit uxorem." Annales Lobienses, s.a. 855,
MGH SS 13: 232; "Lotharius rex Thietbirgam reginam sibi
in matrimonium iunxit;" Regino, Chronicon,
s.a. 856, 77]
(2) 862 (marriage not
recognized), Waldrade.
["Hlotharius Waldradam concubinam,
maleficis ut ferebatur artibus dementatus, et ipsius pellicis,
pro qua uxorem suam Theotbergam abiecerat, caeco amore inlectus,
faventibus sibi Liutfrido, avunculo suo, et Waltario, qui vel ob
hoc maxime illi erant familiares, et, quod nefas est dictu,
quibusdam etiam regni sui episcopis consentientibus, coronat et
quasi in coniugem et reginam sibi, amicis dolentibus atque
contradicentibus, copulat." Ann. Bertin., s.a.
862, 60] Lothair's relationship with Waldrade had begun before
his marriage to Theutberge, and Lothair's efforts to have his
union with Waldrade recognized as valid and their children as
legitimate ended only with his death. Waldrade was a relative of
the Alsatian count Eberhard [Vita S. Deicoli, c. 13, MGH
SS 15: 679]. Regino states that she was a niece of Gunther,
archbishop of Cologne from 850 to 863 ["Guntarii
episcopi neptis ..." Regino, Chronicon, s.a.
864, 82], and a catalogue of the archbishops of Cologne claims
that Waldrade and Gunther were siblings ["Qui Luotharius
habuit concubinam nomine Waldradem, sororem Guntheri episcopi
Coloniensis, quam instinctu eiusdem Guntheri superdixit legitime
uxori Thieberge." Catalogi archiepiscoporum
Coloniensium, MGH SS 24: 338]. However, Parisot discounts
the supposed close relationship of Waldrade and Gunther, on the
grounds that we would have heard more about it if such a
relationship indeed existed [Parisot (1898), 152].
Children:
(by Waldrade)
Hugues, d. after 895, duke of Alsace,
867-885, lay-abbot of Lobbes, 880-5;
m. Friderada, widow of
count Ingelram and of Bernarius.
Hugues appears for the first time with his
mother Waldrade on 18 May 863 in an act of his father Lothair
["... amantissim� conjugis nostr� Waldrad� et filii
nostri Ugonis ..." RHF 8: 408 (#7)]. In 867, Lothair
made Hugues duke of Alsace ["Hlotharius ... filioque suo
de Waldrada Hugoni ducatum Elisatium donat ..." Ann.
Bertin., s.a. 867, 87]. When Lothair died in 869,
Hugues, being illegitimate, did not succeed as king. In 880, he
became abbot of Lobbes ["Hugo, filius Lotharii regis,
Lobiensis abbas efficitur." Annales Laubienses,
s.a. 880, MGH SS 4: 15]. This may be one of the abbacies
mentioned by Annales Fuldenses under the year 881, where
it is stated that the king (Louis/Ludwig the Younger) accepted
Hugues as a vassal and gave him abbacies and one or more counties
so that he would serve him faithfully ["Rex post pascha
in Galliam profectus Hugonem Hlotharii ex Waldrata filium ad se
venientem in suum suscepit dominium et [ei] abbatias et comitatus
(ei) in beneficium dedit, ut ei fidem servaret." Ann.
Fuld., s.a. 881, 96]. Apparently in 883, Hugues ordered a
certain noble named Bernarius to be killed, and then married his
widow. Before being married to Bernarius, this woman, whose name
was Friderada, had been married to the potens vir
Ingelram, by whom they had a daughter who was later married to
count Ricuin ["... Hugo ... paucis dehinc interpositis
diebus Bernarium, nobilem virum sibique fidelissimum, dolo
trucidari iussit, pulchritudine illius captus uxoris, quam absque
momento sibi in matrimonium iungit. Vocabatur autem mulier
Friderada. Quae, antequam Bernario sociaretur, copulata fuerat
Engilramno potenti viro; ex quo filiam peperit, quam postmodum
Richwinus comes in coniugium accepit, quam etiam propter stuprum
commissum idem comes decollari iussit." Regino, Chronicon,
s.a. 883, 121; Regino is here covering the events of more than
one year in his annal entry; for more on Ingelram, see the page
of Baldwin I of Flanders; see also the
page of Ricuin]. Eventually,
Hugues allied himself with the Viking Godefrid, who had married
his sister, and attempted to gain possession of his father's
kingdom ["Gotafrid Nordmannus, qui superiore anno fuerat
baptizatus, cum Hugone Hlotharii filio foedus iniit eiusque
sororem duxit in coniugum. Unde idem Hugo audacior effectus
regnum patris sui suae dicioni subiugare studuit." Ann.
