Adela of Hamaland

Adela of Hamaland (952-1021), was sovereign countess of Hamaland in the Netherlands in 973-1021. She was also the regent of Renkum in circa 983-?, likely as regent for her son Dirk of Renkum. Her claim on the county of Hamaland caused a war of succession with her sister Liutgard of Elten, which lasted from 973 until 996.

Life

Adela was the daughter of count Wichman II of Hamaland (d. 973) and Liutgard of Flanders (d. 962). She married count Immed of Renkum (d. 983) and 995 with count Balderik of Hamaland, whom she made her co-regent by marriage.

Adela was the younger sister of Liutgard (d. 995), who became the abbess of Elten Abbey, which was founded by their father. Adela herself married count Immed of Renkum, with whom she had five children. At the death of their father in 973, the Emperor made Elten Abbey a Princely Imperial Abbey and Liutgard was thereby given sovereign status as princess abbess of Elten. A succession war erupted between the sisters, as Adela claimed the county as sovereign countess of Hamaland and Liutgard claimed all the county as Elten territory. Liutgard had her vassal Balderik burn Adela's fortress down.

In 983, Adela became a widow and regent of the county of Renkum as guardian of her minor son. She used her power position to occupy the territory of Liutgard, but was forced by the emperor to end the occupation.

Upon the death of Liutgard in 995, Adela married her sister's former vassal Balderik, and named him co-regent as count of Hamaland by marriage. One year later, the succession dispute between Adela and Elten was finally resolved by mediation of the emperor: the territory formally named county of Hamaland was parted between Elten Abbey and Adela of Hamaland, and Adela's spouse Balderik was formally named the successor of her father. In 999, Adela and Balderik conquered the land given to Elten as well.

By their contemporaries, Balderik was regarded merely as the tool of Adela, and when his rival Wichman van Vreden was murdered in 1016, she rather than Balderik was blamed. The followers of Wichman made siege to Adela's fortress Uplade, where she was left by Balderik, who had escaped, to defend the fortress herself. Adela did not have enough soldiers, and therefore dressed women as soldiers and usd them in her defense as well. The fortress was eventually conquered by the enemy, but Adela was allowed to leave unharmed.

Legacy

Adela has traditionally been given an infamous reputation in history, and referred to as the Lady Macbeth of the Netherlands.

She is the subject of the novel De valse dageraad (2001, ISBN 9789035122895) by Jan van Aken.

References

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