Majorossy Judit: Egy történelmi gyilkosság margójára. Merániai Gertrúd emlékezete, 1213 - 2013. Tanulmánykötet - A Ferenczy Múzeum kiadványai, A. sorozat: Monográfiák 2. (Szentendre, 2014)
IV. - Mielke, Christopher: Gertrúd királyné és kortársai anyagi kultúrája
Christopher MielkeFVne. Material Culture of Queen Gertrude and Her Contemporaries Figure 2 Coins from the reign of Andrew II (1205-1325) depicting two crowned heads (MNM Éremtár; a) CNH 309; b) CNH 204) Funerary Monuments The graves of medieval queens could be important platforms not only for the image of queen, but could also represent important notions of dynastic legitimacy and continuity.22 Certain queens like Eleanor of Aquitaine (b. 1122/1124- 1204) in England and Blanche of Castile (b. 1188-1252) in France were very clearly involved in the funerary arrangements not only of their own burials, but also for that of their relatives.23 Effigies of the queens could also have personal touches. For instance, Eleanor of Aquitaine’s effigy shows her reading an open book, while her daughter-in-law Berengaria of Navarre (cca. 1165/1170-1230) is holding a reliquary.24 On the one hand these monuments were meant to be private but, on the other hand, their erection could occur in very public places. The space within the church could have a huge significance in terms of visibility, proximity to the altar, to certain relics or images of saints.25 However, not only that, but also writing and imagery on them were meant to engage the viewer so that rather than just passive works of stone, these were meant to elicit prayers for the deceased and show off the many positive attributes of the queen. The choice of location was also of immense importance as it could indicate a queen’s favour of a particular religious order or shrine. Certain places like Westminster Abbey could be seen as important dynastic burial grounds and the choice of a queen to be buried there or to be buried in her own foundation could be quite significant.26 There are other papers present in this volume that discuss the particulars of Gertrude’s burial, so they hardly need repeating here.27 Gertrude is unique in that the several pieces of her sarcophagus uncovered in the western part of the crossing in the Cistercian Abbey in Pilis (today Pilisszentkereszt) is the only one of a Hungarian queen in the Middle Ages that survives within the boundaries of the former kingdom (Figure 3). There are other survivals and even some 22 Parsons 1997: 319-320. 23 Nolan 2009: 3-10. 24 Parsons 1997: 322. 25 Mielke 2013: 205-206. 26 Steane 1993: 44-48; Nolan 2009:114-119. 27 On the issue of royal burials see József Laszlovszky’s article in the present volume; on Gertrude’s burial those of Elek Benkő and Imre Takács. 208
