Born about in Armenia
Ancestors 
Daughter of Gabriel (Melitene) de Melitene
and Unknown (Armenia) de Melitene
[sibling(s) unknown]
Wife of
Baudouin (Rethel) de Rethel
— married
1101 [location unknown]
Descendants 
Mother of
Alice av Jerusalem, Alice (Rethel) Antioch, Melisende (Rethel) d'Anjou and Hodierna (Tripoli) Jerusalem
Died
at about age 51
in Abbey of St. Mary Josaphat, Jerusalem
Profile last modified
| Created 28 May 2012
This page has been accessed 4,610 times.
Biography
Morphia was the daughter of an Armenian nobleman named Gabriel (or Khoril, in Armenian), the ruler of the city of Melitene. Although ethnically Armenian, the family practised the Greek Orthodox faith. Melitene was a neighbour of the crusader County of Edessa, and Gabriel soon became a vassal of the county. The future Baldwin II of Jerusalem was also count of Edessa after 1100, and he consolidated his position in the county by marrying Morphia around 1101. Gabriel, who was very wealthy, gave 50,000 gold bezants as a dowry. Baldwin and Morphia had four daughters: Melisende, Alice, Hodierna, and Ioveta.
- Name: /Malfia/
- Name: Morphia /of MELITENE/. Source: #S994
- Birth: ABT 1075
Sources
Acknowledgments
- Thank you to Odd Prytz for creating WikiTree profile Melitene-3 through the import of Gedcom til WikiTree mine aner m fam 24 februar 2013.GED on Feb 24, 2013.
- This person was created through the import of Grant R. Phillips, Jr..ged on 08 April 2011.
- This person was created through the import of Acrossthepond.ged on 21 February 2011.
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships. Maternal line mitochondrial DNA test-takers:
It may be possible to confirm family relationships. Maternal line mitochondrial DNA test-takers:
- Anna (Châtillon) de Châtillon
:
Mitochondrial DNA Test HVR1 and HVR2, haplogroup H1j8, MitoYDNA ID Z11576 [compare]
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Baldwin II had been encouraged to put away Morphia in favor of a new younger wife- one that could yet bear him a male heir. As a mark of his love for his wife, Baldwin postponed his coronation so that Morphia and his daughters could travel to Jerusalem and have his wife crowned Queen alongside him. Queen Morphia was probably partially responsible for the Greek and Armenian cultural influences that appeared in the Latin kingdom. Queen Morphia died on October 1, but the year is unknown; it was either 1126 or 1127, more likely 1126. With no male heir, Baldwin II designated Melisende, their oldest daughter, as his heir. Morphia was buried at the Abbey of St. Mary of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, just outside Jerusalem.
edited by Tamara (Killian) Ledkins