Brunehilde (queen)

Biography

Girl of Athanagild, king of the Visigoths, and Goïswinthe or Godesvinda , it marries Sigebert I {{er}}, king frank mérovingien of Austrasie, in spring 566.

The assassination in 567 of his/her older sister Galswinthe, woman of Chilpéric I {{er}}, itself brother of Sigebert and king of Neustrie, will start a long fatal war between the Austrasie and the Neustrie in the name of the Germanic Faide, kind of “vendetta” of time.

Her husband is assassinated into 575, by 2 sicaires of Frédégonde, in Vitry (close to Turned) whereas it had just been carried on the pavoi. His/her brother-in-law, Chilpéric I {{er}} will be assassinated into 584, while returning from a shooting party (Chelles, 575), it is made captive and taken along in exile to Rouen. His/her son Childebert II as for him is saved and proclaimed king by Austrasiens with Metz.

Brunehilde, succeeds in nevertheless alluring and marrying its nephew Mérovée, wire of Chilpéric I {{er}}. This last having made carry out his/her son, Brunehilde turns over in Austrasie. His/her own son, Childebert II, being too young to control, it ensures regency the great dissatisfaction with Best, an aristocracy at the origin of the feudality, which seeks to monopolize the capacity.

In front of the hostility of the latter, Brunehilde then approaches the king Gontran I {{er}}, brother of its first husband Sigebert I {{er}} and king of Burgondie and Paris. In 587, it signs a treaty with Gontran I {{er}}. This one adopts Childebert II then under the influence of the queen.

With died of Gontran I {{er}} in 592, Brunehilde reigns in fact on the Austrasie and on the Burgondie but must face the attacks of Frédégonde (the supposed assassin of its sister or at least, the instigator) and of the son of the latter, Clotaire II.

In 595, with died of Childebert II, it still exerts regency in the name of its two grandsons, Théodebert II in Austrasie and Thierry II in Burgondie. The latter are opposed, encouraged by the Best.

Always in war against Clotaire II and ridges some with the opposition of the aristocracy austrasienne, Brunehilde must seek refuge near the king Thierry II his grandson.

Thierry II then carries out the war against his/her brother, Théodebert II; this last is under the influence of Best. It is beaten with Toul then Tolbiac and is killed in 612. Thierry II dies as for him a little later probably poisoned, in 613 leaving the kingdom to his/her son Sigebert II 12 years old. The nobility of Austrasie revolts then and decides to deliver Brunehilde to Clotaire II. This last makes carry out 3 of its 4 backs grandsons (the last being mowed and being locked up in a convent colombanien) and does it supplicier lasting 3 days, it is then attached by the hair, an arm and a leg with the tail of an untamed horse (a camel according to other sources), and its body is put in scraps. Its remainders, finally collected, are brought to the abbey of Saint Martin's day of Autun which it had founded.

Detested by many chroniclers, crafty one, quarrelsome, manipulator and marked by the Germanic tradition of the faide which tore Mérovingiens under its “reign”, Brunehilde, like its rival Frédégonde, remained in the Histoire like “a bad” figure. It however was very cultivated (rather rare for the time even among the kings and the nobility) and had partisans, and endeavoured to preserve the royal authority on an aristocracy always a little more rebellious, and prompt to confiscate it.

Let us note that it had a very contemporary design of the State. She saw herself reproaching by the " pope of Rome" , to leave the Jews and the Christians of his kingdom to celebrate the days of Passover together in the same places of worship… She answered that the religious problems were responsibility for the " papes" (bishops), and not of his. She was queen of her subjects, not their hearts…

Posterity

Deformation by franque historiography

In a world where the habit of the Francs was essential, she constantly sought to preserve the remainders of a Roman design of the State and justice. The misogyny of the time and posterior times mainly explain the black legends whose is still victim its memory.

Legacy

It attempted to maintain the roads communication, thus many the Roman ways which it restored bear the name of Brunehaut roadway. Like Mélusine, it is in legendary the “bâtisseuses ones”.

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