Merovingian Frankish Queens 5th and 6th Centuries

The Merovingian dynasty in Gaul or France was prominent in the 5th and 6th centuries, as the Roman Empire was losing its force and power. Several of the queens are remembered in history: as regents, as persuaders of their husbands and in other roles. Their husbands, many of whom did not limit themselves to just one wife at a time, were often at war with their own brothers and half-brothers. The Merovingians ruled until 751 when the Carolingians displaced them. For those whose lives are better documented (none of the stories comes to us as unambiguously objective history), Ive linked to more detailed biographies. A major source for the history of these women is the History of the Franks by Gregory of Tours, a bishop who lived at the same time and interacted with some of the individuals listed here. Bedes Ecclesiastic History of the English People is another source for some of the history. Basina of Thuringiaabout 438 - 477Queen Consort of Childeric IMother of Clovis I Basina of Thuringia is reported to have left her first husband, and, in Gaul, to have herself proposed marriage to the Frankish king Childeric. She was the mother of Clovis I, giving him the name Chlodovech (Clovis is the Latin form of his name). Their daughter Audofleda married the Ostrogoth king, Theodoric the Great. Audofledas daughter was Amalasuntha, who ruled as Queen of the Ostrogoths. Saint Clotildeabout 470 - June 3, 545Queen Consort of Clovis IMother of Chlodomer of Orlà ©an, Childebert I of Paris, Clothar I of Soissons, and a daughter, also named Clotilde; stepmother of Theuderic I of Metz Clotilde convinced her husband to convert to Roman Catholicism, aligning France with Rome. It was under Clovis I that the first version of Salic Law was written, listing crimes and the punishment for those crimes. The term Salic Law has later become shorthand for the legal rule that women may not inherit titles, offices and land. Ingund of Thuringiaabout 499 - ?Queen Consort of Clothar (Clotaire or Lothair) I of Soissonssister of Aregund, another wife of Clothardaughter of Baderic of Thuringiamother of Charibert I of Paris, Guntram of Burgundy, Sigebert I of Austrasia, and a daughter, Chlothsind We know little about Ingund other than her family connections. Aregund of Thuringiaabout 500 - 561Queen Consort of Clothar (Clotaire or Lothair) I of Soissonssister of Ingund, another wife of Clothardaughter of Baderic of Thuringiamother of Chilperic I of Soissons We would know as little about Aregund as about her sister (above), except that in 1959, her sepulchre was discovered; some clothing and jewelry that was well preserved there served to identify her to the satisfaction of some scholars. Others dispute the identification, and believe the sepulchre of later date. A 2006 DNA test on a sample of the remains of the woman in the sepulchre, presumably Aregund, found no Middle Eastern heritage. This test was inspired by the theory made popular in The DaVinci Code and earlier in Holy Blood, Holy Grail, that the Merovingian royal family was descended from Jesus. However, Aregund married into the Merovingian royal family, so the results didnt really disprove the thesis. Radegundabout 518/520 - August 13, 586/7Queen Consort of Clothar (Clotaire or Lothair) I of SoissonsTaken as war booty, she was not Clothars only wife (monogamy not yet being the standard among the Franks). She left her husband and founded a convent. More Wives of Clothar I Other wives or consorts of Clothar were Guntheuc (a widow of Clothars brother Chlodomer), Chunsine and Waldrada (he may have repudiated her). Audovera? - about 580Queen Consort of Chilperic I, son of Clothar I and AregundMother of a daughter, Basina, and three sons: Merovech, Theudebert and Clovis Fredegund (below) had Audovera and one of Audoveras sons, Clovis, killed, in 580. Audoveras daughter Basina (below) was sent to a convent in 580. Another son, Theudebert, died in 575 in a battle. Her son Merovech married Brunhilde (below), after Sigebert I died; he died in 578. Galswinthaabout 540 - 568Queen Consort of Chilperic I, son of Clothar I and Aregund Galswintha was Chilperics second wife. Her sister was Brunhilde (below), married to Chilperics half-brother Sigebert. Her death within a few years is usually attributed to her husbands mistress Fredegund (below). Fredegundabout 550 - 597Queen Consort of Chilperic I, son of Clothar I and AregundMother and regent of Chlotar (Lothair) II Fredegund was a servant who became Chilperics mistress; her part in engineering the murder of his second wife Galswintha (see above) began a long war. She is considered, as well, responsible for the death of Chilperics first wife, Audovera (see above), and her son by Chilperic, Clovis. Brunhildeabout 545 - 613Queen Consort of Sigebert I of Austrasia, who was a son of Clothar I and IngundMother and regent of Childebert II and a daughter Ingund, grandmother of Theodoric II and Theodebert II, great-grandmother of Sigebert II Brunhildes sister, Galswintha (above), was married to Sigeberts half-brother Chilperic. When Galswintha was murdered by Fredegund (above), Brunhilde urged her husband to wage war for revenge against Fredegunde and her family. Clotildedates unknowndaughter of Charibert of Paris, who was another son of Clothar I of Soissons and Ingund, and of one of Chariberts four wives, Marcovefa Clotilde, who was a nun at the Convent of the Holy Cross founded by Radegund (above), was part of a rebellion. After that conflict was resolved, she did not return to the convent. Bertha539 - about 612Daughter of Charibert I of Paris and  Ingoberga, one of Charibert’s four consortsSister of  Clotilde, a nun, part of a conflict at the Convent of the Holy Cross with their cousin BasinaQueen consort of Aethelberht of Kent She is credited with bringing Christianity to the Anglo-Saxons. Bertha, daughter of the king of Paris, was married to Aethelberht of Kent, an Anglo-Saxon king, probably before he became king in about 558.   She was a Christian and he was not, and part of the marriage agreement was that she would be permitted her religion. She restored a church in Canterbury and it served as her private chapel.   In 596 or 597, Pope Gregory I sent a monk, Augustine, to convert the English. He became known as Augustine of Canterbury, and Bertha’s support was likely important in Aethelberht’s support of Augustine’s mission. We know that Pope Gregory wrote to Bertha in 601. Aethelberht himself eventually converted, and was baptized by Augustine, thus becoming the first Anglo-Saxon king to convert to Christianity. Basinaabout 573 - ?daughter of Audovera (above) and Chilperic I, who was the son of Clothar I of Souissons and Aregund (above) Basina was sent to the Convent of the Holy Cross, founded by Radegund (above) after Basina survived an epidemic that killed two of ther brothers, and after Basinas stepmother had Basinas mother and surviving brother killed. She later took part in a rebellion at the convent.