"Long-haired kings" became the first dynasty in the history of France. Merowings from pagan times until their fall wore long hair - an indispensable attribute of the monarch. Their subjects believed that kings possess a special magical power that embodies the well-being of the entire Frankish people. Cutting off hair in those days directly meant the loss of all power. An example of the latter is Chlodoald, who later became known as Saint Claude.
Merovingians are a whole period in the history of medieval France. Representatives of the dynasty significantly expanded the Frankish state, united the tribes under one crown. How long did the Merovingian dynasty rule in France? What were the most prominent presented noble family?
The mythical roots of the French dynasty
In the Middle Ages, many considered the first ruler of the Franks from the dynasty of "long-haired kings" half-mythical Pharamond. In later times, historians still came to the conclusion that such a Frankish ruler did not exist at all. In addition, Faramond, the son of Mrakomir, descended from unknown Trojans who moved to Gaul, and the ancestors of the Merovingians were more often called the last Trojan king Priam or the hero of the Trojan war Aeneas, who came from the royal dardans.
Origin of a noble name
According to a common version, which was confirmed by some historians, one of the ancestors of the French Merovingians was the legendary leader Merovey. He was the son or relative of Chlodion the Long Haired (although, according to one legend, he was born from Chloodion’s wife from a sea monster) and ruled the Franks in 447-458. It was to him that the French kings owed their noble name. However, some researchers cannot confirm the fact of the actual existence of Chlodion, the Merovingians themselves did not doubt its reality and its origin.
Brief historical background
What is the rule of the Merovingian dynasty in France? The clan traces its history to Childeric, who ruled from 457-481. A brief overview of the reign of the Merovingian dynasty follows, then - more about each of the kings.
Most modern historians consider Childericus, the son of the semi-legendary Merovei, the first historical leader of the Franks. It was during his reign that the territory of the Frankish state first began to expand. However, the son of Childeric Clovis, who annexed the north of Gaul and expanded his possessions to the upper Rhine, is still considered the true founder of the kingdom. He was the first among the representatives of the dynasty to be baptized, published the “Salic truth” and made Paris the capital.
After Clovis, the kingdom was divided by four of his sons: Hlotar became the king of Soissons, Orléans - Chlodomyr, Reims - Theodrich, Paris - Hildebert. The fragmentation of the Frankish kingdom did not prevent the descendants of Clovis from resisting the Burgundians. The bloodless accession of Provence dates back to the same time.
In the middle of the sixth century, all France was briefly united (from 558 to 561 years) under their rule Chlothar I, but after his death the kingdom was divided into three parts: Australia, Neustria and Burgundy. Aquitaine in the southwest was considered the common territory of all the kings of France.
The tradition of dividing the kingdom between sons was characteristic of all Germanic peoples. All male children should have received their share, so in those days the land was constantly divided. The desire to unite large territories under their authority eventually led to fratricidal wars. For example, after the death of Chlodomyr, two of his heirs, united, killed the rest and divided France among themselves. But blood feud was widespread in the Middle Ages, so the struggle for land very quickly led to new conflicts and secret conspiracies.
An example of the latter is the forty-year war between the wives of the kings of Neustria and Australia. The son of Queen Neustria, who enlisted the support of the clergy, tycoons, landowners and counts, managed to unite the three kingdoms under their rule, overthrowing and brutally executing the Queen of Australia. After the death of the king of the earth, his sons - Haribert and Dragobert inherited. Especially successful was the reign of the latter. Dragobert managed to strengthen the monarchy and pursue a successful conquest policy. He briefly captured Brittany, managed to annex Spain, Italy and Slavic lands.
Despite the strengthening of the kings' dominion, more and more power in all three kingdoms was obtained by the mayordom. They acted as representatives of the monarchs before the nobility, controlled the income and expenses of the royal court, and commanded the guards. The period of the actual reign of mayordom is usually called the time of "lazy kings."
Nevertheless, the Merovingian dynasty in France was able to strengthen for some time. The son of Dragobert Sigebert III was completely revered by his subjects as a saint, so that the mayor of Grimoald the Elder, the wine man in an attempt at a coup and seizure of power, was then publicly executed.
The fall of the Merovingian dynasty dragged on for a century. Mayordoms have repeatedly tried to actually remove the representatives of the first dynasty of kings from power, but many did not dare to take the throne. Pepin Short, the son of Karl Martell, after he enlisted the support of the Pope, was proclaimed ruler of the Kingdom of Frankish. He cut the last representative of the Merovingian dynasty in France and imprisoned him in a monastery. This ended the reign of the dynasty, the Carolingians came to power.
