Fredegonda - Frankish queen, who lived about 540 - 597 years.Her name means "peaceful warrior" by fridu - «peace», gund - «fight, fight", but it was, according to legend, to put it mildly, not at all peaceful.
Comes from little noble Frankish family, but still quite noble to get into the entourage of Queen Avdovery - the first wife of the Merovingian Hilperiha I, King of the West Franks tribes.Chilperic distinguished bravery, intolerance of Christianity and controversial character, together with his brothers, he conquered Paris, but got himself a kingdom by lot of Soissons, who called Neustria.
But the king was displeased, and came into internecine war for the French land with his brothers.At this time in the court and appeared Fredegonda (Fredegunda).Queen Avdovera treated her like a servant with a simple, but the king praised her dignity - she became his mistress.
According to legend, Fredegonda persuaded the queen in the absence of the king when not finding the ideal godmother for their newborn daughter, keep the baby in the font itself.The wife of the king thus became his godmother, and on the already established national regulations of the church women were forbidden marriage with a man if she was the godmother of his child.
King, the soul is constantly struggling with all the principles of Christianity on people still preferred to follow the rules, because"Holy Fathers" has gained authority among the people, and took advantage of this occasion, the wife entered a convent.And it was then by Chilperic her three sons Teodobert, sizes, and Clovis.
however had no time to rejoice Fredegonda as the "Nero and Herod in one person", as called him behind his back, married sister- in-law of his brother Sigebert 1 - Galesvinte - famous sister, Brünnhilde.She did not even want to give him, but after the death of one of the brothers, Chilperic land increased so much that he even offered to the bride - Limoges, Cahors, Bordeaux, Bearn and Bigorre and, of course, he promised to remove from himself Fredegondu about communicationwhich we have all been heard.
Fredegonda But did not give up.People say, that she used magical means, so that the king quickly lost interest in the new wife and fell in love with her again.And even more, His Majesty Galesvintu strangled as she slept.
After King Chilperic lamented the manner of death of his wife, he married finally on Fredegonde, and it became "black queen" francs.
Brünnhilde, sister Galesvinty course was extremely saddened and outraged by the incident and persuaded her husband to start a war with Sigebert's brother, and the ill-fated queen newly-francs - Fredegondoy.Sigebert already moved troops to his brother, but he broke the third brother, the court convened meeting of the whole people, which ruled that as a penalty for the murder of Chilperic must pass the Queen Brunhild all the same 5 towns that formerly served as a wedding gift, and afterdeath of his wife moved back to it.
Peace was restored completely in the short term, the war lasted for half a century and was known as the dynastic war Fredegondy and Brunhilde.
Chilperic decided to take away from the southern city of Sigebert - Tours and Poitiers.Enraged Sigebert found it, he must finish with his brother and attach to his possessions of his land.At his side was a large military advantage: many pagan Germanic peoples.And they even managed to drive to the castle at Helperika tour, the eldest son fell Teodobert Chilperic and Sigebert declared himself the new king of his land.But
.The tour was Fredegonda and that as time resolved childbirth.Assuming your almost hopeless position, the king was waiting for an outcome with some dispassion, but decided to send for a purpose insidious Fredegonda 2 mercenaries to kill Sigebert.Those disguised as defectors reached its location and killed Sigebert, falling immediately on his hand guards.The leader of the army lost quickly disintegrated, and Chilperic easily regained lost possession.Thanks to his wife.
and get him to Paris, where he captured Brünnhilde.It sent her into exile in the city of Rouen.Daughters Sigebert Chilperic ordered to keep in Meaux.
But the royal couple has not calmed down.There was a betrayal: the second son of Chilperic from the 1st marriage - examples sent in to suppress the resistance of Poitiers, instead went to Rouen, because long dreamed of Brünnhilde, and took her as his wife.People were outraged - because Merab married the wife of his uncle and his father Chilperic just in shock.Trying to come to terms yet with his son, his father left him in Soissons.And here at the castle, which at that time were Fredegonda with a newborn and his 3rd son of the 1st marriage - Clovis, was attacked.The king began to suspect that this battle was the fault Meroveya, because of its connection with Brünnhilde.Son was disarmed, placed under arrest and taken to the example of the mother in a monastery.However
friends stole Meroveya the road and he fled to Austria (Austrasia), which managed to escape Brünnhilde.But the authorities refused him Austrasia asylum and again taken into custody.Fredegonda, according to legend, had sent assassins again, and Chilperic, who left her son had found a dead body.A whole suite, stole his son on the way to the monastery, responsible for his death murderers and those responsible for the death of the first son of the cruelest methods of execution - the wheel, cut into pieces and impaled.
