ON S. IDABERGA VIRG. ANGLE,
TRANSLATED TO BERGUES-S-WINOC IN FLANDERS.
LITTLE COMMENTARY OF JOHN BOLLAND.
On the time and author of the translation, likely from the monastery of Peterborough.
Iduberga, of Bergues-St-Winoc in Flanders (S.)
BY G. H.
[1] The Martyrology of the monastery of S. Winoc, cited by Raissius; and Molanus, in additions to Usuardus, Translation entered in the Fasti, have thus: XII Kal. of July, the glorious translation of S. Oswald King, and of S. Idaberga (in Molanus Iduberga) Virgin. More briefly Wion and Menardus: On the same day of S. Iduberga the Virgin. Wion thinks (in his Notes) it is Idaberga or Itisberga, of whom we treated on May XXI; which others, as Meyer, Molanus, Raissius and others have handed down.
[2] Believed to have been done in the year 1038 But in the Bergues Chronicle these things are had: Thence in the year MXXXVIII Balger the monk transferred the bodies of SS. Oswald King and Martyr of England and Idaberga Virgin from England to Bergues into the monastery of S. Winoc, of which translation to Rumold Drogo the Monk wrote. We shall give on August V the life of S. Oswald, collected by Drogo the Monk, and afterwards Bishop of Thérouanne, and two Sermons of the same Drogo about him to Rumold Abbot of Bergues. William Gazet in the Ecclesiastical History of Belgium says, with the body of S. Oswald King. that certain bones of S. Idaberga, and of S. Oswald, were brought from England. The same from Gazet refers Sanderus in the Hagiologium of Flanders.
[3] Who this Idaberga was, I have not yet ascertained, but since there were several in England Edburgs or Edilburgs or Edilbergs, altogether I would judge that some one of these, perhaps a little later: whose Relics Balger obtained from the English, since he was, as is said, dear to the King of the English. Indeed in the year MXXXVIII Oswald was ruling the English, but a little more truly I would judge this to have happened, under King Hardecnut, or S. Edward, who as he had been born of Emma of Flanders, the access of Flemings to his court was on that occasion freer; and when Hardecnut had long sojourned at Bruges, Balger had perhaps then contracted acquaintance with him. other things of the year 1221. Furthermore since, as we shall say on August II, the Relics of S. Oswald were kept at Peterborough, and thence a part was brought into Flanders; it is probable that some Relics of Edburg, daughter of Penda King of the Mercians, who with SS. Kineburg, Kineswith, and her sisters Chinesdra, was buried in the monastery of Dormundeaster, only two miles from Peterborough, were brought by Balger into Flanders. Which Meyer above cited refers as a translation made in the year MCCXXI; it was perhaps of this kind, that the relics of SS. Edburg and Oswald were placed in a new shrine.
[4] In the year MDLVIII when Thermaeus, leader of the French troops, irrupted into maritime Flanders; Relics scattered in the year 1558. and with Dunkirk taken, also occupied Bergues, and devastated it with fire: then with the most noble monastery of S. Winoc burning, the Monks fleeing, also the Relics of SS. Iduberga, Oswald, and Lewina were lost.
D. P.
[5] Bollandus, perhaps more than fifty years before, when March had not yet begun to be sent to press, by some occasion had left this digested little Commentary: She could have flourished in the 7th century. nor did Henschen find what afterwards to add, although in March on day VI, about SS. Kineburg and Kineswith aforesaid, he commented many things. To me it is pleasing to find the names and labors of masters among the Acts of later months, and so far as permitted to pursue and complete what is well begun: but I find nothing further to add to these; I only say, if with the aforesaid holy sisters S. Idaberga, of whom is our discourse here, had anything in common in life, she seems to have lived under the end of the VII century, just as Henschen establishes them to have lived.