Adela of Hamaland

Adela of Hamaland (also known as Adela of Elten) (died after 1021) was Countess of Hamaland in what is now the Netherlands in about 973–1021. She was the regent of Renkum in circa 983–?, likely as regent for her minor son Dirk of Renkum. She firstly married Count Immed IV of Hamaland (d. 983), the father of her son, and later Count Balderik of Hamaland, whom she made her co-regent by marriage.

Life Adela was the daughter of Count Wichman II of Hamaland (d. 973) and Liutgard of Flanders (d. 962), daughter of Arnulf of Flanders and Adele of Vermandois. Adela was the younger sister of Liutgard (d. 995), who became the abbess of Elten Abbey, which was founded by their father. They had a brother, Wichman, who died at a young age.

In 983, Adela became a widow and regent of the county of Renkum as guardian of her minor son Dirk of Renkum. She had coins minted with the inscription Adala cometissa. One year later, the succession dispute between Adela and Elten was finally resolved by mediation of the Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor: the territory formally named county of Hamaland was split 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 fortress was eventually captured by the enemy, but Adela was allowed to leave unharmed.

Children With Immed, Adela had the following children: Meinwerk, bishop of Paderborn Dirk/Theoderic (d.1014) Glismod (d.before 1041) Adela (d. after 1027), a canoness at Elten Abbey Emma of Lesum (d. 1038), married Liutger, son of the Saxon Margrave, Hermann Billung

Legacy

Adela has traditionally been given an infamous reputation in history. Contemporaries reviled her as a “treacherous wife” (perfida coniunx); a “second Salome” (secunda Herodiadis); and as acting like Jezebel (et sicut Hiezabel). Benedictine chronicler Alpertus of Metz described her as a female Cain.

Adela is the subject of the novel De valse dageraad (2001, ) by Jan van Aken. She is also the protagonist of the novel A Daughter Scorned: The story of Adela of Hamaland by Anna Chant (2024).