Son Fredegondy Chilperic and 2 years old, died of dysentery, but soon she gave birth to two more.
to life was not boring, and not poor, Fredegonda decided to make a census of the population and increase the taxes and fees for everything that is from farmers, including plants and animals.
Citizens, of course revolted against tyrannical rule Fredegondy.But they did not work, increased Chilperic troops to crush the rebellion.Executed all responsible, the increased taxes on the matter even more than planned.
introduced in Neustria taxes were so heavy that many people, even the nobles abandoned their hereditary possessions and ran out of the country.
Then hit their possessions, "Wrath of the Gods" - because of the incessant rains overflowed rivers - the Rhone, Saone-et-Loire and ogromnyopustosheniya made on the lands of the Merovingian.Summer hailstorm devastated the territory of Bourges;Orleans town was half destroyed by fire;Bordeaux happened a strong earthquake to shatter even the city walls.And in August, he broke cover almost entire Gaul smallpox, from which the King himself sick Chilperic and his young sons from Fredegondy - Hlodobert and Dagobert.
Chilperic recovered, but his two sons died.During his illness, and Chilperic Fredegonda even believe in Christ and to atone for the sins gone, abolished taxes imposed, then handed a lot of gifts to churches, basilicas and poor people.
But as time passed, the land rebounded, and Fredegonda recovered.In Chilperic had one son from 1st marriage - Clovis, and according to the rules of succession got it all to him.
Fredegonda accused of Clovis to her husband, who believed in the power of Christianity, of involvement in witchcraft, because of which, it claimed their sons died.Witch was also the mother of his alleged mistress.A woman burned at the stake, and the prince was sent in custody to a villa, where he soon found murdered.Again, on the orders of Fredegondy.King also said that he stabbed himself Clovis.
Then on orders Fredegondy the monastery where languished 1st wife, were also sent assassins.The only remain in Chilperic's daughter Avdovery - Bazin, raped, and then sent to a convent in Poitiers.Domains that Avdovera got a divorce, and her other possessions, and everything that belonged to Clovis Bazin and his sister, became the property of Fredegondy.
have remained Chilperic's brother, who once judged a dispute between him and Sigebert - Guntramn who owned some remain after the land.King drove him.
The 582 year Fredegondoy Chilperic with a son Theodore.In honor of the king ordered to open all prisons to release the prisoners, ordered not to claim the arrears payable to the treasury.
the past 2 years, and a son died of dysentery.His death was blamed Prefect Mummol.He was captured and subjected to terrible torture, but it in no way admitted.He was released, but he died shortly afterwards.
have Chilperic Fredegondy and had a daughter - Rigunta but Fredegondy, according to legend, it was a very complicated relationship:
daughter reproached her mother humble origin, proud of the fact that it is something she - the daughter of the king.This Rigunta drove bloodthirsty queen before that she once tried to kill her:
«Rigunta daughter of Chilperic, often hast mother, saying that she - Rigunta - lady, and that she again give his mother a maid.She often showered her with abuse, and because of this they beat each other with their fists and gave each other a slap.
Finally the mother said to her: "Why are you treating me bad daughter?That's your father's estate, which is me, take it and operate it as you would like. "
And he went into the pantry, she opened a chest filled with jewels and precious ornaments, left after 1st looting Brünnhilde.As the mother of a very long time took out different things, giving them standing next to her daughter, she said, "I'm tired, and now she took out that comes to hand."
And when she put her hand in the chest and began to take out things that the mother grabbed the lid of the chest and dropped it on the back of the head daughter.It is with such force fell upon the cover and its lower edge and put pressure on his daughter's throat.
One of the girls who were there screamed, "Help, for God's sake, run here, my mistress smothers her mother!".And they burst into the room and get rid of the girl threatened her with death.But then the mother-daughter feud broke out even more. "
(In an earlier version of the fairy tale "Cinderella" the main character kills his stepmother cover the chest - which is believed to reflect the upside Fredegondy story and her daughter.)
Guntramn - brother Chilperic, teamed up with King Childebert 2 -son Sigebert and Brunhilde, against tyranny and power Chilperic and Fredegondy.
Fredegonda At the same time, while continuing efforts to give the country an heir, gave birth to a son named Clotaire.But relations with Chilperic gave a crack - King Fredegondu suspected of treason with the Count of Paris Landrihom (Landerikom) - manager of the royal court.
