Childeric & Basina
A series on all things Merovingian - Part II
One of the first of the Merovingians whom Gregory of Tours introduces us to is King Childeric (reigned c. 457-481), son of Merovech (the namesake of the Merovingians...and the spawn of the Quinotaur and the woman, remember?).
The Tale
Childeric and his escapades seem to set the tone for a lot of the Merovingians to follow him. Gregory says his “private life was one of long debauch.”1 This all started mid-5th century. Supposedly, he was seducing the daughters of his subjects and this angered them, so he had to flee to a neighboring kingdom, Thuringia. Before he left, he cut a coin in two, kept one half himself, and gave the other half to a friend. It was decided that his friend would send his half to Childeric in Thuringia once people’s tempers had cooled and it was safe for him to return and continue to be their king. While he was gone, the people chose a Roman army commander, Aegidius, to be their king, who reigned for eight years. Apparently, that’s how long it took for the dust to settle from Childeric’s illicit liaisons.
But don’t be fooled that Childeric took that time to think about what he had done and was planning to return remorseful. While he waited for them to cool their jets, he got busy with the King of Thuringia’s wife, Queen Basina! Who, interestingly, left her husband and followed Childeric back to Gaul. When Childeric asked her why she fled her home to be with him, she responded with a romantic proclamation of adoration and devotion, “I know that you are a strong man and I recognize ability when I see it. I have therefore come to live with you. You can be sure that if I knew anyone else, even far across the sea, who was more capable than you, I should have sought him out and gone to live with him instead.”2 These heartfelt and endearing words sealed the deal for Childeric and they were married in 463 AD. But that’s not all! We then have an intriguing story of Basina potentially foreseeing the rise and fall of the Merovingian dynasty. This time it comes from the source known to us as the Fredegar Chronicles.
In this tale, Basina and Childeric are in bed on their wedding night and Basina tells Childeric to walk outside and tell her what he sees. First, he sees lions, unicorns, and leopards. She ends up sending him out two more times. The second time he sees bears and wolves. The third time he sees just plain ole dogs and other smaller beasts. Basina listens, takes it all in, and they go to bed. But in the morning, Basina explains to Childeric what it all means. She prophesies (can I use such a strong word?) that they would have a son as strong as a lion, who would have sons as strong as unicorns and leopards, who would have sons as strong as bears and wolves, who would have sons only as strong as dogs and small beasts.3 This prediction, in a sense, came true! The first Merovingian kings were known to be the most commanding and powerful. But by the end of the dynasty, the Merovingian kings were known as the “roi fainéant,” aka the “do-nothing kings”. Their kingdoms were essentially ruled by the Mayors of the Palace (the chief administrative officials). Some of these “mayors” were actually the ones who would take the throne from the Merovingians, ending their centuries-long dynasty and establishing the Carolingian Empire!
My Initial Questions & Observations
Here are my novice thoughts on all of this. King Bisinus of Thuringia didn’t come retrieve Basina, his queen? It seems she was able to make her own decision on who she wanted to be with. She married Childeric after being married to Bisinus. How did divorce and remarriage work then? This was a seemingly adulterous woman with her own mind who could go where she willed and be with who she wanted! Surprisingly, Basina’s behavior wasn’t a turn off to King Childeric. In fact, he valued this type of personality and married her for it. What does this say about the culture and society of the times? About women? What does this say about Childeric’s political prowess and position? What were the Fredegar Chronicles trying to say about Basina with that story about the animals and her foresight? Was she a prophetess or diviner? There are quite a few conjectures one could make from this story about Basina. She seemed pretty bold, ambitious, full of gumption, and agency. Was this normal for women or just for queens? I have so many questions.
For those of you just interested in the story aspect of history, there you have it! The beginning of a colorfully dramatic dynasty that lasted for over two hundred and fifty years. For those of you wanting to dig into the details a little more, below I’ll go into the historical context and scholarly interpretations and debates. Let’s dig in.
The Historical Context
Childeric is known as “the first Merovingian ruler in Gaul.”4 While it’s easy for us to identify him simply as a successful barbarian warrior who became leader of a new kingdom, we must remember he also served in the Roman army (potentially under the famous Aetius). He was known as a brilliant commander, successful in many battles, supposedly including the great battle against the Huns. His elaborate grave has been “one of the great all-time finds of European archeology.”5 In it, he was found buried with great amounts of gold and jewelry, as well as the corpses of twenty-one horses! The weapons and treasure came from Byzantine, Hun, Germanic, and Gallo-Roman workshops.6 Interestingly, he was also found with not only a seal ring with the title of king, but also a golden brooch fastened to his military cloak…essentially communicating that both roles were important.7 A letter written to his son, Clovis, by Bishop Remigius of Rheims informs us that Childeric was a pagan but still subject to the counsel of the Church. All of this complicates his identity and standing in Gaul, which highlights how it was a time of clashing and competing identities, cultures, and peoples.
