Bertha, a noun meaning a kind of collar or cape worn by ladies, has also been applied as a proper name for people and other objects, apparently unrelated to its garment-related meaning.
People named Bertha
Bertha, Queen of Kent
Bertha, Queen of Kent -- Frankish princess, daughter of Charibert, married the pagan King Ethelbert of Kent, restored a Christian church in Canterbury, which dated form the Roman occupation, dedicating it to St. Martin. St. Martin's at Canterbury occupies the same site. St. Augustine owed much of his favourable reception to the influence of Bertha.
Saint Bertha
Saint Bertha , Abbess of Val d'Or, near Avenay, Reims, d. about 690, wife of St. Gumbert. St. Peter appeared to Bertha and showed her a field where there was a good spring. This she bought for a pound of silver. It became a holy well which cured diseases and supplied both her own nuns and the hamlet of Avenay with water. St. Bertha's feast is on the 1st of May.
Non-human Berthas
The name "Bertha" has also been applied to many non-human things, among which are:
Big Bertha (WWI)
Big Bertha is the nickname of several WW1 artillery cannon. Usually associated exclusively with one specific gun, the Kaiser Wilhelm Geschütz, created by Germany to bomb Paris from a safe distance -- it was also used to name a model of heavy mortar-like howitzers. The name comes from Bertha Krupp , a descendant of the founder of Krupp steel, an arms manufacturer.
Bertha -- animated children's series
Bertha is an animated children's series made by Woodland Animations in 1986, written by Eric Charles and directed by Ivor Wood, is set in Spottiswood Factory - a small engineering plant which manafacturers everything from cukoo clocks to toy bears! The star performer of the shop floor is "Bertha" - an old fashioned factory machine that came to life when she was finally computerised.
Bertha -- digital audio workstation
Bertha is a custom built dual Digital Audio Workstation, used for recording/remastering of live concert recordings. Bertha uses a proprietary process, developed 38 years in the study by its inventor/builder J. Ashley of Audio and Electronic principles. Bertha remasters are well-known in the music trading community.
Grateful Dead's Bertha
The Grateful Dead have a song named Bertha, after which "Bertha" (see above) was named. Bertha is one of the most popular of the grateful dead's songs, and has been 'covered' by numerous other bands.
