A letter from Cuneburg, Cuneburga/Cuniburg (729-44)

Translated letter:

To their dearest brothers in Christ, abbots Coengils and Ingeld, and particularly to our relative the priest Wigbert, the whole congregation of three monasteries, that is of the most reverend father Aldhun, and the servant of Christ Cneuburg, and also Coenburg/Cuneburg?, abbesses, [send] perennial and indissoluble greetings in the lord. Willingly and gratefully we received the little gifts of your greeting and with God's help we desire to repay them worthily and we consent to have her, whom you wrote about, in our prayers and communion with good spirit and pure faith towards you at the hours you suggested, incessantly. And I Cneuburg beg you, o faithful priest Wigbert to keep the names of our dead sisters in your memory, and transmit them to our friends all around. Of whom the first was Quengyth, my sister by blood, and Edlu, who was, while she lived here, mother Etan, a relative of your former abbot Aldhun; both of them were buried on the same day, the ides of September. May the omnipotent lord deign to keep your beatitude safe as you pray for us, most beloved brothers and lords. Through the age of Emanuel. Greet the servants of Christ all around with truest words, most beloved brothers.

Original letter:

Fratribus in Christo carissimis Coengilso et Ingeldo abbatibus et singulariter cognato nostro Wietberto presbytero omnis congregatio trium monasteriorum, id est Aldhuni patris reverentissimi et Cneuburge Christi famulae nec non et Coenburge abbatissarum, perennem atque insolubilem in domino salutem. Libenter nanque atque gratanter vestrae salutationis munuscula suscepimus Deoque adiuvante isdem digna reconpensare disideramus et eam, quam circa nos scripsistis habere in orationibus, communionem bono animo et pura fide erga vos indesinenter habere horis, quibus intimastis, consentimus. Nomina quoque nostrarum defunctarum sororum ego Cneuburg memorialiter te habere, o Wiehtberhte presbiter fidelis, deprecor et omnibus circumquaque amicis transmittere. Quarum prima fuit Quoengyth soror mea germana, et Edlu, quae erat, cum adhuc viveret, mater Etan, Aldhuni quondam tui abbatis propinquae; quarum utique ambarum fuit uno die depositio, id est Idibus Septembris. Orantem pro nobis beatitudinem vestram Dominus omnipotens custodire dignetur incolomem, dilectissimi fratrese et domini. Per aevum Emmanuel. Saluta omnes circumquaque Christi servos nostris veracissimis verbis, dilectissimi fratres.

Historical context:

The two groups of religious agree to offer prayers for the souls of relatives and fellow religious.

Printed source:

MGH, Epistolae Merovingici et Karolini Aevi, 6, S.Bonifacii et Lulli Epistolae, ep.55

Date:

729-44