While Childeric was labeled as King of the Franks, the Roman Empire was still present in Western Europe at this time. The famous sacking of Rome by another barbarian leader, Alaric, occurred in 410 AD, but the coup de grace where yet another barbarian leader, Odoacer, deposed Emperor Romulus Augustus and declared himself King of Italy didn’t happen until 476 AD. So our little story of King Childeric, Basina, and their escapades in Gaul is situated between these two rather momentous events. “You have to realize that the Merovingians were an amalgamation of different cultures. They had Germanic origins, but most served in the Roman military, they had to maintain relations with the Catholic Church and its bishops, interact with the Gallo-Roman aristocracy still present in Gaul. That brings with it a lot of differing ideas, expectations, rules, laws, and traditions.”8 So as you’re developing an image of the Merovingians in your mind, please incorporate this blending of different identities. These budding new kingdoms were not homogenous Germanic people groups. They were coalitions of different tribes who had built alliances around similar needs and goals. For a little more on this and the term “ethnogenesis” you can read my essay on the 5th Century.
Let’s talk about Basina! I’d love to go into great detail about the life of this intriguing woman. But alas, there is very little mention of her in the sources…not surprisingly. In fact, most of what we know about her I’ve already mentioned. However, when faced with a dilemma like this, I do think it’s possible to flesh her out a little by concocting a mixture of historical context and conjecture…and imagination. BUT, keep in mind it’s still imaginative conjecture.
Two of our Roman sources (Tacitus and Marcellinus) who provide details for us on the Germanic tribes describe their wives as highly valued; they accompanied their husbands onto the battlefield (at least until the sixth century) and their advice and wisdom was respected by their husbands.9 Ian Wood states, “the political influence of women in Francia was arguably more important than in any other early medieval state.”10 But then he also says, “the status of a queen or concubine depended almost entirely on the support of her husband.”11 Chastity was expected only of women and there were harsh penalties for adultery…again, only for women. “If a betrothed woman married another, she could be executed as an adulteress,” and when it came to divorce, men could repudiate their wives, but women couldn’t initiate separation.12 It’s debated, but some argue that Merovingian men practiced polygyny, having several wives. It was also common to have concubines. But women could only have one husband. Overall, for me, one of the most significant points made about Merovingian women is that they “had more power and independence” than the women before or after them.13
I’m tempted to cling to an image of Basina charging onto the battlefield alongside her husband and standing as a sage of wisdom in her court. She must have been battle-hardened, used to the king seeking her wise counsel, engaged in political machinations, as well as the day-to-day happenings of life as a queen. I imagine her powerful, independent, ruthlessly ambitious, and in control of herself. Also, her blatant adultery and seeking to marry another of her own accord is in conflict with what we know of women in regards to adultery and divorce. One could argue this shows her strength and tenacity. However, Suzanne Wemple seems to think she got away with what she did because she “had an extremely powerful protector, and could flout the laws.”14 So it actually exposes her vulnerability and weakness…she could only get away with her behavior because of a strong male authority figure that backed her up. It’s due to Childeric’s influence that she was allowed to remain with him and remarry without any repercussions. Perhaps all of this says more about queenly privilege than it does about the women in general.
I must also temper my depiction of her with more nuance because her value and standing in society as a woman was complex. Her success and status was entirely dependent on her standing in the king’s eyes. She was expected to produce heirs, that was her main duty. She most likely had to make peace with other women competing for the attentions of her husband, potentially other wives and concubines. The constant threat of losing your status, your value declining, your position being supplanted. No security. She was valued and respected, but also arguably expendable. That’s a lot of pressure and tension to contend with. It would require some thick skin and a steel backbone. In the end, Basina did give Childeric four children, two of which make history and I will share them with you later when Gregory of Tours mentions them.
Overall, similar to Childeric, Basina sets the tone for the Merovingian queens who followed her. Strong willed, opinionated, powerful, influential, determined, and stalwartly stubborn. Whether their energies and sights were directed toward the throne or the monastery (I’ll introduce you to some of these women too), these women could be formidable forces. And…to be honest, make for entertaining histories.
Historian Ramblings
On a side note. Much, if not most, of Merovingian history is debated and argued over. In 1988, Patrick Geary said, “No area of Merovingian history is free of controversy.”15 Almost forty years later, James T. Palmer quotes Geary and affirms, “That has not changed.”16 So please, keep in mind that a lot of what I discuss is debated. For example, some scholars argue the stories about Basina didn’t even happen, they were made up! I mean, obviously no one walks out onto their balcony and sees unicorns. But what about her confession of love for Childeric? Did she or didn’t she leave one king to marry another? Who really knows. It’s important to read multiple sources and enter into the debates to get as holistic of a view as possible. So please, I encourage you read some of the scholarly books I recommended at the beginning of this series, HERE.
Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks, II.12.
Ibid., II.12.
Fredegar Chronicles, III.11-12.
Guy Halsall, Barbarian Migrations, 269.
Peter Heather, Empires and Barbarians, 306.
Peter Geary, Before France and Germany, 81.
Guy Halsall, 269.
Suzanne Wemple, Women in Frankish Society, 27.
Ibid., 11.
Ian Wood, The Merovingian Kingdoms, 120.
Ibid., 122.
Suzanne Wemple, 33 & 42.
Oxford Handbook of Merovingian World, 239.
Suzanne Wemple, 42.
Patrick Geary, ix.
James T. Palmer, Merovingian Worlds, 27.