Today finished a tentative draft on Chapter Two: Merovingian Dynasty Ends The sons of Clovis in 523 launched a united military campaign against the Burgundians. With the defeat of the Burgundian army, their king Sigismund is murdered by the invading Franks. Godomar, his brother, replaces him and the Franks leave Burgundy for a while. A second incursion against the Burgundians occurs in 524 CE, but this time the Franks incur a severe setback during the Battle of Vezeronce. Chlodomer dies, and the Franks leave Godomar to reign unopposed in Burgundy until 534 CE. Clotaire complicates his reign with the acquisition of wives. Clotaire married Guntheuc, the Queen of Orléans and widow of Chlodomer. Clotaire now can access to Chlodomers treasury. This maneuver ensured the rights of Guntheuc as sole heiress of King Godégisiles lands. Frankish law allows a woman to inherit property if she is without sons. Ingund asks Clotaire to find a husband for her sister Aregund. When Clotaire does not find her a worthy man, he decides to marry his sister-in-law. He stays married with Aregund until Ingunds death in 546 CE. After Ingunds death, he abandons the marriage to Aregund. The king of the Thuringians, Hermanafrid, during 531 CE promised King Theuderic part of the Kingdom of Thuringia in exchange for his aid in deposing Balderic, who is his brother. Wounded during battle Theuderic appeals to Clotaire to continue the war. King Hermano Frid of Burgundy dies, and the war continues to secure the conquest of Thuringia. Clotaire inherits Princess Radegund as a part of the spoils of war. At this time, Burgundy now becomes a part of the Frankish empire. In 538, Princess Radegund is brought to Soissons to marry Clotaire, as not illegitimate but a legitimate queen who can help consolidate his dominance over Thuringia. While the title and the status of the Queen are necessary for Clotaire to attain his authority over Thuringia, she remains very much in simple clothing and is not treated like a queen. However, this is due in large part to her Christian faith, as she does not want to appear luxurious. She does not eat to excess but insists much of her food be given to the poor. She occupies much of her time praying and devoting her voice to sing the psalms. Not happy with her constant devotion to God first, Clotaire becomes increasingly irritated with his Queen’s religious behavior and is now not at all enamored with Queen Radegund. Her relationship with the King is platonic. She moved to the royal villa in Poitou and lived a monastic life. Eventually, Clotaire is irritated and wants her return. She does not want the royal life. The Miracle of Oats is commemorated on the day of her flight from the Royal Court- February 28th. When Clotaire arrives looking for the Queen, a farmer tells the miracle of what she has done. Rather than catch her, Clotaire decides it would be better to stop chasing her and not offend God. Radegund establishes the very first monastery in Europe, and she continues on to build 65 more large scale convents in Europe. Clotaire continues his conquests and plans the murder of his brother Chlodomers children. His share of the spoils of war is the cities of Tours and Poitier, still he is not satisfied he must protect his interest in Orleans. He must assassinate his nephews in order to keep Orleans. Clotaire and Childebert will kill their three nephews if they refuse to choose the life of the Church. Another instance of the insanity of fratricide. They must cut their long hair- a sign of nobility- join the monastery or die. Queen Clotilde says she would rather see those boys dead than to be insulted them with short hair. The shearing of his nephews hair could lead to all-out war. Thibaut and Gunthar are targeted and assassinated by their uncles. The relatives went through with their plan to murder Chlodomers children; Theodebald and Gunthar were only ten and seven years old. Now among the Franks there is not only fratricide but paedocide as well. The third nephew, Clodoald, remained alive by managing to escape, and hidden by loyal supporters. He renounced all royal claims to the throne and chose a safer form of existence by becoming a monk. Childebert and Clotaire can freely share their acquired territory without fear of familial squabbles. Theuderic, meanwhile captures parcels of land consisting of Auxerrois, Berry, and other places. Invasions into Frankish territories by the Spanish Visigoths reoccur continuously. The Visigoths snatch pieces of land from the Franks. King Clovis has made progress in retaking the lands, but there is much more to retrieve. Clovis son Clotaire wants even more lands returned to his kingdom. He sends Gunthar and Theudebert to Spain with the mission to secure more lost areas. The campaign ensures the reversion of Dio-et Valquieres and Cabrieres. The greater part of the lost territories are now re-attached to the Franks. During Theuderics health problems his uncle Clotaire and Clotaires brother, Childebert, attempt to steal Theuderic’s kingdom. However, Theuderics son, Theudebert, who is away on military assignment rushes back to aid his father. Sadly Theuderic dies a few days later. Nonetheless, the civil war continues. Now a reversal takes place. Theudeberts uncle, Childebert now combines with the loyal support of Theudeberts nobility to wage war against Clotaire and nearly defeat him. Clotaire