Welcome to the ONLY Saturday matchup of Lent Madness 2023. From here on out, every weekday of Lent will feature a new opportunity for learning and voting. We won't stop until Spy Wednesday! (more about that in due time)
Today it's Olga of Kiev vs. Bertha of Kent. A woman who played a role in converting Russians to Christianity vs. a woman who played a role in converting the English to Christianity.
Yesterday, in the second romp in as many days, Florence Li Tim-Oi defeated Nicolaus von Zinzendorf 79% to 21%. Don't worry! We'll get some nail biters soon enough. It's all but guaranteed.
Well, go vote and we'll see you first thing Monday morning as Scholastica takes on Richard Hooker.
Olga of Kiev
“Vengeance is mine, says the Lord,” (Romans 12:19). Or was it Olga’s? A controversial figure in church history, Olga of Kiev is best known and canonized by the Orthodox Church for her role in the conversion of Russia to Christianity. She was born around the beginning of the tenth century in the northwest area of Russia that had been invaded by the Vikings (think Russia/Ukraine/Belarus/Estonia). Her husband, Igor, was murdered by the Drevlian tribe that no longer wished to be aligned with Igor. To make their distaste in his leadership abundantly clear, they tore him in half.
In an act both cunning and treacherous, Olga invited the new chief to court her. When his entourage arrived, she had her people escort them to a carefully prepared trench where she had all the men buried alive in revenge for the death of her husband. Olga continued to exact revenge and murder the people of Drevlian by playing their chief like a violin, capitalizing on his desire to marry her. She continued to have his emissaries killed through skillful plotting and ultimately had their village burned to the ground. To ensure her control over the area, she assumed leadership through regency for her son.
In the early to mid 900s, Olga traveled to the seat of the empire at Constantinople to ally with the Byzantine Empire. It is said that the emperor found Olga to be beautiful and wanted her to become a Christian. Olga said she would convert only if she was baptized by the emperor himself and instructed in the ways of the faith by the patriarch. It is said that during her baptism, she saw God. She became steadfast in her faith and began to shine with the light of God. The patriarch remarked that she would be a beacon to the people of the Rus’ and their descendants would find favor with God. Olga returned to Kiev and worked to bring the Russian people to the faith. Although her grandson, Vladimir, is recognized as the founder of Russian Christianity, Olga is remembered in the Orthodox Church as “Equal to the Apostles.”
Olga’s story is controversial. She was a brutal and revengeful ruler who brooked no mercy on her enemies. Much of her life is an example of the ways we are taught not to live our lives in the Christian faith. But God has a habit of using the least expected, the most unqualified, and the least desirable to teach us about mercy, love, and who God is. Her story shows us that God’s mercy can soften and redeem even the hardest of hearts.
Collect for Olga of Kiev
Almighty and everlasting God, we thank you for your servant Olga, whom you called to preach the Gospel to the people of Russia. Raise up in this and every land evangelists and heralds of your kingdom, that your Church may proclaim the unsearchable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Bertha of Kent
Bertha of Kent is one of those historical women whose imprint on medieval Christianity is indelible, though you might not know much about her.
The exact dates and years of her birth and death are unknown, and records vary. It’s generally accepted that Bertha was born a princess around 565 into the royal French Merovingian family. As a young girl, she practiced her Christian faith. Her arranged marriage in 580 to the King of Kent was steeped in economic, military, and political motives. King Ethelbert was a pagan, worshipping Woden (aka Odin), Thunor (aka Thor), and other Norse deities. Her marriage agreement with Ethelbert was that she could continue to practice her Christian faith. Not only did he agree to her terms, but also Ethelbert renovated an old Roman church close to Canterbury, the capital of Kent, for his new queen. The chapel was dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours and served as her private chapel throughout her life.
In 597, Bertha welcomed none other than Augustine, who had been sent to the strategically important kingdom of Kent by Pope Gregory the Great. Augustine’s travels and successes became intertwined with Bertha. Thanks to Bertha’s influence, Ethelbert allowed Augustine and his 40 companions to preach Christianity, beginning what is known as the great Christian conversion in England. Augustine was later named the first Archbishop of Canterbury.
Ethelbert was baptized on the Pentecost following Augustine’s arrival, and history records him as the first English king to convert to Christianity.
Though Bertha died sometime after 601 in Canterbury, evidence of the queen’s influence is still clear today throughout the area. You can travel The Bertha Trail, also called Queen Bertha’s Walk, which features 14 bronze plaques in various locations, including St. Martin’s Church, Canterbury Cathedral, and St. Augustine’s Abbey. A statue of Queen Bertha graces St. Martin’s.