Fuld., s.a. 883, 100]. In 885, Hugues was captured, blinded,
and sent either to the monastery of St. Boniface at Fulda or to
St. Galle. Later, in the reign of Zwentibold (895-8), he became a
monk at Pr�m, where he was tonsured by Regino, and where he died
and was buried after not many years. ["Hugo Hlotharii
regis filius, cuius sororem praedictus Gotafrid duxit uxorem,
insimulatus est apud imperatorem, quod eiusdem conspirationis
Gotafridi contra regnum imperatoris fautor existeret. Quamobrem
ad imperatorem vocatus et noxa convictus lumine oculorum una cum
avinculo suo privatus est et in monasterium sancti Bonifatii apud
Fuldam retrusus finem suae habuit tyrannidis." Ann.
Fuld., s.a. 885, 103; "Hugo etiam filius Hlotharii
regis iubente imperatore per consilium dicti ducis excaecatus
est." ("dictus dux" was
Henri/Heinrich), Ann. Vedast, s.a. 885, 57; "Non
multis post interpositis diebus Hugo eiusdem Heinrici consilio ad
Gundulfi villam promissionibus adtractus dolo capitur; et iussu
imperatoris ab eodem Heinrico ei oculi eruuntur omnesque faventes
dehonestantur. Post haec in Alamannia in monasterio sancti Galli
mittitur, inde postea in patriam revocatur; novissime temporibus
Zuendibolchi regis in Prumia monasterio manu mea adtonsus est; -
eram enim tunc temporis in eodem loco dominici ovilis, quamvis
non idoneus, tamen custos; - ubi non post multos annos moritur et
sepelitur." Regino, Chronicon, s.a. 885, 125;
again, Regino covers several years in one annal, as Zwentibold
reigned from 895 to 898].
(presumably by
Waldrade)
The mother of Lothair's daughters
is not directly documented. It is generally presumed that
Waldrade was their mother.
Gis�le, d. 21 May � 26 October 907;
m. 882, Godefrid, d. June 885, Danish king, duke
in Friesland.
In 882, she was married to the Danish
raider Godefrid, who accepted baptism and was given land in
Frisia ["Godefridus vero rex ad eum exiit, cui imperator
regnum Fresonum, quod olim Roricus Danus tenuerat, dedit.
Coniugemque ei dedit Gislam filiam Hlotharii regis ..."
Ann. Vedast., s.a. 882, 51-2; "Novissime
Godefridus rex Nortmannorum ea conditione christianum se fieri
pollicetur, si ei munere regis Fresia provincia concederetur, et
Gisla filia Lotharii in uxorem daretur." Regino, Chronicon,
s.a. 882, 120]. Godefrid was killed in 885 [Ann. Vedast.,
s.a. 885, 57; Ann. Fuld., s.a. 885, 102, 114; Regino, Chronicon,
s.a. 885, 124]. Gis�le is found as abbess of Nivelles on 26 July
897 ["... dilectissime neptis nostre interventu Gissele
quasdam res Nyuialensis abbaciae ..." MGH DD Zw 46
(#16)]. She was still living on 21 May 907, when she appeared in
an act of Charles the Simple ["dilect� Gisl�
abbatiss�" RHF 9: 505 (#38)]. She is mentioned as
deceased in an act of 26 October 907, which also calls her abbess
of Fosses ["... qualiter bon� memoriae Kisala illustris
femina abbatiam Fosses nominatam in pago Lomins� in comitatu
Perengarii, ..." MGH DD LdK 182 (#55)].
Bertha, d. 8
March 925; m (1) before 880, Thibaud,
count of Arles; m. (2) Adalberto II, margrave of
Tuscany.
Bertha's epitaph shows that she was a
daughter of Lothair [Epitaphia Lucensia, MGH Poet. Lat.
4: 1008; see also RHF 9: 105], and her husband Thibaud was
mentioned as a sororius of Hugues, son of Lothair II in Annales
Bertiniani [Ann. Bertin., s.a. 880, 151].