Nevertheless, he tried to think about it less, was going to marry off their daughter together Riguntu the King of the Visigoths, made plans to hunt and when returning from the hunt, was suddenly killed by some person who twice plunged a knife into him,Chilperic when dismounted from his horse.The murderer was never found.
course, the responsibility for his death fell on Fredegondu, but rather on Landriha she persuaded on this matter.In another version of Chilperic I was not killed on the orders of Fredegondy, and at the instigation of a vengeful Brünnhilde, who finally took revenge for her sister and the two men.
Bishop of Senlis, ordered to transfer the body of a king, rite royal apparel, to the ship, and then he and spiritual songs, and singing of psalms buried him in the presence of Queen Fredegondy in the church of the holy martyr Wincenty (modern Saint-Germain-des-Prés).Duke Desiderius, once worked on learning about the death of Chilperic, robbed a caravan of his daughter Rigunty, ehavshey to the spouse in the Visigoths, and its very detained.
Chilperic went down in history as a reformer svoeborazny.He respected his wife brutal and respected of all the women in her face, which was strange for those times.He issued a law stipulates that in the absence of a son can inherit the earth wife, daughter or sister of the deceased (before that, in this case, the land inherited neighbors commoners male).
This law rules Fredegonda French country with minor King Clotaire Landerikom lover and, at the same time to protect the heir to the throne, she had to call the former enemy - the king Guntramna, once exiled brother of her husband.
He arrived in Paris, ascertained legitimacy Clotaire (I wonder how, like a DNA test was not then)), recognized him as his nephew and King of Neustria, took the boy under his wing, but remembering the sins Fredegonde, stay in Paris she did notallowed.The queen was sent to the villa Pains in the vicinity of Rouen.Zakonorozhdennost Clotaire in connection with the free conduct of his mother, some still doubted.
After a rather quick death Guntramna, Fredegonda (it has survived all) returned to Paris, and finally concentrated all power in his hands.She personally participated in battles, as the commander, and chroniclers, it was indignant mischief, and admired her stratagem, which helped to reflect the invasion avstraziytsev who continued to encroach on its lands under the influence of Brünnhilde, just surviving in spite of everything.
Son Brünnhilde, who was allied with the late Guntramom, Fredegonda decided to kill.Army Queen quietly approached the unsuspecting camp Childebert 2 and committed the massacre there.
Then on its orders directly at the church was mortally wounded Bishop Praetextatus Rouen, once married and Brünnhilde Meroveya previously sent her efforts into exile (after the death was canonized).
«Immediately him dying was Fredegonda with the Duke and Beppolenom Ansovaldom and said:
- not worthy of us or all of your people, the holy Bishop, what happened, and even in the church.Oh, if found a person who dared to commit such, he would suffer condign punishment for this wickedness.
bishop, knowing that she uttered these words with guile, said:
- Who done it?It makes the one who kills the Kings, who now and then sheds the blood of any innocent people who commit the sorts of atrocities kingdom.
Fredegonda said:
- I have experienced doctor who could heal this wound.Let them come to you.
And he answered her:
- God has wished to summon me from this world.And you, the instigator of these crimes will be cursed in this world.And yes, God sends judgment on your head, for my blood.
And when Fredegonda gone, the bishop gives instructions to his home, gave up the ghost. "
Fredegonda then launched an attack on the sons of Childebert II, but the war ended in defeat, and her death, which took place peacefully in his own bed.
Fredegonda died in honor, domineering queen, in a halo just won by its victories, was buried next to her husband, in the Paris church of St-Germain des prés.
Her tombstone - one of the oldest medieval burial sites in France.He is now in the Basilica of Saint-Denis, and is a mosaic depicting the queen in royal robes.
Clotaire 2, later nicknamed the Great, became parents to continue the work to conquer the land.
And Brünnhilde after a while came into his hands.Son Fredegondy judged her for the murder of the ten members of the royal house (even including the murder of her husband Sigebert I), and after three days of fierce tortures, the sight of all the troops, it was tied to the tail of a wild horse, which dragged on the ground Brünnhilde doteh long as she does notHe died.
main source of information about the person and crimes Fredegondy are the works of her contemporaries Gregory of Tours, who suffered from her great oppression and in his writings strongly opposes it good Brünnhilde.
second source - "History Book francs", created two centuries after the death of the queen.Author - anonymous, although recounts anecdotes about Fredegondy actions, however, admires her energetic and enterprising, and are enemies for him Brunnhilde, her son and the troops who attacked his home.
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