UNESCO named Bertha’s Chapel in St. Martin’s in Canterbury as the oldest church in the English-speaking world, with Christian worship taking place continuously since the sixth century. It is believed she is buried under the steps of St. Martin’s.
Her feast is celebrated on May 1.
Collect for Bertha of Kent
Almighty God, by your Holy Spirit you have made us one with your saints in heaven and on earth: Grant that in our earthly pilgrimage we may always be supported by this fellowship of love and prayer, and know ourselves to be surrounded by their witness to your power and mercy. We ask this for the sake of Jesus Christ, in whom all our intercessions are acceptable through the Spirit, and who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
Olga of Kiev: Mikhail Nesterov, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Bertha of Kent: Mattana, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
190 comments on “Olga of Kiev v. Bertha of Kent”
It's really unfair to downgrade Olga based on her pre-baptismal brutality (her grandson Vladimir was just as bad, but is remembered by the Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches as an equal to the Apostles), but even as a new creation her contributions to the faith were minimal. The conversion of the Rus would have to wait until Vladimir's reign.
Bertha, on the other hand, actually accomplished something. She also serves as a useful counterweight to the strain of contemporary scholarship which insists on seeing pre-modern women as merely the playthings and victims of a persecuting patriarchy.
I think posting the current standings is not a good idea. It definitely does effect your decision and my not be a true final tally. I have seen the numbers change throughout a day and an underdog sweak ahead!
Nowhere did I read that Olga expressed remorse for all her vengeance. I hope that as part of her conversion to Christianity, she did confess and ask God’s forgiveness. My vote goes to Bertha.
Pictures of St. Martin's where Bertha worshipped. https://aclerkofoxford.blogspot.com/2012/05/st-martins-church-canterbury.html
Seeing the current vote count before I cast my vote does (unfortunately) have an impact. Is it possible to withhold that information until some makes their selection?
The vote totals are being shown before we even vote, encouraging people to vote for the 'popular' candidate. And the comments aren't shown on the voting page this year.
Bertha of course played an important role but Christianity had long been present in the Brtish Isles, going back to the time of Roman rule. Early Celtic Christianity is very interesting and exciting. In some ways the Roman influence was not always positive. For instance,early Celtic Christianity accepted married clergy. Perhaps a foreshadowig of the coming of the Anglican faith.
Patrick, the Celtic Christians were not in the south of England at the time of Augustine's arrival in Canterbury. They had been driven into Wales, Cornwall, Cumbria and Northumberland, Scotland and Ireland by Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian invaders.
Voting for Bertha while saying a prayer for the conversion of the current Russian leadership away from violence and bloodshed.
I too cannot vote. And yes i do see the vote count. Pfui! On glitches. By the way, please count my vote for Bertha. And thanks@
Ukrainians have always made baaaad enemies. Do not tick them off.
Bertha took an arranged marriage and made blessings out of it.
I've seen that Lent Madness voters tend to vote with the dawn so at 10 a.m. CST I'm fairly late to the game, but I'm astounded to see how high Olga is ranking! I would have predicted this one as an unprecedented blow-out. BTW please please PLEASE restore the system where we don't see the voting totals until we've voted ourselves.
I didn't know anything about either Olga or Bertha until today, so in my reactions I'm going entirely by the excellent blog posts.
Olga didn't just kill her enemies, which in her time was par for the course and also, let's face it, a wise move, but she killed them with great cruelty. Burying people alive, burning a whole village...right...And I'm detecting a massive ego. "Olga said she would convert only if she was baptized by the emperor himself and instructed in the ways of the faith by the patriarch." Only top dogs will do for Olga! "The patriarch remarked that she would be a beacon to the people of the Rus’ and their descendants would find favor with God." A.k.a., "You'll be a rock star, plus your people will get perqs all thanks to you." More ego!
On the other hand, even without being in contrast with Olga, Bertha sounds admirable. And the king restored a church for her to be her own chapel? I'm scenting that true love did develop in this arranged marriage!
where is the music?
I don't like being able to see who's ahead before I vote. I prefer to be in the dark until after my vote is counted.
Olga has my vote.
Yael comes to mind when I read her story. While she was not a believer when she was avenging her husband and protecting her son, she was a person with the fortitude to do what was necessary.
I loved that she negotiated her baptism and that once converted, she turned her formidable strengths and talents to winning her part of the world for the Christ.
