Suster Bertken

She was born the illegitimate daughter of the canon priest Jacob van Lichtenberg. Her life before her enclosure as an anchorite is unknown, but she was evidently given a good education. In 1456 or 1457, she let herself be enclosed in a cell as an anchorite at the Buurkerk in Utrecht with permission by Utrecht bishop David of Burgundy. Wilson, Katharina M. (1991). An Encyclopedia of Continental Women Writers, Volume 1. Garland Publishing. p. 119. {{ISBN|0-8240-8547-7}}

According to a description of her life, she lived an extremely ascetic life even for an anchorite. After her death, several songs and hymns written by her were found among her belongings and were published in 1516. Her songs describe foremost her passion in the mystical union with God and became popular. She is one of few medieval women included in the Dutch literary canon.

Bertken lived in a small cell adjacent to the Buurkerk church of Utrecht for fifty-seven years until her death in 1514.Van Kerckvoorde, Colette M. (1993). An Introduction to Middle Dutch. Mouton de Gruyter. p. 161. {{ISBN|3-11-013535-3}} Her daily activities were attending church from a window in her cell, meditation, prayer and writing. The only furniture in the cell was a chair, desk and mattress. Bertken never wore shoes and her diet excluded all dairy and meat products.

She died on 25 June 1514.Nieuwenhove, Rik Van; Faesen, Rob; Rolfson, Helen. (2008). Late Medieval Mysticism of the Low Countries. Paulist Press. p. 203. {{ISBN|978-0-8091-0569-4}}

File:Zuster Bertken leefde hier.jpg|Memorial stone for Suster Bertken near her demolished cell with a map indicating the location in the Buurkerk church. Choorstraat, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

File:Epitaaf van Jacob van Lichtenberg (1384 - 1449), Domkerk Utrecht, 2023 (text cropped).jpg|Epitaph for the Provost and Canon Jacob van Lichtenberg (1384–-1449), illegitimate father of Suster Bertken, in the Utrecht Domkerk, 2023. Click to enlarge.

Suster Bertken - Boeck tracterende van desen puncten, text with woodcut, 1516.jpg|Suster Bertken: Boeck tracterende van desen puncten. Text with woodcut, 1516.

Suster Bertken - Een boecxken van die passie ons liefs heeren, Woodcut, 1516.jpg|Suster Bertken: Een boecxken van die passie ons liefs heeren. Woodcut, 1516.

{{verse translation|lang=Middle Dutch

| - Een ander goet leydeken

Nu hoert ic sal enen nieuwen sanc begin-

nen Die min die min si wil my ummer

dwinghen Dat ic my hier verbliden sal

Ende ic bin hier beneden in een dal

Ic hoep ic sel di minne noch wel besinnen

Den rou den rou daer sal ick mede beginnen

Sy sal my werven also wael

Der duven sanck te singhen inden dael

.....

| - Another good ditty

Now listen up, I'll start a new song

The love the loveThe love for Jesus will always force me

That I'll rejoice here

And I'm down here in a valleydepression in a mystical sense

I hope I'll still fully grasp the love

The mourning the mourning I'll start with that

She [the love]'ll recruit me anyway

The pigeon's song to sing in the valley

.....

|attr1=Suster Bertken, Een boecxken .., 1516.

}}

• Een boecxken gemaket ende bescreven van suster Bertken die LVII iaren besloten heeft gheseten tot Utrecht in die buerkercke, 1516,{{Cite web |url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/bert009ccva01_01/bert009ccva01_01_0005.php |title=Een boecxken gemaket ende bescreven van suster Bertken die LVII iaren besloten heeft gheseten tot Utrecht in die buerkercke |author=Suster Bertken van Utrecht |access-date=20 June 2023 |quote=Hier beghint een seer devoet boecxken van die passie ons liefs heeren Jhesu Christi tracterende, geordineert nae dyeGa naar getyden der heyliger kerken, mit veel ander gebeden ende punten; ende is ghemaect van een devote Clusernersse, gheheten suster Bertken, die Lvii. Iaren besloten heeft geseten tot Utricht in die Buerkercke in een Cluse Goede dienende. Ende is ghestorven op sint. Lebuijns dach ende leyt begraven in haer Cluse. Int iaer ons heren. M.C.C.C.C.C. Ende 9xvi. |language=Dutch |date=1955}} containing
• Het boecxken van dye passie (Hier begint een seer devoet boecxken van die passie ons liefs heeren Jhesu Christi tracterende), meditations on the passion of Christ.
• Suster Bertkens boeck tractierende van desen puncten, prayers, an essay on Christmas Eve, a dialogue between a faithful soul and Christ her bridegroom and eight songs of literary value.
• Mi quam een schoon geluit in mijn oren. Het werk van Suster Bertken. Republished and explained by José van Aelst, Fons van Buuren and Annemeike Tan (Hilversum, Uitgeverij Verloren, 2007). {{ISBN|978-90-6550-966-6}}. Collected work with extensive notes.

Suster Bertken is the subject of the opera Suster Bertken (2010) by Dutch composer Rob Zuidam (born 1964).

{{commonscat|Zuster Bertken}}

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Category:1426 births

Category:1514 deaths

Category:15th-century women writers

Category:15th-century poets

Category:16th-century Dutch writers

Category:Dutch hermits

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