Ida of Lorraine
Encyclopedia
Ida of Lorraine (c. 1040 – 13 April 1113) was a saint and noblewoman.
She was the daughter of Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine
and his wife, Doda. Ida's grandfather was Gothelo I, Duke of Lorraine
and Ida's brother was Godfrey IV, Duke of Lower Lorraine
.
. They had three sons:
Ida shunned the use of a wet-nurse in raising her sons. Instead, she breast-fed them to ensure that they were not contaminated by the wet-nurse's morals. When her sons went on the First Crusade
, Ida contributed heavily to their expenses.
She maintained a correspondence with Anselm of Canterbury
. Some of Anselm’s letters to Ida have survived.
She became increasingly involved in church life. However, current scholarship feels that she did not actually become a Benedictine Nun, but that she was a “Secular Oblate of the Benedictine Order”.
. Her remains were moved in 1669 to Paris
and again in 1808 to Bayeux
.
Her life story was written by contemporary monk of Saint Vaast Abbey.
She is venerated in Bayeux.
She was the daughter of Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine
Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine
Godfrey III , called the Bearded, was the eldest son of Gothelo I, duke of Upper and Lower Lorraine. By inheritance, he was count of Verdun and he became margrave of Antwerp as a vassal of the duke of Lower Lorraine...
and his wife, Doda. Ida's grandfather was Gothelo I, Duke of Lorraine
Gothelo I, Duke of Lorraine
Gothelo , called the Great, was the duke of Lower Lorraine from 1023 and of Upper Lorraine from 1033. He was also the margrave of Antwerp from 1005 and count of Verdun. Gothelo was the youngest son of Godfrey I, Count of Verdun, and Matilda Billung, daughter of Herman, Duke of Saxony...
and Ida's brother was Godfrey IV, Duke of Lower Lorraine
Godfrey IV, Duke of Lower Lorraine
Godfrey IV , known as the Hunchback, was a son of Godfrey the Bearded, whom he succeeded as duke of Lower Lorraine in 1069. His mother was Doda and his sister was Ida....
.
Family
In 1057, she married Eustace II of BoulogneEustace II of Boulogne
Eustace II, , also known as Eustace aux Gernons was count of Boulogne from 1049–1087, fought on the Norman side at the Battle of Hastings, and afterwards received a large honour in England. He is one of the few proven Companions of William the Conqueror.He was the son of Eustace I...
. They had three sons:
- Eustace III, the next Count of BoulogneCount of BoulogneThe county of Boulogne was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of a part of the present-day French département of the Pas-de-Calais , in parts of which there is still a Dutch-speaking minority....
- Godfrey of BouillonGodfrey of BouillonGodfrey of Bouillon was a medieval Frankish knight who was one of the leaders of the First Crusade from 1096 until his death. He was the Lord of Bouillon, from which he took his byname, from 1076 and the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 1087...
, first ruler of Kingdom of JerusalemKingdom of JerusalemThe Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods.... - BaldwinBaldwin I of JerusalemBaldwin I of Jerusalem, formerly Baldwin I of Edessa, born Baldwin of Boulogne , 1058? – 2 April 1118, was one of the leaders of the First Crusade, who became the first Count of Edessa and then the second ruler and first titled King of Jerusalem...
, second ruler of Kingdom of Jerusalem
Ida shunned the use of a wet-nurse in raising her sons. Instead, she breast-fed them to ensure that they were not contaminated by the wet-nurse's morals. When her sons went on the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
, Ida contributed heavily to their expenses.
Life
Ida was always religiously and charitably active, but the death of her husband provided her wealth and the freedom to use it for her projects. She founded several monasteries:- Saint-Wulmer in Boulogne-sur-MerBoulogne-sur-Mer-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
- Our Lady of the Chapel, Calais
- Saint-Bertin
- Abbey of Cappelle
- Abbey of Le WastLe WastLe Wast is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Le Wast is situated some east of Boulogne, at the junction of the D252 and D127 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:...
She maintained a correspondence with Anselm of Canterbury
Anselm of Canterbury
Anselm of Canterbury , also called of Aosta for his birthplace, and of Bec for his home monastery, was a Benedictine monk, a philosopher, and a prelate of the church who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109...
. Some of Anselm’s letters to Ida have survived.
She became increasingly involved in church life. However, current scholarship feels that she did not actually become a Benedictine Nun, but that she was a “Secular Oblate of the Benedictine Order”.
Death and burial
Ida died on 13 April 1113, which is the date she is honoured. Traditionally, her burial place has been ascribed to the Monastery of Saint VaastSt. Vaast's Abbey
The Abbey of St. Vaast was a Benedictine monastery situated in Arras, département of Pas-de-Calais, France.-History:The abbey was founded in 667. Saint Vedast, or Vaast was the first bishop of Arras and later also bishop of Cambrai, and was buried in the old cathedral at Arras...
. Her remains were moved in 1669 to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and again in 1808 to Bayeux
Bayeux
Bayeux is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France.Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England.-Administration:Bayeux is a sub-prefecture of Calvados...
.
Her life story was written by contemporary monk of Saint Vaast Abbey.
She is venerated in Bayeux.