Rothild (abbess of Bouxières)

Rothild (French: Rothilde; Latin: Rothildis or Rotildis) was a Benedictine nun and the first abbess of the Abbey of Bouxières [fr] (fl. 937–966).

Rothild was born into an aristocratic family, probably the Bosonids.^[1][2] On one hypothesis, she was the daughter of Count Hugh of Bourges [fr] and Rothild, a daughter of King Charles the Bald. That she was of the highest nobility is confirmed by a charter of Emperor Otto the Great in 965.^[3]

The Abbey of Bouxières was founded by Bishop Gauzelin of Toul (r. 922–966) for some female religious from the Abbey of Saint-Èvre. He installed Rothild as their first abbess.^[4][5] The surviving foundation charter of 13 January 937, however, has been tampered with, if it is not an outright forgery.^[6] Nevertheless, the date is not far off, since the earliest reference to Rothild as abbess in an authentic charter is from October 937.^[3] Although the new abbey was directly subordinate to the bishop and Rothild held the title of abbess (abbitissa), she was also in some sense under a commendatory abbot (abbas), Odalric, also abbot of Saints-Geosmes.^[6]

According to John of Saint-Arnoul's Life of John of Gorze, before she became abbess, Rothild sought the spiritual advice of a certain hermit named Humbert, who lived in a cell in Verdun and had two anchoresses among his followers.^[7][8][9] When Humbert was subsequently named abbot of Saint-Èvre, it was probably through the influence of Rothild.^[10] Rothild is mentioned in many charters as abbess,^[1] including Pope Stephen VIII's confirmation of its foundation in 941.^[2] Her last mention is in a charter of 966, when Duke Frederick I of Upper Lorraine found in her favour in a dispute over property at Mirecourt.^[11] By 977, there was a new abbess, Ermengartis.^[12]