is forced to hide in the forest, but fortune once again smiles on Clotaire. A fierce and violent storm forms are making it impossible to continue warfare. So the forces of nature allow Clotaire to escape death and make peace with his family. Finally, Clotaire can rule once again over a united kingdom. His father Clovis would have been proud. However, when Clotaire dies the same inheritance procedure applies. The Empire once again is divided among four sons. One of the children of Clothar, Sigebert, marries a remarkable woman Queen Brunhilda hails from Toledo, the Visigothic capital of Spain. She continues a friendly relation with the Catholic Church and shows statesman-like qualities in that she aimed at abolishing the fatal tradition’ of dividing up the kingdom. Her reign exhibits her cruelty and lust for power. After forty years rule, she in turn meets a cruel fate; she is murdered by tying one arm and one foot to a horse and dragging her across the rugged terrain. Despite the campaigns “of Clotaire II and Dagobert, who reigned from 629 to 639, the Mayors of the Palace steadily increase their hold on power.” Dagobert II was the son of Sigibert III, an Austrasian King of the Merovingian line. Cleverly when King Sigebert is still childless when the Arnulfings Mayor of the Austrasian palace, Grimoald the Elder, gave his son for adoption. Grimoald is the son of Pippin of Landen and Dagoberts guardian. He has his son Childebert adopted by Sigebert III, when Sigebert was still childless. Then when Sigebert dies in 656 CE, Grimoald seized the throne for his son and has Dagobert tonsured, thus marking him unfit for kingship, and exile The fiction that agents murder Dagobert and his death published probably is tied to the fact that his mother, Chimnechild, kept her silence. She cooperates with Grimoald to set up Childebert the Adopted, and ”later she hoped by marrying her daughter Bilichild to Childeric II to keep the eventual Austrasian heir in her bloodline.” There is also a suggestion that Chimnechild is “not Dagoberts mother, thus her reason for abandoning him.” Dagobert is given to the care of Desiderius, Bishop of Poitiers, where there is a cathedral school. The boy goes on to a monastery in Ireland, sometimes identified as Slane. He trains as a Page in an Anglo-Saxon court in England. King Clovis acting under the prompting of the nobles of Austrasia invaded Austrasia and executes Grimoald and Childebert. He annexes Austrasia into his kingdom. Dagoberts succession in 676 CE marks the reinstatement of his lands on the Rhine River, and he lives a pious life. Dagobert is reported to govern the area with humbleness and moderation. After Dagoberts death, the Merovingian monarchy begins weakening, and during the ensuing five decades - more and more power progresses to the Mayors of the Palace. Nonetheless, their power was not so great as to constitute a separate independence from the monarchy, but it is increasing exponentially. In 681, Ebroin a powerful Mayor of the Palace was assassinated. Saint Gregory the bishop “of Tours “thought that the Merovingians failed for the most part to live up to the example of their great forebear Clovis 1 (481-511).” Pepin II of Herstal possesses large amounts of land. He establishes his authority over both Austrasia and Neustria at the Battle of Testry in 686 CE until 752 CE. Pepin II’s son is Charles Martel. Charles Martel is an excellent military leader and his leadership places Austrasia over Neustria. His victories at the Battle of Vincy near Cambrai (AD 617) and the “Battle of Soissons (718) over a mixed Neustrian and Aquitanian force” establishes a greater science of unity in Gaul. In 732, Charles, at the Battle of Poitiers delivers a brilliant defeat of the Arab invasion of Gaul and saves Catholic Christianity in Europe. He secures the military supremacy of the Franks and is supreme over most of Gaul. It is his victories in Germany that introduce Christianity into Germany. Boniface of England came to Germany to lead the conversion of the Germanic tribes following the conquests in Germany by Charles Martel. Using the Lombards as allies, Martel can drive the Saracens out of Gaul. In the explanation of the drastic policy which Charles is pursuing it, is to be noted that in England as well as in Gaul vast amounts of land has fallen into the hands of missions and bishops. They claim an exemption from state taxes. During the reign of King Henry II of England, these Church-land owners have a royal tax exemption that places them beyond the reach of imperial law. Charles Martel, however, has no hesitation in occupying the lands of abbeys and making the inhabitants of these land pay royal taxes. He has no compunction about stealing valuable artifacts and gold from the Churches in order to raise funds for the army to save Christianity in Europe. In 741 CE, and after “his twenty-two years of rule as Mayor of Neustria and Austrasia Martel dies.” historians have heralded Martel and the events surrounding him as the turning-point in the history of Europe. “When Charles Martel dies his two sons succeed to Mayor of the Palace. One of the sons, Carloman, decides, however, to become a monk. In 751, Pepin deposes King Childeric; who is the last of the Merovingian Kings.”
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 00:57:04 +0000
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