Adam Soroko's blog

From the early years of her life, Radegund was extremely pious and generous to those who were less fortunate than she. This is a theme that continues throughout her lifetime. "While but a small child, she herself brought the scraps left at table to the gathered children, washing the head of each one." She also gave a good portion of her tribute (not sure if it is income taxes or gifts from her husband) to the poor. "[Radegund] paid out what she received lest the burden weigh her down." Although she gave alms at a very young age, the fact that she saw such bloodshed and murder undoubtedly had a profound effect on her. From that point on, she understood the value of life and tried to preserve and better the lives of others. She would clean the diseases and sores of her people consistently in order to keep them alive and well. Radegund also was "more Christ's partner than her husband's companion." She was willing to hurt her relationship with her husband, who was not exactly a fair man in the first place, just to remain faithful and observant to the Lord. Radegund represented a strong and good-willed woman who was more powerful than even most men. However, she never abused her power. Instead, she used it to ensure that her people were better off since she only needed Christ's guidance and not wealth. She maintained her philosophies throughout her lifetime, set an example for future queens, and served as a martyr for her religion.

Although Venantius attempts to recount only one life, his Radegund, interestingly, seems to actually be split into two people who are described separately in Book one and Book two. Book one’s Radegund seems primarily interested in being “a monacha rather than a queen.” Moreover she is also seen punishing herself during Quadragesima and undergoing various voluntary tortures “so that she might become a martyr,” which shows her to be a human working towards the afterlife. However, Book two’s Radegund seems to be less concerned about going to heaven and more concerned about performing miracles. This seems to suggest that she is now not only a conduit of God’s power and his favor, but also somewhat divine. While this creation of two different Radegunds can be dismissed as insignificant, it can be used to see how people moved through the nunnery’s hierarchy. First, a new nun may have to undergo an initiation period where fasting and humility punishments are expected, such as Radegund’s experience in Book one. However, after this period is over, the nun may receive more power to do “good,” which Radegund’s divine power may represent. So, I wonder is Venantius’s recounting of Radegund’s life simply and exaggeration of her piousness made into a good story or possibly her steps to power in the church?

"Soon she divested herself of the noble costume which she was wont to wear as queen when she walked in procession on the day of a festival with her train of attendants. She laid it on the altar and piled the table of Divine Glory with purple, gems, ornaments and like gifts to honor Him. She gave a heavy girdle of costly gold for the relief of the poor. (Fortunatus 13)"
Radegund was not only saintly and wealthy, but she was portrayed as generous and helping in the course readers' reading. On the other hand, in GofT, praises her, all the way until her death. Perhaps, because Gregory wrote more about her in his other book, more descriptions could have been applied about how Gregory felt--Gregory was there at Radegund's funeral, but not much was illustrated there, as opposed to Fortunatus' writing where "everyone was weeping".

Radegund was described as a devoted person who frequents for the help of the Bishop (IX.39), deeming her someone who, thought saintly can't do everything by herself. Yet on occasions, there are descriptions about how even the king Sigibert would give support to her (GofT. IX 40) same goes as in McNamara's writing well Radegund would be heard by bishpos and nuns. In every writing, Radegund was respected and listened by most of the people around her.

Both sources show Radegund as a person so devoted to her religion that she tortured herself to show her faithfulness. However, one glaring difference between the two versions of the story is the childhood. In the first story, the author uses the second paragraph to tell us about her childhood. In the second version of the story, the author goes from his or her introduction immediately to Radegund's life as queen. Despite this difference, the childhood story was only a foreshadowing of what to expect. As a child, Radegund is described as someone wise beyond her years.
I found it interesting that there was an instance when Radegund supposedly deprived herself of food and other necessities of life without the abbess knowing. If this was the case, how come the author knows? Another thing I found interesting is the fact that in the first book she punished herself for not being the first to do things for others. It appears she is doing things for others not because she wants to, but because she wants to win a competition. This doesn't strike me as the behavior of a pious person.

Radegund had a MESSED UP FAMILY!

I'd like to pose a thought to ponder.

In our current society, during the times we live in, pyschological trauma plays an important role in the upbringing, development, and overall basis of our lives. We write off explanations to serious matters like sexual assault and abuse to be the cause of emotional scarring lingering from childhood.

My question is this: how does St. Radegund function the way that she does without a total pyschiatric breakdown? Follow me, her father was murdered by her uncle, who ended up caring for her and her brother. Then her brother was murdered because he posed a threat to the throne, and Radegund fled to become a saint. How does someone surrounded with that much immediate tragedy stay sane?

Woman and Radegund

In all accounts of St. Radegund's life she is described as a pious wowan in that she is, "energetically alms giving", and "she believed that anything that the poor recieved from her was their own in reality." What I see in the accounts of her life from the course reader that I see as different from Gregory of Tours is the way in whicht they talk about her. In the course reader she is described mainly as important because yes she is saintly, but she is a saintly woman and God "wins mighty victories through the female sex and, despite their frail physique, He confers glory and greatness on women through strength of mind.". In general I feel like the authors in the course reader almost see to be explaining away the fact that she is a woman at times so that she might appear saintly. In Gregory of Tours, he establishes that she is a woman, yes, but he never takes the time to descrie her disadvantage of being a woman. In fact, he describes her as having great influence with God and the Frankish kings when Clotild was upset and pleaded in all directions for escape from the "menevolent" Radegund. I would like to know more textual information to gain knowledge of the views of women in the times of all the authors.

Radegund Playas!!!

As we well know in our brief literary forays (at least those that we have elected to do) that Queen/St. Radegund is among the more examined figures of the era. While the details of her marriage and various strifes are among the most noteworthy I found an interesting discrepancy in the descriptions crowning the last era of Radegund's life, in which she took care of a nunnery. 

The article in the reader details Radegund's nunnery as akin to an oasis in a desert of war. While it goes over the difficulties it manages to explain details that sketch the nunnery as a rich and vibrant place. They also explain the difficulties of running the place and examine Radegund's constant pleas for help. They portray her life outside of the spotlight as one of quiet activism and manifestation of the principal's of one's life. While this period of her life seems to be regarded as nothing more than a footnote in these histories I found it quite compelling as it is akin to the political lives led by so many leaders. Look no further than Jimmy Carter, ousted from the Presidency, Mr. Carter has pulled a Radegund and established his own domain as a peace keeping place. 

Though this is a bit of stretch, I wonder if Radegund set the template for many post political careers. 

In Gregory's work, attention was paid to Radegund's life but it glossed over most of the details. It makes her seem like a constant bother to local municipalities. However, it can be argued that most of the work went into explanation of the juicy details of Radegund's life. Being from the era Gregory was probably overcome with the popular tales and his personal relationship. He could have considered her life ending forays as mere retirement trivialities. It wasn't until later scholars that these endeavors were renowned for their worth. 

Radegund Playas!!!*