How much does the Merovingian dynasty rule? The first representative of the noble house ascended the throne in 457, the last was imprisoned in a monastery in 751. Therefore, the Merovingians are a dynasty of Frankish kings holding the reins from the second half of the fifth to the middle of the seventh century.
Childeric I: ruler of which little is known
Childeric I is the first king of the Merovingian dynasty, whose existence is confirmed by written and material historical sources. Little is known about Helderic’s reign, fragmentary information is preserved only about some battles and conquests. For example, it is known that the future king fought at the Battle of Orleans in 453, and later became an ally of the Romans.
Under the rule of Childeric I, several religions peacefully coexisted in the territory of modern France. There are no more accurate data on the reign of the first real king from the Merovingian dynasty. The ruler died early, at about the age of forty. His grave was discovered in the middle of the seventeenth century near the church of Saint-Brice. In addition to weapons and jewelry, a signet ring with the inscription “King Childeric” was found in the tomb, which accurately proves the burial place belonging to this historical character.
Clovis I: one of the largest politicians of his time
The main source of information about the life and rule of Clovis I was the bishop of the city of Tours. Other sources only repeat information first described in the annals of Tours. Its very author, Grigory Tursky, was definitely familiar with people who personally knew Clovis I and his wife, remembered the years of his reign.
Clovis became king at the age of fifteen. Then the tribes of the Franks were scattered, and the young man did not inherit far from the whole kingdom, but only a small part of the lands centered in Tournai. In the fifth year of rule, the young king went to war on the weakened State of Siagria. So he received in his possession a rich region of Gaul with the main city of Paris.
In the tenth year of his reign, Clovis started a war with the Thuringians. He fulfilled allied obligations to the ruler of the Ripuar francs. The Franks themselves did not want war, but the Thuringians brutally attacked them. Clovis I quickly defeated the Thuringians, the tribe was finally conquered by the end of the reign of the king.
After this victory, the influence of Clovis among other German kings was so great that the hands of one of his three sisters were repeatedly requested by the rulers of many German tribes. Clovis I himself, who already had an illegitimate son, then married the daughter of the king of the Burgundians.
The chosen one of the king - Clotilde - was a believing Christian and tried to convince her husband to accept this faith too. Clovis was sympathetic to this, but he did not dare to change his faith. She begged her husband according to Christian tradition to baptize the first child, but her son died suddenly in baptismal clothes. The second son was also christened, he immediately became very ill. Mother prayed earnestly for her child’s health. Chlodomyr eventually recovered, but his father continued to reject Christianity.
After another victory, which the king won by calling on the name of Christ, Clovis still accepted the new faith. Baptism provided the king with the support of the clergy and population. The bishop, who urged the king to abandon paganism, addressed him with the words: “Worship what he burned, burn what he worshiped” - this expression became winged.
In the future, Clovis I actively continued the expansion of the state. Also under him was written “Salic truth” - the first collection of laws. How many years have the Merovingians ruled in the person of this king? The founder of the Frankish state, Clovis I was in power from 481 (482) to 511, after which the country passed to the heirs. The king died at forty-two, dividing the land between his four sons.
The four heirs of Clovis I
The eldest son of King Clovis I Theodoric reigned in Metz and Reims. Many historians consider him the illegitimate son of the king, since Theodoric's mother was a concubine. But, probably, she was the daughter of one of the leaders of the Germanic tribes. However, the girl’s marriage with Clovis I was not church, so it was considered invalid. Be that as it may, Theodorich received a large share in his father's inheritance, so that in the eyes of his contemporaries he was a completely legitimate heir.
Even during the life of his father, the young man reached adulthood and even commanded troops in one of the wars. After the death of Clovis I, he received land along the Rhine, east of the Rhine, along the course of the Meuse, as well as the districts of Chalon, Reims, Basel. During the reign, he conquered another part of the territories.
Chlodomyr - the second son of Clovis I - received territories in the Loire basin (Kingdom of Orleans). The heir to Clovis did not rule for long (511-524), he was killed in the war against the Burgundians.
Hildebert I received Paris and the surrounding land. Together with his brothers, he fought with the Burgundians, in which Khlodomir died. The brothers killed the sons of Chlodomyr, and his kingdom was divided among themselves. Hildebert I got the area north of the Loire, Orleans, Bourges and Chartres. The whole life of this king (which was not uncommon in the Middle Ages) was spent in wars and battles.
