Who is Waltrude?
Her History
Waltrude, Countess of Hainaut, was born to Count Walbert IV of Hainaut and Princess Bertille of Thuringia in 612 in Austrasia, the Kingdom of the Franks, in an area now known as Cousolre in northern France. Her parents served in the courts of the Frankish kings Chlothar II and Dagobert I. Through her parents, her family tree includes Lucille, sister to Zeno, Roman Emperor of the East, and Clothild, sister to Athalaric, King of the Ostrogoths in Italy. She had one younger sister, Aldegonde.
During the first half of 600, Waltrude married Madelgar. He was an impressive man whom Frankish kings Dagobert I and Sigebert III took great interest in. He was sent to Ireland many times and may have participated in the Battle of Magh Rath.
The two had four children together: Landry, Madelberte, Aldetrude, and Dentelin. Landry would become Bishop of Metz and both Madelberte and Aldetrude became nuns at Waltrude's sister's convent in Maubeuge.
When Dentelin died at the age of seven, the couple chose to retire from public life and join the religious life. Waltrude founded a convent that grew into the city of Mons, while her husband founded two monasteries in what are now Hautmont, France, and Soignies, Belgium. Madelgar took the name Vincent and retired to the abbey in Hautmont. Later in life, he would resign as abbot there and went to the second one to live out his days much closer to his wife, and the monastery grew into the city of Soignies.
Vincent would die in July 14, 677. Waltrude would live for another eleven years, passing away on April 9, 688. The lands of Waltrude fell to her cousin, Aye, who took over the convent at Mons. Waltude’s legacy continued with many medieval lords counting Waltrude as their aunt, including Kings of the Franks Carloman I, Pepin the Short, and Charlemagne.
Her Relics
There are two main relics of Waltrude, her casket and head. Sometime in 1250, because of Waltrude's popularity, the Diocese of Cambrai decided to sanctify two relics instead of one. Removing her skull, they placed it into a separate reliquary. The head rests in a striking silver bust with a gold canopy.
In November 1792, French Revolutionary Forces marched through Hainaut and were met with resistance by the armies of the Holy Roman Empire. This would become the Battle of Jemappes. Fearing that the relics and treasures would be looted and destroyed, the canonesses secreted away Waltrude's casket and fled to Liege and Ratingen, a city in present day Germany. Her relics and the canonesses stayed away for nine years before returning to Mons in 1803 once the chaos the French Revolution died down. This event is immortalized in a series of plaques that appear on the gold carriage that is used for the Procession of Mons.
In Latin, the plaques read: Sancta Waldetrudis novennio profuga ex Rattingen sacris sibi aedibus restituta. Ter tribus abannis patria Waldetrudis exulin sacras sibilaeta patrona revertitur aedes. Relliquiae a nono profugae Waldetrudis anno antiqua et sacra sibi restituuntur in aede. Sanctae Waldetrudis relliquae ex Rattingen antiquis sedibus restitutae.
In English, it reads: Saint Waltrude, after nine years in exile, out of Ratingen has been restored to her sacred house. After thrice three years exiled from her country, Waltrude, our blessed patroness, returns to her sacred shrine. Relics of nine-year-exiled Waltrude, ancient and sacred, are restored to her house. The relics of Saint Waltrude from Ratingen were restored to their ancient place.