Further details can be found on the page of Bertha.
Ermengarde, d. 6 August, year unknown,
nun.
Ermengarde is known from her epitaph at
Lucca ["Hic iacet in tumulo felix venerabilis atque /
Ermingardis olim namque dicata deo, / Quam rex egregius Lotharius
edidit ipse / Germaniaeque decus Francorumve potens. / Huc
quisque veniens epigrammata legeris ista. / Die: 'Famulae,
Christe, probra remitte tuae.' / VIII. Idus Augusti feliciter
obiit." Epitaphia Lucensia, MGH Poet. Lat. 4:
1007]. Gingins-La-Sarra conjectured that she was the same person
as Ermengarde, wife of B�rillon, viscount of Vienne
[Gingins-La-Sarra (1851-3), 104-5].
Relative (propinqua): Engeltrude, m. Boso,
d. 874�8, count in Italy.
Engeltrude was the daughter of a count
Matfrid ["Ego Engiltrudis, filia quondam Matfridi
comitis, quae fui uxor Bosonis comitis, ..." Regino, Chronicon,
s.a. 866, 85], and is stated by Hincmar to have been a propinqua
of Lothair II [Hincmar, De divortio Lotharii, question
5, PL 125: 754]. Her husband Boso was possibly a brother of
Lothair's wife Theutberge [see the page of Boso].
The exact nature of her relationship with Lothair is unexplained.
One conjecture, due to Kr�ger, is that Engeltrude's father
Matfrid was a brother of �ve, mother of Ermengarde, mother of
Lothair II [Kr�ger (1890) (not seen by me); Parisot (1898), 165,
n. 5; Poupardin (1901), 299]. Engeltrude left her husband Boso
and ran off with one of his vassals. The case involving Boso and
Engeltrude involved some of the same ecclesiastical councils that
considered the divorce of Lothair.
Bibliography
Ann. Bertin. = G. Waitz, ed., Annales Bertiniani (MGH SRG 6, Hannover, 1883).
Ann. Fuld. = Friedrich Kurze, ed., Annales Fuldenses (MGH SRG 7, Hannover, 1891).
Ann. Vedast. = B. de Simson, ed., Annales Xantenses et Annales Vedastini (MGH SRG 12, 1909), 41-82.
Brandenburg (1964) = Erich Brandenburg, Die Nachkommen Karls des Gro�en (Frankfurt, 1964).
Gingins-La-Sarra (1851-3) = Fr�d�ric de Gingins-La-Sarra, "M�moires pour servir � l'histoire des royaumes de Provence et de Bourgogne-Jurane", Archiv f�r Schweizerische Geschichte 7 (1851): 85-201; 8 (1851): 3-116; 9 (1853): 85-260.
Kr�ger (1890) = Kr�ger, Der Ursprung des Hauses Lothringen-Habsburg (Vienne, 1890). [I have not seen this work.]
MGH DD = Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Diplomata series. [Zw = Zwentibold, LdK = Ludwig das Kind]
MGH Poet. Lat. = Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Poetae latini aevi carolini.
MGH SRG = Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptores rerum Germanicarum (separate editions).
MGH SS = Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptores series.
Parisot (1898) = Robert Parisot, Le Royaume de Lorraine sous les Carolingiens (1898, reprinted Geneva, 1975).
PL = P. Migne, Patrologiae Cursus Completus, series Latina, 221 vols. (Paris, 1844-1859).
Poupardin (1901) = Ren� Poupardin, Le royaume de Provence sous les Carolingiens (Paris, 1901).
Regino, Chronicon = Friedrich Kurze, ed., Reginonis abbatis Prumiensis Chronicon cum continuatione Treverensi (MGH SRG, Hannover, 1890).
RHF = Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France.
Settipani (1993) = Christian Settipani, La pr�histoire des Cap�tiens 481-987 (Premi�re partie - M�rovingiens, Carolingiens et Robertiens) (Villeneuve d'Ascq, 1993).
Werner (1967) = Karl Ferdinand Werner, "Die Nachkommen Karls des Gro�en bis um das Jahr 1000 (1.-8. Generation)", Karl der Gro�e 4 (1967): 403-483.
Compiled by Stewart Baldwin
First uploaded 20 September 2008.