"Slava Ukraini!"
"Herojam slava!"; Glory to the heroes, among whom belongs the most Blessed (and unusual) Olga of Kiev.
Bertha of Kent for her Christian example causing her husband and many others to believe in Christ.
I tried to vote but for some technical reason the vote button does not work...maybe its a Chromebook thing. I was voting for Bertha of Kent.
Voted for Olga only to stand strong for Kyiv during this devastating war in Ukraine, praying doesn't become WWIII
Concur that tally should not be shown until after one had voted
I believe that was always the process in prior years
Couldn't access website yesterday so unable to read up on Florence and Nicolaus,much less vote, but was fascinated by the ordination of Florence in 1944. My mother, Rev Virginia Noel, is among the first women ordained in the Episcopal church so I probably would have voted for Florence on that basis alone
Given given the war in Ukraine I think it's important to get our history right.It is anachronistic to say that she was converting the Russians as the idea of Russia did not exist. Putin certainly has a story to tell that Kiev was always part of Russia. Kievan Rus eventually conquered a small part of the territory we now know as Russia. The Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union and still later the Russian federation have a separate origin story rooted in the golden hord from that of Viking/Byzantine Kiev and later Ukraine.
I am not a history person and I may not have this completely correct so I hesitate to comment but given Putin's propaganda. I think it is an important question to raise. For more information read Timothy Snyder.
Both "contestants" are worthy, but I voted for Bertha, mainly because my husband and I were in Canterbury for a few days last spring. As a brother-in-law is wont to say, "A poor excuse is better than none."
As an Anglican, I am naturally drawn to the English queen. I am a little aghast that someone who murdered so many people (no matter how much they may have deserved it) as Olga did would be canonized as a saint.
Who would bother to go to all the trouble to vote in a presidential election if the outcome were known PRIOR to standing in line for an hour or more? I have faith that this was just a one-day glitch in the system, hopefully corrected by Monday morning. Prayers for patience. I thoroughly enjoy Lent Madness!
I have voted for President when the outcome is already apparent. It is either confirmation or rebuke of the results.
Fair point indeed! So noted...
In November of 2000 I stood in line for over two hours outside my county elections office to replace a missing envelope so I could drop off my vote-by-mail ballot. Due to work schedule I had not been able to go by the office during normal business hours, but on Election Day the were obviously open well past five o'clock. I got there sometime between six and seven o'clock. "Polls" closed at eight o'clock. I was halfway around the block from the entrance when I got in line. Whilst waiting in line we got news that first Al Gore, then George W Bush, then Al Gore, then who-knows-who-because-Florida-is-too-close-to-call, had won the election based on the already decided and a few projected (Hawai'i almost always votes Democratic & Alaska was considered safely Republican, for example) Electoral College votes. By the time I got a block from the door, it was almost eight o'clock and people were lined up quite a ways behind me.
At eight o'clock they put Sheriff's deputies at the end of the line and along it in places to make sure no one who arrived after eight o'clock was able to get in it.
At nine o'clock I finally got to replace my missing envelope and cast my ballot.
This is the only time I ever had any trouble with Oregon's entirely vote-by-mail system. Now we don't even need to pay postage to vote (I still drop mine off in person in an official drop box out of habit).
Evey vote matters in every election, but yeah, I don't like it when the election is called before all the votes are cast and the polls closed from coast to coast. Leave exit poll results where people can find them, but don't call it at five o'clock Pacific time (three o'clock Hawai'ian time) like the media did in 1984.
Voting for Olga of Kiev in acknowledgment of the ongoing War in Ukraine ! even though I previously chose Bertha only because that’s what I call my rather large handbag & my car!
Please remove the current results from our vote. Please share them after we vote.
Procedure question here.
Today, I'm participating in LM on my laptop. As I scrolled down to the end, thinking about my vote... I see that the results (Olga/22.52% vs Bertha/77.48%) appear with the voting tabs...
Well, where's the fun in that?
I didn't notice this while voting on my phone.
I hope this isn't the way things are now done. There's literally no point in voting if the results are revealed.
Bit of a glitch--I could see the voting results before I voted! Not that it made me change my mind. But you might want to get this fixed--God bless!
When I came to vote, the current results were already shown and I couldn't vote. At least it was already heavily in favor of the one I would have voted for, but still.
The worst part of posting the standings is that we are REQUIRED to see the standings before voting.
Could we please have the standings SEPARATE from the voting, and moved to just BELOW the "Post Comment" button.
Olga though you did murder I still voted for you