Zuster Bertken
Sister Bertken
an almost forgotten mysterious woman
at
Home2b.nl
Sister Bertken
from Utrecht
Sister Bertken is a remarkable spiritual figure
in the history
of the Netherlands and certainly in the history
of medieval Utrecht.
When she died in 1514 she was seen by the
citizens
of Utrecht as a very holy person.
The bells of the Domtower were sounding twice
to honor her
as one of the greatest saints
on the day she died,June 25 1514.
She lived in a cell of about 3 by 3 meters
according to the rules of enclosed people.
She was not allowed to leave her little room.
She had to pay for the building of her
enclosure herself
(which she did)
and by handywork she had to provide for her own
living,
(which she did very successfully,
because what she earned more
she handed out to the many poor).
In her enclosure the dimensions
came together
because she had visions and
prophecies.
For her the dimensions were opening
wide.
Many people came to her little window to ask
for advice
and to ask for her visions.
She was a living saint for many.
On the inside of the Buurkerk (Buurchurch)
she could see and hear the proceedings
in the ancient church.
This church was a "Noodgods" church
where the triad Anna, Mary and the dead adult
Jesus
was venerated by many pilgrims.
The Noodgods veneration was in many places
destroyed
between the years 1450 and 1550
by the Roman Catholic church itself
even before the Reformation took over.
May be this Noodgods aspect is the reason, why
Sister Bertken
is not talked about or recognized.
The Noodgods is ofcourse recognisable as the
two sisters
Isis and Nephtys moarning the dead of their
brother Osiris (Asar).
Sister Bertken in her cell.
An old token of her activity.
Sister Bertken was born in 1426 and her name
was Berta Jacobsdochter.
She stayed in her cell for 57 years
from 1457 until her death in 1514.
The gravestone of sister Bertken in the busy shopping
mall Choirstreet.
Thousands of people step upon her gravestone
without even knowing that very probably
the grave of Sister Bertken is still somewhere in this
street.
Already in 1539 the cellar of Sister Bertken
was destroyed by the Roman Catholic church
and her grave was replaced.
In 1579 the People of the Reformation took over
and destroyed her grave totally.
The Buurchurch was partly broken down
(the altar part of the church)
and transformed into the Choirstreet,
today a very busy mall in the center of Utrecht.
Original
words of Sister Bertken
(almost
impossible to translate):
Ik
was in mijn hoofken om kruud gegaan
Ik was in mijn hoofkijn om kruud gegaan,
Ik en vand er niet dan distel ende doorn staan.
Den distel ende den doorn die wierp ik uut,
Ik zoude gaarne planten ander kruud.
Nu heb ik een gevonden, die gaarden kan;
Hi wil die zorge gaarne nemen an.
Een boom was hoog gewassen in korten tijd,
Dien vond ik uter aarden gebrengen niet.
Dat hinder van den bome merkte hi waal,
Hi toog ‘m uter aarden altemaal.
Nu moet ik hem wezen onderdaan,
Oft hi en wil dat gaarden niet bestaan.
Mijn hoofken moet ik wiên tot alre tijd,
Nochtans en kan ik ‘s klaar gehouden niet.
Hierin zo moet ik zaaien leliënzaad,
Dit moet ik vroeg beginnen in der dageraad.
Als hi daarop laat dauwen, die minre mijn,
Zo zal dit zaaiken schier bekleven zijn.
Die leliën ziet hi gaarne, die minre mijn,
Als zi te rechte bloeien ende zuver zijn.
Als die rode rozen daaronder staan,
Zo laat hij zinen zoete dauw daarover gaan.
Als hi daarop laat schinen der zonnen schijn,
Zo verbliden alle die krachten der zielen mijn.
Jezus is zijn name, die minre mijn!
Ik wil hem eeuwelijk dienen en zijn eigen zijn.
Zijn min heeft mi gegeven zo hogen moed,
Dat ik niet meer en achte dit aardse goed.
Zuster Bertken
(1427-1514)
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Updated December 07,
2006
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