How long did the Merovingians, the heirs of Clovis I, rule in France? His sons did not dominate peace and harmony for long. The younger managed to unite the state for a short while, but at the cost of fratricide and the brutal elimination of their heirs.
The youngest son of Clovis I and Clotilde, Hlotar I managed to add the southern part of the Burgundian state and Astrasia to the kingdom of Soissons received from his father. Hlotar I lived quite a long time for his time; he died in the fifty-first year of his reign. After a brief unification of the lands, the kingdom was again fragmented between the four sons of Hlothar I.
The time of bloody wars and conspiracies
How long did the Merovingian dynasty rule after this? By the time of the death of Clovis I, the son of the founder of the state, the dynasty was in power for more than a century. According to a long tradition, the heirs of Clovis I divided the state into four parts: Haribert I got the Paris basin, part Aquitaine and Provence, Sigibert I - the eastern part of France with the capital in Reims, Chilperic I - the kingdom of Soissons, Guntramnu - Orleans.
It was on this generation that the forty-year war broke out between Fredegonda and Brünnhilde, the wives of kings Chilperic I and Sigibert I. The difficult conflict was both a consequence of the conspiracy and territorial ambitions. After a long war, a young Sigibert II ascended the throne from Brungilda’s filing, but he was quickly replaced by Hlotar II, who reigned for sixteen years.
How long did the Merovingians rule for this time? Despite the fact that bloody wars were constantly conducted in the state and secret conspiracies were being prepared, the dynasty was in power. By the death of Hlotar II in 629, the Merovingians occupied the throne for more than one hundred and seventy years.
Reign of Dragobert I
The next king was the son of Chlothar II Dragobert I. During his reign, he was the only king who united the entire Frankish state under his authority. Dragobert I conducted a successful military campaign against the Basques in the southern part of the state, and later went to Gascony. Then, on the contact of the territories of Germanic and Slavic tribes, the Slavic state of Samo was formed. Dragobert I besieged the fortress of ruler Samo, but was defeated. Later, the Slavic people began to periodically raid neighboring lands.
How much did the Merovingians rule on their own? The last monarch who independently ruled the Frankish state was Dragobert I. He entrusted his faithful mayor to guard the widow queen and little Clovis II after his death.
The weakening of the power of the dynasty
The Merovingians are a strong dynasty that ruled France for quite some time. But as soon as the mayords became close to the throne, the power of the monarchs began to weaken. Clovis II was only five years old, when his father died, leaving his son the ruler of the state, the real power took Mayor Eg. The very grown-up Clovis II was a drunkard, a lecher and a glutton, he paid little attention to state affairs, was sick, and periodically lost his memory. The king died in the twenty-fourth year of his life, but managed to leave an heir.
Hlotar III became a monarch at the age of seven. He ruled under the tutelage of the Queen Mother, who endowed the real power of Mayor Ebroin. The boy died at sixteen. After his death, the third Theodoric III became the king, then Childeric II.
Childeric II managed to somewhat remove the mayordom from the real power, but in his place came Bishop Leodegari. A few years later, Childeric was able to independently rule the state, he expelled the bishop and imprisoned him in a monastery, depriving him of all privileges. But a conspiracy was prepared against Childeric - the king, his son and his pregnant wife died in the hunt, and the second son was exiled to the monastery. After Theodoric III came to power again.
How did the Merovingians rule at that time? The power of the kings weakened, many things were in the hands of mayordom or court bishops. The monarchs themselves succeeded very quickly, many of them were not at all interested in the state.
The Fall of the Merovingians and the Establishment of Carolingian Power
How many years the Merovingians ruled in France after Dragobert I, how much they endowed the real power of their ministers - mayordom. The winner of the Battle of Poitiers, Karl Martell, united the Frankish states in the first third of the eighth century. But still he did not dare to take the throne. The case of Karl Martell was continued by his son, Pepin Korotky, who crushed both external and internal enemies. He decided to destroy the real power of the Merovingians, but he waited for the encouragement of the Pope. After negotiations with Pope Zachariah Pepin became king of the Frankish kingdom. The new ruler cut the last Merovingian and imprisoned him in a monastery.
The Merovingians are the first royal dynasty in France. The rulers managed to unite the Germanic tribes and significantly expand the lands of the Frankish kingdom.