Hodierna of Rethel

Hodierna
Jaufre Rudel dies in the arms of Hodierna of Tripoli (MS of troubadour songs, 13C North Italian, Bib. Nat. Française)
Countess of Tripoli
Tenure	1137-1152
Born	c. 1110
Died	c. 1164
Spouse	Raymond II of Tripoli
Issue	Melisende of Tripoli Raymond III
House	House of Rethel House of Rouergue (by marriage)
Father	Baldwin II of Jerusalem
Mother	Morphia of Melitene
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Hodierna of Jerusalem (c. 1110 – c. 1164) was a Countess consort of Tripoli through her marriage to Raymond II of Tripoli, and regent of the County of Tripoli during the minority of her son from 1152 until 1155.

She was the daughter of Baldwin II of Jerusalem and the Armenian noblewoman Morphia. Hodierna was the third of four daughters; her older sisters were Melisende (wife of Fulk of Jerusalem) and Alice (wife of Bohemund II of Antioch), and her younger sister was Ioveta (abbess of Bethany).

Hodierna married Raymond II of Tripoli in about 1135. Hodierna was close to her sisters: she may have asked Melisende to arrange for the assassination of Alphonse I of Toulouse, son of Raymond IV of Toulouse, in 1148, when Alphonse came to claim the County of Tripoli. Hodierna supported Melisende in her struggle with her son Baldwin III in 1150-52. Melisende ended up on the losing side by 1152, but she was given a small fief to rule in Nablus, where she and Hodierna were able to influence the election of the Latin Patriarch.

In 1152, Hodierna was in the midst of a dispute with her husband Raymond II of Tripoli. Hodierna, like her sisters, was very independent, but Raymond was a jealous man and kept her in seclusion. There were even rumours that their daughter Melisende (named after the queen) was fathered by a different man. Her sister Melisende and her nephew Baldwin came north to intervene. Hodierna and Raymond agreed to reconcile, but it was also decided that Hodierna should return to Jerusalem with Melisende for a short time.