SIGEBERT OF AUSTRASIA, ST.

Merovingian king, b. 631; d. Feb. 1, 656. The son of Dagobert I, Sigebert became king when he was three years old. Precise sources for his reign are lacking. It was marked by a war against Duke Radulphus, to whom Dagobert had entrusted the defense of Thuringia and who had revolted. Sigebert was defeated and barely escaped massacre. He was baptized by St. amandus and in general showed deference toward the Church, but he resisted the bishops when he felt his royal prerogatives were at stake. He showed particular favor to the two abbeys of St. Remaclus, stavelot and malmedy. He was buried at Saint-Martin-devant-Metz, a monastery whose benefactor he had been. In 1552–53, his relics were transferred to Nancy; he became patron of the city. His vita was written by sigebert of gembloux. He is invoked for protection against inclement weather.

Feast: Feb. 1.

Bibliography: Sources. Acta Sanctorum (Paris 1863–) Feb. 1:231–242. "Historia Francorum," Monumenta Germaniae Historica: Scriptores rerum Merovingicarum (Berlin 1826–) 2:215–328. "Chronica Fredegarii," Monumenta Germaniae Historica: Scriptores rerum Merovingicarum (Berlin 1826–) 2:1–193. Literature. e. lavisse, ed. Histoire de France, 9 v. (Paris 1900–11) 2.1:163–165. u. chevalier, Répertoire des sources historiques du moyen-âge. Biobibliographie, 2 v. (2d ed. Paris 1905–07) 2:4241. b. krusch, "Der Staatsstreich des fränkischen Hausmeiers Grimoald I," Historische Aufsätze Karl Zeumer zum sechzigsten Geburtstag als Festgabe (Weimar 1910) 411–428. Cambridge Medieval History, 8 v. (London-New York 1911–36) v.2. abbÉ guise, Saint Sigisbert (Paris 1920). a. butler, The Lives of the Saints, rev. ed. h. thurston and d. attwater, 4 v. (New York 1956) 1:229.

[É. brouette]