Erluin or Erlwin (died 1012) was the

bishop of Cambrai The Archdiocese of Cambrai ( la, Archdiocesis Cameracensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Cambrai'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France, comprising the arrondissements of Avesnes-sur-Help ...

from 995. In 1007 he acquired secular authority in the county of the Cambrésis from the

Emperor Henry II Henry II (german: Heinrich II; it, Enrico II; 6 May 973 – 13 July 1024), also known as Saint Henry the Exuberant, Obl. S. B., was Holy Roman Emperor ("Romanorum Imperator") from 1014. He died without an heir in 1024, and was the last ruler o ...

. Erluin studied in the famous school of

Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...

, where he became archdeacon under Bishop Notker (972–1008), who procured his election to the bishopric of Cambrai. In 1006, Count

Baldwin IV of Flanders Baldwin IV (980 – 30 May 1035), called the Bearded, was the count of Flanders from 987 until his death. Baldwin IV was the son of Count Arnulf II of Flanders (c. 961 — 987) and Rozala of Italy (950/60 – 1003), of the House of Ivrea.Detlev Sc ...

invaded the Empire and captured

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a s ...

. Erluin appealed to the emperor, who invaded Flanders, captured

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...

and threatened to take the city's relics, but Baldwin remained in possession of Valenciennes. Erluin also appealed to Baldwin's lord, King

Robert II of France Robert II (c. 972 – 20 July 1031), called the Pious (french: link=no, le Pieux) or the Wise (french: link=no, le Sage), was King of the Franks from 996 to 1031, the second from the Capetian dynasty. Crowned Junior King in 987, he assisted his ...

, whose troops looted Arras, but forced Baldwin to abandon Valenciennes in 1007.Steven Vanderputten and Diane J. Reilly, "Reconciliation and Record Keeping: Heresy, Secular Dissent and the Exercise of Episcopal Authority in Eleventh-Century Cambrai", ''

Journal of Medieval History The ''Journal of Medieval History'' is a major international academic journal devoted to all aspects of the history of Europe in the Middle Ages. Each issue contains 4 or 5 original articles on European history, including the British Isles, North A ...

'', 37:4 (2011), 343–57. The next year (1008), Erluin, supported by the emperor and the leading men of

Lower Lorraine The Duchy of Lower Lotharingia, also called Northern Lotharingia, Lower Lorraine or Northern Lorraine (and also referred to as ''Lothier'' or ''Lottier''

, arranged the reform of the

Abbey of Saint-Vaast The Abbey of St Vaast (french: Abbaye de Saint-Vaast) was a Benedictine monastery situated in Arras, ''département'' of Pas-de-Calais, France. History The abbey was founded in 667. Saint Vedast, or Vaast (c. 453–540) was the first Bishop ...

under the famous reforming monk Richard of Saint-Vanne. In 1007, Henry gave Erluin comital authority in the entire region of the Cambrésis, to the chagrin of Walter of Lens, the castellan of

Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...

and a leading regional nobleman. The bishops of Cambrai had possessed comital authority within the city itself since 948, when the

Emperor Otto I Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), traditionally known as Otto the Great (german: Otto der Große, it, Ottone il Grande), was East Francia, East Frankish king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the olde ...

granted it to Bishop Fulbert (934–56) for his successful defence of the city from the Magyar invaders in 945.E. Jordan and Y. Renouard, "L'église et la vie religieuse dans les pays belges au Moyen Âge d'après un ouvrage récent", ''

Revue Historique The ''Revue historique'' is a French academic journal founded in 1876 by the Protestant Gabriel Monod and the Catholic Gustave Fagniez. The journal was founded as a reaction against the '' Revue des questions historiques'' created ten years earli ...

'', 198:1 (1947), 34. In 1011, Erluin refused a request by the dying castellan of Arras that his son, Walter II, be

enfeoffed In the Middle Ages, especially under the European feudal system, feoffment or enfeoffment was the deed by which a person was given land in exchange for a pledge of service. This mechanism was later used to avoid restrictions on the passage of ti ...

with his lands by the bishop in exchange for an

oath of fealty An oath of fealty, from the Latin ''fidelitas'' (faithfulness), is a pledge of allegiance of one person to another. Definition In medieval Europe, the swearing of fealty took the form of an oath made by a vassal, or subordinate, to his lord. "Fea ...

. The bishop demanded reparations for the various injustices the castellan had committed. The castellan failed to get his vassals and allies, including the count of Flanders, to fight before he died; Walter II swore the oath. Erluin died soon after, and was succeeded by

Gerard of Florennes Gerard of Florennes (ca 975, bishop 1012 – 14 March 1051), bishop of Cambrai as Gerard I, had formerly been chaplain to Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor, and helpful to the latter in his political negotiations with Robert the Pious, King of France. In ...

Notes

{{Authority control 1012 deaths Bishops of Cambrai Year of birth unknown